Ultimate guide to anti-ageing and easiest way to lose five years
So far, our tried-and-tested anti-ageing guide has shown how to rejuvenate your face and your skin without having to resort to the knife.
Today, in the third part of our definitive series, we focus on how to turn back the clock on your smile and bring a youthful sparkle to your eyes.
Today, in the third part of our definitive series, we focus on how to turn back the clock on your smile and bring a youthful sparkle to your eyes
A YOUNGER SMILE
FILLERINA LIP VOLUME
This is a new, no-needle filler treatment to use at home — ideal if you don’t fancy standard fillers, but want to test the look of plumper lips.
Fillerina contains six hyaluronic acid molecules small enough to penetrate the thin tissues of the lips and plump them up.
It also functions as an humectant (a substance that retains moisture to make the skin softer) and delivers an assortment of peptides, which are great for tackling wrinkles.
Fillerina comes in two strengths — I’m trying the stronger of the two.
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How it feels: The product looks like a lip gloss tube. Pressing the applicator at the end, you smooth a layer of the gel across the lips — it’s recommended that this is done five times a day for at least a month.
The gel is light and sinks in rapidly. It’s extremely easy to use and can be slotted into a handbag or pocket.
The Results: I had low expectations but, after just a few days of reasonably obsessive use, I notice that my lips are more hydrated and don’t need anywhere near as much reapplication of lipstick as usual.
They also look a little plumped up. I’m not bowled over, but I’m convinced enough to keep using it.
Ouch factor: 0/10.
Effectiveness: 5/10.
Time taken: Seconds, but must apply repeatedly.
Where: Fillerina Lip Volume 5ml, from £40, marksandspencer.com
Alice Smellie
DR UCHENNA OKOYE’S TOOTH WHITENING
There’s nothing new about tooth whitening — the process of removing stains and discoloration.
But Dr Uchenna Okoye, director of the three London Smiling clinics, is the ultimate grin restorer, not least thanks to her transformations on Channel 4’s 10 Years Younger. I foolishly ask her to put an age on my fangs pre-bleaching.
FIVE OF THE BEST TOOTH GADGETS
BlanX Whitening Treatment
£16, boots.com
An at-home LED gadget that uses light with a whitening formula to get teeth up to four shades whiter in two weeks.
BlanX Whitening Treatment gets teeth up to four shades whiter in two weeks
Foreo Issa Toothbrush
£149, cultbeauty.co.uk
This is made completely from silicone, which creates enough friction to clean teeth, but is soft so it doesn’t scratch or hurt gums.
Oral-B Genius 9,000 Electric Toothbrush
Oral-B Genius 9,000 Electric Toothbrush
£109.99 (was £280), boots.com
Revolutionise the way you brush with this high-tech tool. It will alert you if you press too hard or miss a spot.
Cocowhite Oil
£24.99, superdrug.com
For more natural whitening, use these flavoured oils like mouthwash before brushing.
Use Cocowhite Oil like mouthwash before brushing
Philips Sonicare AirFloss
£60, johnlewis.com
This promises to floss your whole mouth in 30 seconds. It thoroughly cleans by bursting air and water between teeth.
‘Sixty-five,’ she decrees, her hand reaching for mine. I take it and squeeze hard: I’m in my 40s.
Dr Okoye chooses which whitening system she uses to suit her patient — in my case something called Enlighten Whitening, for its natural, rather than glaring, effect.
How it feels: Dr Okoye’s people skills are as awesome as her artistry — as she tinkers away inside your mouth and soothes your lips with a cooling balm, you’re invited to watch a DVD.
She has a zero-tolerance policy to pain so, first off, she treats my gnashers with composite bonding: painting on a liquid resin hardened with special frequency light to protect my teeth from sensitivity.
This, in itself, proves life-changing. For the first time, I can bite into things without wincing.
As for the de-yellowing, she takes impressions of my teeth to create custom-fitted plastic trays, which I return to pick up a few days later.
I’m instructed to fill the trays with bleaching gel and wear them for eight hours for 14 consecutive nights. The process is rounded off with a one-hour, super-charged session in her surgery.
the Results: There’s an astonishing ten shade improvement, with my daffodil-coloured horrors giving way to fabulous pearly-whites and a smile that’s a good 25 years younger. I beam happily.
Ouch factor: 4/10.
Effectiveness: 9/10.
Time taken: Several hours, plus night-time wearing of the trays over two weeks.
Where: London Smiling, 62a Goodge Street, London W1T 4NE; londonsmiling.com. Initial consultation, £82; professional whitening treatment, £919.
Whitening treatments with other cosmetic dentists are also available nationwide.
Hannah Betts
COSMETIC VENEERS
My front teeth have always been gappy. So I opted to have eight upper-row veneers done for a whiter, straighter smile.
Veneers are custom-made from porcelain and, though wafer-thin, they are very hard-wearing and up to 60 per cent stronger than natural teeth.
They provide a shell that is bonded to the existing tooth. Veneers can be used to close gaps, for chipped or discoloured teeth, or simply to give the patient a ‘smile lift’.
How it feels: Moulds of my teeth are taken and I need four appointments with the hygienist to improve the state of my gums before the fitting.
As I’m having only my top teeth done, I need to have my bottom teeth bleached so the colour matches — this is done by wearing a mild bleaching solution in a mould for four hours a day over the course of a month.
One week before my veneers are fitted, my teeth are filed down slightly.
Veneers are usually fitted in one session. An anaesthetising gel is applied and the shells are bonded on, before being filed and polished.
As someone with a lifelong fear of the dentist, I’m anxious. In fact, it’s not painful. The only discomfort comes from the sensitivity when my bottom teeth are being bleached and my top teeth have been filed down.
When the veneers are being fitted, the only tough part is keeping my mouth open for so long, as it takes several hours, stopping for regular breaks.
The results: A dazzling Hollywood smile that looks whiter, brighter and more youthful, but still natural. With good care, veneers should last at least ten years.
Ouch factor: 3/10.
Effectiveness: 9/10.
Time taken: Varies widely. Multiple appointments over a month.
Where: Dr Philip Stemmer, The Fresh Breath Centre, 2 Devonshire Place, London W1G 6HJ; freshbreath.co.uk; Claudia’s treatment at this clinic cost £8,000. Also available at cosmetic dentists nationwide.
Claudia Connell
INVISALIGN
A relatively non-invasive way of straightening teeth, Invisalign uses clear plastic aligners (like tightly fitting gum shields), rather than metal wires.
First, an orthodontist takes moulds and a series of images of your teeth, and creates a 3D computer model showing what needs to move in order to create a straight smile.
FIVE OF THE BEST LIP PLUMPERS
Wunderkiss Plumping Gloss
Wunderkiss Plumping Gloss claims to last for up to 24 hours
£24.95, boots.com
This two-step plumping system claims to last for up to 24 hours. It comes with a gloss and a plumping complex that contains vitamin B3 and cooling and heating agents to give lips maximum volume.
Studio 10 Plumping Gloss
£20, cultbeauty.co.uk
This one-shade-suits-all gloss contains omega-3 and essential fatty acids to plump up and anti-age the lips. It is lightweight to wear, and can be layered over lipstick for a moisture-rich, bold colour.
Studio 10 Plumping Gloss is lightweight to wear, and can be layered over lipstick for a moisture-rich, bold colour
Kiko 3D Instant Volume
£6.90, kikocosmetics.com
The moisturising ingredients in this lip gloss promise smoother and fuller lips an hour after application. Six shades are available — from nude to pink and deep plum.
Too Faced Lip Injection Glossy
£17, toofaced.com
With this gloss, your lips tingle for about ten minutes as it gets to work. It has avocado oil to smooth the lip surface for a fuller, younger-looking smile.
Too Faced Lip Injection Glossy has avocado oil to smooth the lip surface for a fuller, younger-looking smile
YSL Plump Up Glossy Stain
£26, yslbeauty.co.uk
Long-lasting and high-shine, this nude gloss contains hyaluronic acid, which hydrates the lips and instantly makes them look more voluminous.
From this, they make a series of thin, plastic aligners, which are worn over the teeth rather like a sports mouthguard and move your teeth very gradually, little by little, in the right direction.
You wear each aligner for two weeks, working your way through them all in a process that can take anything from six to 18 months. After this, you will need to wear a retainer at night to stop the teeth moving back.
The aligners need to be worn for at least 18 hours a day and must be taken out for eating, drinking anything other than water and brushing your teeth.
How it feels: Getting used to the first aligners is tough. My teeth hurt and I feel like I’m dribbling and lisping.
After just a few days, however, wearing them becomes second nature. People don’t notice unless I point them out. Besides, the fact that I have to take them out before eating and then brush my teeth means I snack much less.
Each new set of aligners feels tight initially, but nothing that a couple of paracetamol can’t deal with.
The results: After just over a year of Invisalign, my teeth are impressively straight. I still wear a retainer at night to stop them moving about, but four years on, I have the neat, even smile I’ve always dreamt of.
Celebrity fans: Gisele Bundchen, Tom Cruise and Eva Longoria.
Ouch factor: 7/10.
Effectiveness: 8/10.
Time taken: At least a year.
Where: London Smiling, 62a Goodge Street, London W1T 4NE; londonsmiling.com; from £3,500. Go to invisalign.co.uk to find a nearby qualified orthodontist.
Claire Coleman
BOTOX MARIONETTE LINES
Marionette lines run either side of your mouth, like those on a puppet. As we age, they create a downward turn, which can make you look old and grumpy.
Botox and fillers can both help (for the deeper ones, you’ll need fillers; Botox will soften more gently etched lines).
Botox is a neurotoxin that blocks nerve activity and causes a reduction in muscle movement.
After 30 years, it’s still the most popular cosmetic procedure.
How it feels: Not in the slightest bit dramatic — just a couple of pin pricks either side of your mouth.
The results take three days to show as the Botox slowly paralyses the muscles.
Be sure to go to a proper Botox-trained professional because if the needle goes askew, you could get a very wonky smile.
The results: In my experience, Botox always proves effective and, this time, it made short work of my marionette lines.
After three days, they’ve practically disappeared. The effect should last for six months.
Ouch factor: 3/10.
Effectiveness: 9/10.
Time taken: 30 minutes.
Where: London Centre for Aesthetic Surgery, 15 Harley Street, W1G 9QQ; lcas.com; from £250. Also available in cosmetic clinics nationwide.
Helena Frith Powell
EIGHT-POINT FACE LIFT
Dr Tapan Patel, director of the PHI Clinic, specialises in the Eight-Point Lift, which uses hyaluronic acid fillers called Juvederm. It’s known as the Eight-Point Lift because there are eight points below the eyes and around the mouth and nose that he considers injecting to tackle the key signs of ageing.
Reassuringly, Dr Patel advocates a less-is-more policy to avoid over-filled, unnatural faces. He uses Botox in my jaw and forehead, too, to relax the muscles that cause me to grind my teeth and soften the look of my jaw.
How it feels: It’s not exactly painful between my brows, but there is a sensation of pressure, like a tension headache. But the further down my face the injections are, the more they hurt.
The injections deep into my jaw muscles are particularly painful. There’s a rather sickly, crunchy sensation, like a spade hitting rock.
The results: After my first treatment, there are purple bruises under my eyes and along my jawline, and the area beneath my left eye is slightly swollen. But despite all that, I can already see that the bags underneath my eyes have all but disappeared.
Days later, and the hyaluronic acid around my eyes has put back what 49 years of gravity, stress and genes (under-eye shadows are hereditary) have taken away. I look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
At the corners of my mouth, a tiny amount of filler has gone a long way, and they no longer sag. I’ve had a few drops in my cheekbones, too, to make them infinitesimally sharper.
Months later, and the Botox in my jaw has been especially successful, since it has reduced my teeth grinding — which means I sleep better — and the width of my jaw has noticeably shrunk. I love it.
Ouch factor: 7/10.
Effectiveness: 9/10.
Time taken: One hour.
Where: PHI Clinic, 102 Harley Street, London W1G 7JB; phiclinic.com; from £695. To find other practitioners who carry out the Eight-Point Lift, visit this-is-me.com.
Sarah Vine
LIP FILLERS
These injections are designed to give fuller, natural-looking lips using Juvederm — a smooth hyaluronic acid gel filler.
The gel replaces volume lost due to ageing and smooths fine lines caused by years of pursing your lips.
These injections are designed to give fuller, natural-looking lips using Juvederm — a smooth hyaluronic acid gel filler
How it feels: I have always had very thin lips, but am wary of having anything too dramatic done to plump them because I really don’t want anyone else to notice.
After reading about the natural-looking results of the Juvederm fillers, I visit cosmetic doctor Dr Tracy Mountford to have them done.
She takes some photographs for before and after comparisons and we discuss how to achieve the most natural result.
First, some anaesthetic cream is smoothed over my lips and left for ten minutes to numb the area. This is the strangest part — not uncomfortable, but similar to having a numb mouth after visiting the dentist.
Dr Mountford injects twice on one side of my mouth and shows me how it looks in the mirror. I am happy, so she repeats the injections on the other side.
The results: Just great. The swelling is minimal and not even my boyfriend notices I’ve had anything done. Best of all, I feel more confident. My lips feel totally normal and the fullness should last for around a year.
Ouch factor: 3/10.
Effectiveness: 7/10.
Time taken: 30 minutes.
Where: The Cosmetic Skin Clinic, 1 Upper Wimpole Street, London W1G 6LA; cosmeticskinclinic.com; from £450. To find nationwide Juvederm practitioners, visit this-is-me.com
Thalia Michel
YOUTHFUL EYES
INJECTABLE FILLERS
Under-eye hollowness can afflict women at any age, though it inevitably gets worse as you age and the skin thins, which makes the facial muscle more visible.
I’ve always had under-eye shadows, and they’ve recently become more obvious.
Injections of filler in the tear trough (the area between the lower eyelid and upper cheek) isn’t necessarily the answer, since it often creates bumps beneath the eye.
Instead, eye surgeon Sabrina Shah-Desai says the problem area is the inner corner of the lower eyelid, where it meets the thicker skin of the cheek, so we should focus treatment there.
Her Eye Boost procedure involves injecting the area under my lower lash line with a runny filler called Restylane Vital Light. The aim is to plump up, hydrate and thicken this delicate skin and smooth the hollow between lid and cheek, making the under-eye area look less tired.
How it feels: It’s quick and — thanks to an anaesthetic cream — almost painless.
The results: Right after the procedure, the area under my eyes looks rather bumpy, like an unusual outcrop of spots, with the odd little bruise among them.
But the swellings go down within five days and my lower-eye area starts to look much fresher, less hollow and, crucially, less tired. Even better, it’s not been airbrushed perfectly smooth, but looks completely natural.
FIVE OF THE BEST EYE SERUMS
Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream
£22, clinique.co.uk
The blend of peptides in this eye cream will leave you looking bright and refreshed — however late you got to bed. Use twice daily, either under or over your make-up.
The Body Shop Eye Roll-On
The Body Shop Eye Roll-On contains caffeine to de-puff the eye area
£15, shop.com
With pomegranate seed oil, this cooling roll-on not only feels refreshing and smells delicious, it also contains caffeine to de-puff the eye area.
Murad Professional Eye Lift Firming Treatment
£45, johnlewis.com
Designed to give instant filler-like results, this intensive cream contains hyaluronic acid spheres to attract moisture and fill in lines and wrinkles around the eye area.
Murad Professional Eye Lift Firming Treatment is designed to give instant filler-like results
Vivderma De-Ageing Eye Cream
£35, vivderma.com
This eye cream contains calming, anti-inflammatory ingredients to soothe eye bags. It doesn’t make them disappear instantly, but it feels hydrating and works to reduce wrinkles over time.
Nuxe Nuxuriance Ultra Eye And Lip Contour
£35, spacenk.com/uk
Great for sensitive skin, this helps to reduce dark circles and puffiness and fade any pigmentation spots, while brightening the eye area for younger-looking eyes.
Nuxe Nuxuriance Ultra Eye And Lip Contour is great for sensitive skin
These effects should last for eight months, particularly if I look after my skin.
Would I pay to have this done annually? Absolutely. I’d rather do this than Botox.
Ouch factor: 5/10.
Effectiveness: 7/10.
Time taken: 30 minutes.
Where: Selected locations; perfecteyesltd.com; from £750.
Alice Hart-Davis
LVL EYELASH LIFT
Unlike old-style lash perms that had a tendency to curl hairs back on themselves, this treatment lifts straight from the root so lashes fan upwards with no curl, making the eye look bigger.
My therapist uses sticky pads to tape down my lower lashes and puts another over my eyelid. With specially formulated glue, she essentially folds the lashes back on themselves from the root.
A setting lotion is then applied for eight to 12 minutes. A volumising treatment is put on next and left for four to six minutes. Finally, lashes are tinted.
They must not get wet for 24 hours following the treatment and the results should last from six to eight weeks.
How it feels: I don’t much like lying there with tape around my eyes and someone fiddling with my lashes — though the hand massage while the setting lotion is on feels nice.
Afterwards, my eyelids feel sticky and there are a few smudges from the tint around my eyes.
The results: When I properly clean my eyes the next day, I’m impressed. With the stickiness and smudges gone, I look really wide-eyed, as if I’ve curled my lashes and applied a deep blue-black mascara.
Celebrity fans: Rihanna.
Ouch factor: 5/10.
Effectiveness: 7/10.
Time taken: 30 minutes.
Where: At home with mobile beauticians; secretspa.co.uk; from £49. Or visit nouveaulashes.com to find your nearest therapist.
Claire Coleman
GOLD-INFUSED EYE MASK
This black satin eye mask contains gold nanoparticles with thousands of hyaluronic acid molecules (which hydrate skin) fused in the material.
The claim is that they increase the skin’s production of collagen and have antioxidant benefits.
For best results, you have to wear it at night for at least 72 hours.
How it feels: Exactly like wearing a sleep mask. It takes getting used to — it’s a bit Fifty Shades for me — but it’s comfortable enough.
The results: It takes a good five nights of wear before a difference is genuinely visible. It’s slight, but the fine lines seem a little less pronounced, and there’s less of a dry, reptilian look to the skin.
In fact, my complexion looks less dehydrated than it has for a while.
Ouch factor: 0/10.
Effectiveness: 5/10.
Time taken: 72 hours of wear while you sleep.
Where: From proskins.co.uk, £45.
Anna Maxted
RADARA PATCHES
Another at-home eye treatment — but this one comes with crescent-shaped, stick-on masks covered with 2,000 tiny spikes.
Yes, you read that right. These make tiny holes, or ‘microchannels’, in the skin to stimulate collagen and elastin production — two proteins that give your skin strength, shape and firmness.
The little holes also help beauty products penetrate more deeply.
You buy the patches from a clinic, where you’re shown you how to use them safely and effectively. I visited PHI in London’s Harley Street, one of the first clinics to offer it.
They come with a pure, high-grade hyaluronic acid serum, a substance produced in the body to moisturise and protect tissue.
The patches go on in the evening, after cleansing. You peel off the backing and press them, needle-side down, to the outer edge of each eye for a few seconds.
You then remove the patches while you smooth on the serum, before reapplying the patches. They don’t slip off, so you can move around. After five minutes, you discard them and wipe off any serum.
How it feels: Considering that the patches were developed to mimic micro-needling, an often painful technique, they don’t hurt at all.
I can feel them if I press hard when applying, but they’re no more unpleasant than a strip of Velcro.
The results: The patches leave no marks on the skin, and I have to wait a patience-testing four weeks before I notice any improvement.
But there’s a definite difference — my skin feels plumper, my under-eye shadows are less obvious and I find myself wearing less make-up.
Ouch factor: 4/10.
Effectiveness: 6/10.
Time taken: Five to ten minutes a night for four weeks.
Where: PHI Clinic, 102 Harley Street, London W1G 7JB; £240 for four weeks’ supply. See radara.co.uk for a nationwide list of clinics.
Hannah Ebelthite
BOTOX FOR CROW’S FEET
This will soften existing lines and prevent new ones from forming.
Cosmetic doctor Tracy Mountford cleans the area around my eyes and asks me to smile broadly, so she can see where lines are forming.
Four tiny amounts of Botox are injected into the wrinkles at the side of my eyes and underneath. It’s over in ten minutes and an ice pack is given to prevent swelling.
DON’T BE A GUINEA PIG
Use your head and choose a well-practised doctor. If your hairdresser says: ‘It’s a really cheap treatment, I’ve got a friend who has just started doing it and they’ll give you a bargain . . .’ stop and think.
All practitioners admit that the more procedures they do, the better they get at them, so you do not want to be a human guinea pig.
Always look for a practitioner who is accredited by one of the following organisations: British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, British Association of Plastic Surgeons, British Association of Cosmetic Nurses, British College of Aesthetic Medicine, British Association of Dermatologists and British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons.
How it feels: Having a long needle just millimetres from your eye can be unnerving and the Botox can sting a little. The skin around the eye is delicate and may bleed for a short time after treatment.
Being fair-skinned, I do get tiny bruises from the needle, but they fade after a few days.
The results: It can take up to two weeks to see the full effects, but I notice a difference in five days.
My crow’s feet don’t disappear — I want to look natural, not frozen — but they’re softer and I look refreshed. It will start to wear off after three to four months.
Ouch factor: 5/10.
Effectiveness: 7/10.
Time taken: 15 minutes.
Where: The Cosmetic Skin Clinic, 1 Upper Wimpole Street, London W1G 6LA; cosmeticskinclinic.com; from £300. Botox is also available in cosmetic clinics nationwide.
Claudia Connell
THE LIGHTNING LIFT
This procedure is called the Lightning Lift because it uses a pen-like device — the Plexr — with a small metal prong to ionise atmospheric gas and create a tiny electrical spark.
This makes minute, superficial burns in the skin, which cause instant shrinkage and consequent tightening and lifting of that delicate eyelid skin.
How it feels: After injecting the eye area with anaesthetic, which is stingy but tolerable, Dr David Jack immediately sets to work in the folds of my eyelids. It’s painless, but I can smell my skin burning.
When he shows me the effect on one eye, however, I can see that it’s instantly lifted. My upper lid skin is definitely retracted.
After the 30-minute treatment there are dark-brown burn marks on my lids, like heavy eyeshadow.
I’m told to expect crusting, redness and swelling for around a week, and am even given a prescription for steroids in case the puffiness is extreme.
The results: For the next few days, I look horrendous. My eyes puff up like the Elephant Man and the lids are covered in thick, crusty scabs.
One morning, I automatically rub my eyes, dislodging some scabs and leaving a blood-red mark in the corner of one eye. Some of my lashes fall out in shock.
Ibuprofen and ice packs help to deal with swelling, stinging and soreness, especially at night, and sunglasses are a must by day.
However, ten days later, the scabs are almost gone and my eyes feel comfortable. They certainly look more open, making it worth using shadow and eyeliner again.
My lid is smoother, too, but be aware that this is a serious treatment, not to be undertaken lightly. It should be carried out only by a specialist doctor, and you should expect to need some downtime afterwards, similar to surgery.
Ouch factor: 9/10.
Effectiveness: 9/10.
Time taken: Thirty minutes, plus ten days of downtime.
Where: Dr David Jack, 40 Harley Street, London W1G 9PP; drdavidjack.com; from £500. Plexr Soft Surgery is available nationwide.
Leah Hardy
Easiest way to lose five years? Perfect your brows!
HIGH DEFINITION BROWS
This is a seven-step eyebrow-shaping treatment that includes tinting, waxing and threading, using specialist products.
The techniques have been developed by HD Brows co-founder Nilam Holmes-Patel. Her company’s package also includes tips on how to use make-up to enhance your eyebrows.
Beforehand (left), I’m terrified of ending up with scary-looking, heavy brows — but, by the end, they look sharp, defined and natural. I look younger by a few years, too (right). The make-up will last only for the day
Nilam starts by threading, using a twisted cotton thread, under my brows to remove what she calls ‘fluff’ (fine hairs), and then applies wax to remove stray hairs above and below.
Then she shapes them, moving the arch outwards to make my small eyes look wider, and draws on eyebrow hairs where I am missing them with a HD Pro Pencil. The tip of the pencil is much finer than anything you can buy at cosmetic counters and the strokes give a more natural look.
Next, she uses a medium-firm pencil to even out the colour and add thickness and definition.
Finally, it’s all sealed with a clear gel.
How it feels: The only painful part of the session is the removal of any stray hairs by threading or waxing, but it’s quick and bearable.
The results: Beforehand, I’m terrified of ending up with scary-looking, heavy brows — but, by the end, they look sharp, defined and natural. I look younger by a few years, too. The make-up will last only for the day.
Ouch factor: 3/10.
Effectiveness: 8/10.
Time taken: Up to an hour.
Where: HD-trained beauticians in salons nationwide; beautyinhighdefinition.com; from £25.
Claudia Connell
MICROBLADING
The newest way to tattoo your eyebrows, microblading is essentially a form of semi-permanent make-up.
The machine looks like a pen with a very fine nib, allowing the technician to draw tiny strokes that mimic real hairs.
The newest way to tattoo your eyebrows, microblading is essentially a form of semi-permanent make-up
I visit Karen Betts, aka The Brow Queen, who starts by threading stray hairs from around my brows.
She then uses her own specially developed needle to make several fine, narrow cuts, each delivering a layer of pigment into the skin.
How it feels: It stings a little, but it scores fairly low on the scale of everyday knocks and scratches, where ten is maybe a stubbed toe.
The results: My eyebrows have always been a little on the sparse side.
Then the menopause hit and they got even thinner. So having this treatment has really transformed my look.
The new brows give structure to my face and the tattoo blends almost indistinguishably with my natural brows. I absolutely love it.
It’s a semi-permanent change. Over time — a year to 18 months — the colour and line will become diffused, especially if you spend time in the sun.
Karen recommends a repeat application about once a year.
Ouch factor: 3/10.
Effectiveness: 10/10.
Time taken: One hour.
Where: Karen works out of three clinics in London, Cheshire and Yorkshire; karenbetts.co.uk; from £395 to £895.
Eyebrow tattooing with different practitioners is available nationwide.
Marion McGilvary