From golden skin and custom foundation to injectable fillers and lush lashes, here’s what you need to know for the summer.
Muffin top, spare tire, love handles- cute names, yes, but the real thing isn’t. There’s hope for those hard to tone deposits of fat around the midsection. UltraShape and Synergie offers a two step non-invasive cosmetic procedure that melts and drains away fat to about 2 to 3 centimeters, or one pant size smaller. “First, a focal ultrasound – UltraShape- targets the fat cells, breaks them open and releases the fat,” explains Toronto-based Dr. Lisa Kellett, the first cosmetic dermatologist inCanada to offer the procedure. Discomfort is minimal – a gel is place on the area and you’ll feel merely a tingly sensation. Then, the “free” fat is metabolized by the liver and liquefied.
These two hyaluronic acid-based injectable fillers both correct facial folds and crease – results for the former lasting 6 to 12 months, the later, 4 to 6 – and deliver similar results. Juvederm is currently being use to build volume in lips, cheekbones and chin. “It’s preferred over a chin or cheek implant because it’s noninvasive – there’s no major surgery,” says Toronto-based cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Lisa Kellett. “We use what’s considered a deeper form of Juvederm, injected along the bone to help build up the shape.” Cost: $400 and up.
Using radio-frequency technology to tighten facial skin (primarily around the jaw-line) and increase collagen production, thermage is close to bumping Botox off the top of the list of most popular cosmetic procedures. Using a shallower, FDA-approved tip, thermage can now firm and even lift your upper lip, eyelids and the area underneath the eyes, “You won’t see a huge difference,” notes Toronto-based cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Lisa Kellett, “but it’s subtle enough for the customer to notice.” Best suited for people in their 30s to 40s who aren’t comfortable with surgery to fix dropping skin. Cost: Starting at $2,500 you can perk up your eyes for a mere 30 minutes, and your entire face for around $3,500. But it doesn’t stop there. You could say bye-bye to cellulite by undergoing one round of the new ThermaTip CL. “ By reaching and heating the deeper tissues in the skin, it helps rebuild collagen connective tissues and improve blood flow to these tissues,” says Kellett. The results are said to be immediate and can continue to improve for up to six months. Cost depends on the size of area.
Wrinkles aren’t the only lines we don’t like to see. “Crossing the legs, standing for long periods, the hereditary factor and blunt trauma to the vein are the main causes of varicose veins ,” says Dr. Lisa Kellett, a cosmetic dermatologist in Toronto. The most common treatment for getting rid of varicose and spider veins is sclerotherapy. A salt-dextrose solution is injected into the vein, irritating the walls and causing them to shrink – a procedure that takes 20 minutes. The main side effect is bruising. Befriend the compression stocking for a few weeks. “Avoid anything that will put pressure on the vein, such as crossing your legs, but you can still remain active,” says Kellett, who also recommends undergoing sclerotherapy in the winter or early spring to tallow for four months of recovery. Cost: $250 and up.