Beauty: Spa Spy - Tackle unwanted wrinkles without surgery at Aesthetica '¨in Edinburgh

Plasmage is used to tighten eyelids in preference to surgery

The treatment

Blefaroplasma (eyelid tightening) with Plasmage at Aesthetica Lead by Dr Liliana, Edinburgh. Upper or lower eyelid £300, both eyes £450.

Plasmage is a hand held device that is also used to treat excess skin or skin irregularities on other areas: neck £300, pigmentation from £195, skin irregularities or moles from £195, warts or verrucas from £195.

Why go?

If you have any wrinkles, scars, stretch marks, keloids, fibroids, skin irregularities and excess skin you’d like to remove, Plasmage is a good option. For eyelid tightening it’s very popular in preference to surgery, as it avoids scarring and has a short recovery period, with results in about six to eight weeks.

Wrinkles on my eyelids made them feel heavy and tired and no wonder – the ‘before’ photographs taken at Aesthetica of my closed eyes revealed the extent of wrinkles across the lid, who knew? It was time for action.

However, I didn’t fancy surgery with its cost, general anaesthetic, stitches, downtime and possible side effects, so finding out about Plasmage was an eye-opener.

Our spy says

You feel in competent hands at Aesthetica as the staff are medically qualified, and also very skilled at putting you at your ease. Care is taken to talk you through what the treatment entails, and pictures are taken prior to the procedure so you can compare results.

An anaesthetic cream is applied to the eyelid and left for 25 minutes to take effect, then a device the size of a dentist’s drill is used on the eye areas. It works by ionising gases from the air to create small electric arches, that are pinpointed in a series of small electric dots on the skin, which cause it to immediately tighten and begin to renew.

There’s a tingling feeling and a slight burning smell, but I felt no stinging or pain. It was a case of lying back and staying still, no problem in the calm ambience of Aesthetica’s West End treatment rooms. Both eyes were done in an hour. After treatment, sun cream is necessary and sunglasses are a good idea if you have family or friends who may not wish to look at your teabag eyes, especially for the first couple of days. Scabs fall off after a week and any swelling disappears, with skin completely renewed within two months when you see the full effect.

The results

Comparing before and after pictures on the day of treatment immediately showed a marked difference. The wrinkles that creased my closed eyelids were completely gone, the crows feet reduced and the whole eye area opened up. Now nearly six months on I can see the best results. Due to last for up to two years, I’m delighted with the results, but time (and wrinkles) march on, so when they return, so will I, for another treatment. In the meantime the ease and effectiveness of Plasmage has left me wide-eyed.

Janet Christie

Aesthetica Lead by Dr Liliana, 3A- 4 Randolph Place, Edinburgh (0131-281 1251, www.aestheticaedinburgh.com, [email protected])