CAN YOU LOOK YOUNGER IN AN HOUR?

Is fighting those first FACIAL LINES a losing battle, or can one of these two very different treatments keep them at bay?

ELLE’s volunteers give us their verdict

THE HEDONISTIC TEST

TransDerm, tested by Susan Ward Davies
Every time I look in the mirror, I see more evidence of ageing. Worst are the lines around my mouth (smoking – don’t do it) and my eyes, but the problem is definitely spreading. Skin ageing results from a loss of collagen (apparently, you lose around 40 per cent of your collagen between the ages of 20 and 40), so replacing it should reverse the signs ó theoretically, at least.

For a while now, doctors have been injecting hyaluronic acid (a naturally occurring collagen sub-type of the skin) into very small areas, such as the creases around the nose or mouth. But it would be practically impossible, not to mention painful, to treat larger areas with injections. Enter TransDerm, a new treatment with ‘dermoelectroporation (DEP) technology’. It uses an electric current to break down hyaluronic acid molecules to a size that can penetrate deep into the skin without any call for needles.

Delivered by a small hand-held machine, it can be used to treat the entire facial area, with, I am told, brilliant results. Dr Michael Prager is a leading light in the DEP world, so! book a consultation. He recommends a month’s course of weekly treatments. The initial 60-minute session starts with 15 minutes of microdermabrasion. My face is sprayed with aluminium-oxide crystals to buff away the outer layer of the skin, which thankfully isnít painful. Next is the TransDerm.

A small amount of hyaluronic acid solution (mixed with vitamins and minerals) is applied to my skin. As my therapist starts to massage it in with the DEP machine, it feels like I’m being mildly stung by nettles: not exactly pleasant, but not unbearable. The therapist treats my whole face, concentrating around my mouth and eyes the worst areas. I leave the clinic glowing.

THE VERDICT

A month later, after three subsequent 30- to 40-minute sessions, friends say my face looks softer, but Iím not convinced until I see the ‘before and after’ photos Dr Prager sends me. The difference is obvious. Iím told a top-up course twice a year should maintain the effects. I’m definitely going back for more.

A course of four TransDerm treatments costs £480 at Goddess Health & Beauty;
enq (020) 8201 871 7; www.goddesslondon.co.uk. For more information on TransDerm