We all know a proper skincare routine is essential, but what about when your face cries out for something more? If your skin is dull, tired, acne-ridden or needs rejuvenation, professional facial therapy can do much more than standard creams. Read on for our guide to the best facial treatments for clear, smooth, glowing skin.
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- Microneedling
- Chemical Peels
- Botox and Dermal Fillers
- Non-Surgical Liquid Facelift and Wrinkles
- Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
- Tear Trough Filler Treatment
What Is the Best Facial Treatment For Me?
The best skin treatments for you depend on your desired results and the skin concerns or other problem areas you might be struggling with. What’s great for breakouts may not be the best treatment for skin hydration or reducing the appearance of wrinkles, so you should always do your research and take the time to consider what you’re hoping to achieve from a procedure.
It’s completely normal for the appearance of your skin to change over time, with differences in skin tone and texture often brought about by factors such as stress, hormone levels or general ageing.
Your face is one of the most visible areas of your body, and as you age, it is often the first area to show signs of ageing. It’s no wonder that lots of us are self-conscious about these signs of ageing and look for ways to turn back the years or improve how our facial features look with anti-wrinkle treatments.
The signs of ageing many people look to combat in their faces tend to centre around:
- Sagging skin
- Dull or dry skin
- Wrinkled areas around the eyes (crow’s feet)
- Creases and smile lines around the mouth
- Wrinkled skin and creases in the forehead.
Many of our patients seek anti-ageing treatments to boost their self-confidence, and combating these signs of ageing can have a huge impact on this. The right anti-ageing treatments can help give you a rejuvenated and youthful appearance.
Try a Skin-Boosting, Non-Surgical Facial Treatment
Some people turn to cosmetic surgery for more permanent results, but going under the knife isn’t the only way to visibly improve your skin and enjoy a glowing visage.
If you’re interested in non-surgical treatments to revitalise your skin, you may wonder where to start. Below, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most popular facial procedures for you to try. If you’re looking for a facial treatment in London, don’t hesitate to contact our professional clinic to see which option is best for you.
1. Microneedling for Firmer and Smoother Skin
Microneedling uses a dermal roller device known as Dermapen. This mildly invasive procedure essentially causes superficial damage to the skin, which enables the dermis to regenerate itself for a firmer, smoother, and younger-looking face. Microneedling is also helpful in reducing fine lines, acne scarring, and age spots. Another advantage of this treatment is that it allows your facial products to penetrate more deeply, for a more effective home skin care regime.
Microneedling is suitable for all skin types, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking to achieve a more youthful look without going under the knife. Before the procedure, we apply numbing cream so you won’t feel much during the treatment. The treatment is entirely safe and can result in long-term radiance and firmness, especially if patients undergo a series of treatments at six-week intervals. The results of microneedling are more subtle than some options, but its minimal downtime and non-invasive nature make it a popular choice. The results aren’t as long-lasting, but they will fade more gradually than some treatments.
2. Chemical Peels: Perfect for Acne Scarring and Improving Skin Tone
When you get a chemical peel, outer layers of dead skin cells are removed to reveal deeper layers of new, healthy skin underneath. This is achieved by applying a safe chemical solution to the skin, which varies depending on the depth of the peel and the results desired.
Superficial chemical peels use alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) to tackle minor skin issues such as acne, blemishes and enlarged pores on the skin’s top layer. These treatments require minimal downtime and result in mild redness and flaking for a couple of days.
A medium chemical peel goes further into the outer layers of skin using trichloroacetic acid to remove the skin’s top layer and part of the middle layer. We would consider this procedure to be minimally invasive. Each type of chemical peel requires aftercare and recovery time, so this isn’t a “no-downtime” treatment. The medium peels could take seven to fourteen days of recovery, while the deep peels require longer downtime, painkillers and no sun exposure. Your face will be red, swollen, possibly blistery and will begin to peel around the second or third day after treatment. This treatment isn’t for everyone but is especially helpful for those with acne scars, severe sun damage and dark spots, and uneven skin tone. Chemical peels also reduce fine lines and improve skin texture for a more youthful look.
A deep chemical peel is the most intense type, requiring anaesthesia and a longer recovery time of up to six weeks. These medical peels use phenol acid and are suitable for patients with pronounced facial wrinkles or sun-damaged skin. At Harley Street MD, we don’t offer deep chemical peels, but we can refer you if we feel this is the best option for your needs.
3. Botox and Dermal Fillers for Plump, Younger-Looking Skin
Dermal fillers and Botox are both types of injectable treatments administered to patients by a qualified cosmetic doctor. Many people opt for injectable treatments to turn back the clock on their skin without surgery. These non-invasive treatments are reversible, inexpensive and require minimal downtime, making it much easier to achieve plump, younger-looking skin.
Within both types of treatment, small needles are injected into specific areas of the face, but the type of injectable and where it’s administered will depend on the facial area you wish to target. Your clinician may suggest a combination of the two treatments to achieve the best results.
You can find examples of the way these treatments work below:
Wrinkle-Relaxing with Botox
Wrinkle-relaxing injections are done using filler toxins, and they’re one of the most effective anti-ageing treatments. Botox is made from botulinum toxins that restrict movement in targeted areas to eliminate wrinkles, whereas dermal fillers contain pharmaceutical grade hyaluronic acid to provide moisture and increase skin elasticity. This type of treatment can help reduce wrinkles and facial lines, which can give your skin a smoother, more youthful appearance. These injections are non-invasive and have minimal downtime too.
The most popular facial areas for wrinkle injections are:
- Forehead lines
- Frown lines (between eyebrows)
- Crows feet (outer corners of the eyes)
Skin Hydration Therapy
This game-changing procedure is non-invasive and one of the most affordable on our list. It has the added benefit of no downtime, so you can come to the clinic on your lunch break and return to the office right after! Juvederm Volite hydrates the skin with hyaluronic acid, which we have discussed at length. We inject the filler around the face to improve skin texture, increase elasticity and reduce fine lines. This procedure isn’t so much about reversing the signs of ageing as we do with Botox but rejuvenating the skin for a healthier, glowy and youthful appearance.
Most patients who receive Botox or dermal fillers require regular treatments every four to six months to maintain their youthful look. Injectables are used to treat a range of common problem areas on the face, such as frown lines, crow’s feet, wrinkles under the eyes, eyebrow arches and bunny lines around the nose. They can also be used as cheek filler and chin augmentation, jawline reduction and non-surgical nose jobs.
4. Non-Surgical Liquid Facelift to Reduce the Appearance of Fine Lines and Wrinkles
One combination therapy that uses both botox and dermal fillers is the non-surgical liquid facelift. In this facial therapy, injectable treatments are administered alongside polydioxanone (PDO) threading to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, contour the face, and restore volume.
As we age, we lose elasticity in the skin — this is the skin’s ability to stay tight and taut. So you may notice that parts of the face are sagging, like droopy eyelids, sunken cheeks, or jowls around the neck. Collagen production slows down as we get older, which is what keeps the face supple and moisturised. While not technically a single treatment, this combination is a one-stop-shop for targeting multiple problem areas for maximum impact.
Dermal fillers transform the face without surgery by adding moisture, reducing fine lines, and allowing the skin to become lifted and tight again. If your face needs a boost all over, consider our non-surgical liquid facelift, a bespoke plan using many techniques to give you the new, refreshed look you desire. This is also known as an “eight-point facelift”.
The eight-point facelift is a highly effective treatment that is non-invasive and has minimal downtime. It’s one of the best treatments for an overall anti-ageing effect, as it combats all the key areas and lifts, tightens and hydrates your skin in all the important places. It isn’t a surgical procedure, so has minimal risks compared to the traditional facelifts you might be more familiar with – and yet the results are just as powerful and will fill you with confidence.
5. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy for Improving Collagen Production
As an alternative to Botox or dermal fillers, you could also try the popular Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy to achieve smooth, plump skin. This so-called “vampire facial” uses your own blood platelets to stimulate new cell growth, with fine needles being used to inject the blood into the face.
This process increases the production of new collagen and elastin, which is excellent for smoothing out fine lines and improving skin texture. It may seem strange, but this therapy is actually a highly versatile treatment method and has been used for wound healing, sports medicine, dermatology and other medical applications for decades. PRP therapy is also used to help with male-pattern baldness.
This treatment is great for those who want an alternative to Botox, dermal fillers, and the other treatments on this list. Since the substance injected is from your own blood, there is less risk of complications, side effects or an allergic reaction. Clients are comforted by the organic nature of using their own blood, helping some people feel safer and reassured. This treatment is great for all over the face, neck, décolletage, hands and for combating dark circles under the eyes.
The treatment takes about 30 minutes, and there is no downtime. To get the most out of PRP therapy, we recommend a few treatments spaced six weeks apart. You’ll start to see results within a few weeks and complete new collagen reproduction in three months. The results can last up to 18 months, but we recommend coming in for a follow-up a year after treatment.
6. Tear Trough Filler Treatment for Plumping the Under-Eye Area
If the biggest problem area on your face is dark circles, bags and lines under the eyes, tear trough filler treatment could provide dramatic results and give you the enlivened look you’ve been dreaming of.
Facial fillers can add much-needed volume back to your face, especially if your face is becoming more hollow or sunken with age. This treatment is used to combat under-eye bags by giving your undereyes a more plump and youthful appearance.
This is accomplished by carefully injecting the filler into the under-eye area and expertly massaging it in to blend into the cheekbone. It recreates the smooth, firm foundation for your under-eye area and supports and hydrates the skin for a fresher and less sunken appearance. Fillers can also be used to give more volume to your cheekbones — giving your face its youthful structure. Fillers are popular for their great results while remaining minimally invasive and affordable.
Patients can look invigorated in under 30 minutes, and with minimal downtime, you can go back to your normal day-to-day activities immediately after treatment.
