Shirley (67), a mother of five, whose daughter recently married in Matching Church, Essex, felt more emotional than most mums as she helped with her daughter’s wedding preparations. Over the past 25 years she had had several challenges leaving her unsure if she would ever see her marry.
In 1989, Shirley’s life took a dramatic turn, after she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Six years later, in 1995, a subsequent tumour was diagnosed and yet another in 1999. Each time she was treated at The Royal Free Hospital, London, undergoing brain surgery to remove non-malignant tumours, followed by a course of radiotherapy. Thankfully her condition is in remission; however the treatment left Shirley with diminished confidence about her looks,
So despite much excitement about her daughters’ big day, Shirley was aware that she would be photographed numerous times and was keen to look her best, as she explained:
“I wanted to look fresh and more youthful for my daughter’s wedding.”
She consulted with me at Dr Leah Skin Cosmetic Clinic in London to discuss how we could help her to approach the event with confidence. In fact we are seeing a rise in the number of patients like Shirley, who are seeking discrete and natural looking, anti-aging treatments – especially before milestone events such as wedding.
Sagging in the mid-face, jowls and neck occurs as we get older and gravity takes its toll. This drooping of the skin ages our appearance and anti-wrinkle injections and fillers are unable to tackle the lifting needed to counter this. However, Silhouette Soft, an innovative and discrete anti-aging treatment is the only non-surgical option to lift the skin and defy gravity, and this is what we recommended to Shirley.”
Treatment is carried out under a small local anaesthetic, which is administered to the face immediately before the procedure. Once the face is numb fine threads are inserted just under the skin where they are held in place with bi-directional cones. These cones are positioned along the length of the threads and act as anchors. The tension in the threads, once gently tightened, work to lift the sagging skin- elevating the facial tissue immediately. The threads are then absorbed by the body.
Even better, the results of the treatment continue to improve over the coming months. Before dissolving the cones on the threads stimulate the body to produce its own collagen, helping increase the volume of saggy areas, restoring shapeliness to the face gradually.
The treatment takes under an hour, and the initial effect can be seen straightaway.
Ready for my close-up
As Shirley explained:
“I could see the lifting results immediately! My face felt tighter, and slightly tender for the next couple of days, but not painful”
And how did she look at the wedding?
“I didn’t tell my daughter I had had the treatment, but on the day of the wedding she kept saying ‘”Wow mum, you look amazing!’ My niece who hasn’t seen me in several years commented that she ‘hoped to look as well as I do when she is my age, as I never seem to look any older!’”
“I am very happy with my Silhouette Soft treatment. I knew I could trust Dr Leah to do a great job; she’s brilliant! I feel really good about myself at the minute, I look forward to enjoying the new lease of life my refreshed image has given me.
The wedding photographs show Shirley smiling with confidence and glowing with happiness, knowing that she had defied her condition to see her daughter’s wedding and overcome her concerns about her diminished appearance.
A typical Silhouette Soft treatment consists of four threads and costs around £1,500. Treatment is offered subject to the clinician confirming a patient’s suitability.
