Our head of beauty Zoe has been putting 2024’s most popular treatments to the test (Image: Zoe Cripps)I don’t know about you but I always look my worst at the start of each new year. Overindulging during the Christmas period and generally not taking great care of my skin means that come January I look puffy and lacklustre. It usually takes me until about spring to feel more like myself. This is why I always get excited when the aesthetic trends emails hit my inbox. I love reading about what’s set to revolutionise the world of injectables and high-tech facials for the year to come. And this year, I was in for a treat. In the name of pure research (alright, and a little bit of self-care) OK!’s head of beauty Zoe delves into facial injectable techniques and revolutionary skin-boosting treatments that are on track to become 2024’s top aesthetic trends… Jowl reduction with skin boosters and Botox
Left, before the Botox and skin booster, right, immediately after
(Image: OK!)
Jowls are a notoriously tricky area to treat, but a combination of skin boosters, Botox and filler can be used together to cheat a more youthful lower face. Botox is injected to prevent the smile from down-turning and causing shadows beneath the lip, while the filler is used to treat dips in the jawline and a skin booster like Profhilo works to encourage collagen and elastin production in the area over time. Results are immediate and follow-up appointments will be needed every 3-6 months. Zoe says: I have hereditary jowls that have always been present but seem to be getting more noticeable with age, as expected. Of course, at 32, I’m not looking to do anything like a lower facelift, but I have been looking for ways to treat the area with more non-invasive methods. I headed to see Dr Mo at his Dr Motox clinic and he knew exactly what to do. He advised I treat the area with a combination of skin booster (Profhilo) and Botox. He also put in a touch of filler to the area along my jawline where the dip of the jowl shows. Honestly, I’ve never been so impressed by a before and after shot I’ve had taken before – I saw the difference immediately. This is one treatment I’ll be keeping up with in the future. Cost: Price varies depending on what’s needed, but injectables at Dr Motox start from £265, Botox from £195 and Profhilo from £295. Facial sculpting with Thermage JawSculpt Themage JawSculpt is a cutting-edge, combination treatment designed to sculpt and define your jawline with subtle, natural-looking results. By pairing Thermage FLX, the leading radiofrequency technology for skin tightening and lifting, with masseter Botox, this treatment helps create a more contoured, refined jawline that’s virtually undetectable. The best part? It all takes just one hour, with results that continue to improve over time, leaving your jaw looking lifted, firmer, and smoother.
111 Harley St clinic-goer Lorna shares her before and after
(Image: 111 Harley St)
Zoe says: Unlike other treatments that require multiple sessions, this one only needed a single treatment. The best part is that my skin will continue to improve over the next six months, and the results are expected to last up to a year. It’s a very convenient option for long-lasting results. I will say the Thermage FLX portion of the treatment was a little uncomfortable, but by no means unbearable. If you’ve ever had laser hair removal, I liken the pain level to that. Though I’m still fully waiting for the longer-term results to kick in, I’m very happy to report my jawline is starting to look more defined and my cheeks more lifted. I know it’s expensive but it’s a great once-per-year option for something looking to steer clear of filler and focus more on anti-ageing from skin deep. I also had a great experience at 111 Harley St, where the combination of the masseter Botox and the Thermage is exclusively offered. Cost:From £2,495 at 111 Harley St. Under-eye regeneration with polynucleotides Tear trough filler became less requested in 2023 with many experts debating the hit-or-miss results it can give. Though still delivered via needle, polynucleotides – long chains of nucleotides commonly derived from salmon DNA – offer a more natural approach to under-eye rejuvenation by working to boost collagen production and skin quality. DNA messengers in the injectable solution prompt the fibroblast cells in your dermis to produce more collagen, elastin and hydration, resulting in a reduction of dark circles and fine lines over time. Zoe says: I’ve considered under-eye filler for a while, but since my problem is dark circles rather than hollowness, Dr Amiee Vyas advised this treatment instead. Now, one month after completing three sessions spaced two to three weeks apart (you have to be patient as it takes a few months to improve the skin quality), my under-eyes appear more plump and concealer sits on the area without creasing. Cost: £1,100 for three sessions at Doctor Amiee Facial Aesthetics & Skin and select clinics nationwide
Left is Zoe before the treatment and right is Zoe after undertaking the treatment
(Image: Zoe Cripps)
Skin tightening with Fotona4D Laser “facelifts” are set to become more popular than surgical lifts this year thanks to advanced laser technology that promises visible and long-term rejuvenation with minimal risk and downtime. Fotona4D, in particular, is stealing the spotlight. It combines four different lasers that target all layers of the skin, improving concerns ranging from skin sagging and loss of elasticity to pigmentation from just one session. Downtime is also very minimal, with most reporting some redness that fades after 24-48 hours. With results lasting 1-3 years after three sessions are completed, it also offers a long-term solution to some of the visible signs of ageing. Zoe says: I’ve wanted to try this since I read it’s one of Kim Kardashian’s go-to, needle-free treatments. My main problem areas are also around my lower face and jowl regions where I have some early shadowing. This treatment uniquely tackles that area by using laser probes that go inside and outside of the mouth. Fotona also has four laser modals to target concerns in the different layers of skin, giving multi-dimensional firming, fat elimination and resurfacing. It sounds painful when you hear ‘laser in your mouth’ but really I only felt a warm massage along the inside near my gums and cheeks. In fact, all four states were completely pain-free, with the third mode ‘Piano’ feeling like warm sunshine on my skin. Because the final stage is micro skin resurfacing with the SupErficial laser, I expected a certain level of skin peeling and redness – which I did get. But it was all incredibly mild and nothing a good moisturiser didn’t sort. I’m only a week post-treatment and I’m told the best results are seen after two sessions, so I’m excited to go back next month for another. So far, my skin feels incredible: soft and smooth, and the shadows under the corners of my mouth aren’t as visible. Well worth the money, I say. Cost: From £795 at CREO Clinic and select clinics nationwide
Zoe tries out Fotona4D at CREO Clinic
(Image: OK!)
Botox brought to you Botox isn’t a new treatment by any stretch, but Botox that arrives at your front door is. A seriously convenient new concept has hit the London aesthetics scene thanks to Carriages of Harley Street. This mobile aesthetics clinic brings a Harley Street experience to your home with a fully-equipped, and very fancy-looking van, that encompasses everything a regular treatment room would have – including a fully qualified aesthetic doctor. The brainchild of Dr Devine, whose viral videos may have popped up on your Instagram and TikTok feeds already, the aim of the concept is to deliver top-notch treatments without the patient having to then go back into the outside world with blotchy skin and a long commute back home ahead of them.
Botox isn’t a new treatment by any stretch, but Botox that arrives at your front door is
(Image: Carriages of Harley Street)
Zoe says: When I say this was the most convenient thing ever, it was the most convenient thing ever. My carriage arrived outside of my office during lunch hour and I was back at my desk 20 minutes later. I didn’t have to get on a tube, face crowds of people with my makeup-free face or have to book time off. The van itself is also so comfortable, with a large and comfy reclining treatment chair, low lighting and a twinkly inner roof. I had one area of Botox on my forehead, which Dr Devine expert injected, and the results kicked in around 10 days later. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to regular clinics now for my anti-wrinkle injections! Cost: Prices vary depending on what you’re booking in for – anti-wrinkle injections are on offer as well as dermal filler, injectable moisturiser and filler dissolving services – but start from around £220 for one area of Botox. ‘Soft’ lip enhancing with filler This year will see a shift from how we’ve traditionally used filler and Botox in the past to more functional, regenerative methods of skin and feature enhancing with injectables. While there will always be a place for lip filler, doctors and aestheticians are now focusing on the three S’s associated with injecting that area: soft, subtle and symmetrical. A soft filler is used towards the centre of the upper and lower lips, avoiding the outer corners and edges to ensure the lip profile doesn’t develop a shelf-like appearance. This softer approach focuses less on the volume of product injected and more on balancing features for tailored results. Cost: From £400 at Emma Wedgwood Aesthetics and select clinics nationwide Collagen stimulation with SQT Bio Microneedling Typically, microneedling uses ultra-fine needles to stimulate collagen production and cell regeneration. The advancement to the treatment for 2024 is liquid microneedling, which does a very similar thing but with microscopic spicules extracted from freshwater sponges. In just five minutes, three million of these natural microneedles are directly introduced into the dermis layer through professional hand massage to promote skin metabolism, resulting in brighter, more youthful-looking skin with repeat sessions spaced three to four weeks apart. Zoe says: I’ve experienced a lot of redness after traditional microneedling, so I was delighted to hear downtime is reduced with this no-needle alternative. There was a bit of facial redness visible for a few hours posttreatment and then some mild skin flaking and dryness in the days following, but within a week my skin looked plump and my red acne marks were less visible. Cost: From £160 per session at Élan Laser Clinic and select clinics nationwide
This no-needle alternative to microneedling largely reduces the downtime
(Image: Zoe Cripps)
No needle ‘microneedling’ Microneedling isn’t for everyone, especially if you have reactive skin or a particularly sensitive complexion. To get some of the benefits of the treatment without being pricked with micro-needles, JetPeel’s anti-ageing facial is a great all-rounder for skin rejuvenation. It combines the benefits of lymphatic drainage, extractions, dermabrasion and microneedling with zero downtime, and uses jet pressure energy to generate fine, misty, high-velocity jet streams of liquid micro-droplets. There are three booster versions of the facial you can book in for: one with hyaluronic acid for plumping, one with an anti-ageing peptide complex and one with witch hazel and peptides for reducing blemishes. The peptide complex facial is ideal for those looking to smooth fine lines and enhance skin luminosity. Ideally, book in for the facial each month to keep up the results. Cost: £250 at Skin Loft in Kensington, London, and select clinics nationwideStory SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterMore OnBeauty
