Ageing is not a choice, but not looking our age can be. From KP Aesthetics in Hale, Altrincham, I have the pleasure of delivering effective, innovative, and much-loved aesthetic treatments to some wonderful women and men looking to ‘turn back the clocks’ on their complexion. As a medical professional, I always want to understand the science behind each treatment so that my patients can be informed too. Similarly, I want to understand the science behind the over-the-counter alternatives, such as the ever-promising anti-ageing serums. Some herald ‘Botox in a bottle’, others boast skin tightening to rival dermal fillers. Most have a celebrity heading their advertising campaigns – so surely they must do some good for our skin? This week, I want to take a look at serums and aesthetic treatment alternatives and where we should consider investing our money, and our trust.
What Causes our Ageing Complexion?
We aren’t talking about contributing factors here (sun damage, poor diet, smoking etc.), but what happens to our body to make our skin lose its youthfulness. It largely comes down to collagen. Collagen is the protein that supports the skin’s firmness and elasticity. As we age our collagen production slows down, new skin cells are no longer formed, our skin loses its luminosity and wrinkles appear. (It isn’t all doom and gloom, I promise!)
Do Anti-Ageing Serums Save Money?
When the high-end anti-ageing products cost just half as much as their injectable and medically licenced counterparts, and household brands are just a fraction of the price, it is understandable that many millions of men and women spend many billions on shop bought beauty products. It helps that they come in bright and beautiful bottles that promise bright and beautiful skin too. However, whilst we happily give over our hard earned cash to miracle serums, do we really register a difference to our skin or are we instead conditioned to believe that it should make a difference, therefore we stick with it?
The Science Behind Serums
Most serums will include a range of vitamins, antioxidants, and peptides. In fact, if you look at the ingredients list on the box or bottle of your go-to serum, you’ll probably see a whole list of weird and wonderful chemicals and the like. The thing to bear in mind when searching for a serum are the active ingredients because the serum is a topical treatment, to have any effect it needs to be full of the right stuff.
That specially formulated stuff includes Retinol, the active form of vitamin A. Retinol is something that our body produces naturally and is the essential vitamin for collagen production. Anti-oxidants such as green tea extract are known to protect the skin from UV damage and pollution and support the skin, as are pentapeptides which, like retinol, encourage collagen production. Dermatologists agree that serums including these components will benefit the skin somewhat, but we should not expect miracles – and certainly do not throw your money into the most expensive serums, with the same ingredients there will be no real difference between a £300 serum and a £30 alternative.
The Time for Aesthetic Treatments
Of course, you may question whether there is any bias involved in my response. I can only try to assure you that with my wealth of experience in the aesthetics industry, I am still amazed by the transformative and long-lasting results that aesthetic treatments can offer. Unlike serums, aesthetic treatments such as Botox, dermal fillers, and skin-needling can offer precise delivery to target particular areas of the skin that are showing the visible signs of ageing. In recent years, the stigma and misconceptions surrounding aesthetic treatment has been diluted and instead, the results of natural-looking beauty and an enormous lift in confidence are being celebrated.
Targeted, Specialised Aesthetic Treatments
The range of anti-ageing treatments available at KP Aesthetics is vast. Injectable treatments are always very popular, and for good reason. For example, anti-wrinkle injections or Botox prevent the formation of wrinkles by relaxing specific muscles in the face whilst dermal fillers, containing hyaluronic acid offer definition and volume and support a lasting youthful complexion. Chemical peels also offer full skin rejuvenation and can be tailored to your skin type. Whether you decide to have one treatment or multiple, bespoke aesthetic treatments can deliver beautiful results and restore a youthful complexion.
Price is often one of the deciding factors for serum or aesthetic treatment. At KP Aesthetics, we have taken this on board and can now offer our patients a monthly payment plan with 0% APR up to 12 months. You can learn more about our payment options here.
Hopefully this blog has given you a better idea of where to put your money or at least some food for thought. To discuss any of the treatments available at KP Aesthetics, or to book for your free consultation, get in touch today.
And as a last word, we may be leaving summer behind but the sun is powerful all year round – combat ageing every day with a good SPF!
