Dr Saras Sundrum, a cosmetic physician with three clinics in Sydney, reveals the five biggest ‘non invasive beauty trends’ set to impact on the Australian beauty industry this year.
Body Contouring
In our society today, where young and old are very conscious of their body shape, and want to diminish bulges of fat and smooth out contours, body contouring treatments are proving to be very popular. In particular, my patients who have been dedicated to having regular exercise and adhering to healthy diets know that that this alone cannot be directed to particular bulges of fat to remove them. Exercise and dieting helps the whole body to lose fat but it is treatments like Sculpsure that can be directed to certain parts of the body such as the abdomen, love handles, bra fat area, thighs and even the under chin fat pad area. So in our clinics we see young and old, people of all skin colours and very fit as well as overweight patients using the new Sculpsure laser to lessen bulges of fat over a series of treatments that are easy to program into a normal busy life.
Skin Rejuvenation
From the age of 20 a person produces one percent less collagen in their skin each year, so the skin gets thinner and more fragile and more prone to wrinkle formation. Skin rejuvenation treatments that have almost no side effects and are very quick to perform have been very successful in our clinics. Our latest tool in fighting this ageing process is the Picosure laser which helps build up collagen in the skin. It works by causing controlled minor injury to the skin and this induces the body to produce new collagen in an effort to repair this injury, thus causing firmness and tightness of the skin. It is performed with minimal discomfort and there is very little downtime after the procedure. It can be used on the face, the neck, the décolletage area and the hands. The great feature of the picosecond laser is that unlike old nano laser technology it can be safely used on all skin types and colours.
Skin and Body Tightening
As we age, collagen production slows down causing the skin to lose firmness and elasticity. As a result fine lines and wrinkles form leading to skin laxity, smile lines, crow’s feet and other bothersome creases. One of the newest technologies to come to market is the Tempsure Envi. It is a gentle radiofrequency treatment that minimises fine lines and wrinkles, tightens skin (through soft-tissue coagulation) and improves the appearance of cellulite on the body. By gently heating the skin, it increases the temperature for a defined, therapeutic time that will trigger a natural response for the skin to create new collagen – giving tighter, younger-looking skin. Results will be seen after one treatment but collagen will continue to rebuild over time and a course of treatments is recommended for longer lasting results.
Cellulite Treatments
Most women will suffer from cellulite after puberty, regardless of whether or not they are overweight and many are looking for quick, comfortable treatments with no downtime to get rid of it. There are a number of products on the market to help including the new Zwave Pro which uses radial pulse technology to deliver acoustic shockwaves to reduce the appearance of cellulite. The device has a positive result on the skin structure and the body’s connective tissue, blood circulation and fat cell metabolism, oedema reduction and toxin elimination and collagen regeneration. It can also be used prior and post other body contouring procedures to decrease mild swelling and tenderness.
Tattoo Removal
We are seeing an increase in patients aged 22 to about 50 who are looking to get their tattoo removed. Often when tattoos have been put on when people have been single and young, and when they become middle-aged, and have children of their own, that’s what prompts them to get rid of their tattoo. We do know that tattoos are going to look worse, because the skin isn’t going to look as good in 20, 30 years. I think that in the next 5 to 10 years, you will see older tattoo removal technologies superseded by the new Picosecond laser technology, which is safer and easier to use, and can be used on all skin types.