Jenni Gilbert My eyes are my Achilles Heel of the ageing process – and I suspect you see many clients like me, fretting over the “windows to the soul” gradually pulling down the shutters.
I had fat bags surgically removed from under my eyes in my late 20s and an upper eyelid lift (blepharoplasty) a couple of years later. I was sick of how puffy and droopy my eyes looked in the mirror and when I caught unexpected reflections (even scarier, because you’re not prepared for the “ouch” factor).
But I was far more distressed by the persistent “Oh, are you okay – is something wrong?” or “You look so tired/unwell” comments the overall effect attracted.
I’d be feeling bright and chirpy and then someone would venture those odious words. My mood would immediately deflate and I’d feel self-conscious for days on end.
People thought I was mad to have cosmetic surgery “so young” but I figured I could look “tired”, “unhappy” and “unwell”, knocking my self image around, for another 10-15 years until an age that was deemed more “appropriate” for elective surgery, or I could bite the bullet and get the benefit in my youth.
I’ve never regretted it. And the naysayers couldn’t disagree I’d made the right choice. I looked and felt much brighter, fresher, younger and more confident. The “oh dear” comments were replaced by “you look so well – have you been on a holiday?” etc and so forth.
In my mid 30s, premature “static” dehydration lines around my eyes I’d had since my early 20s suddenly (or so it seemed) exploded into a veritable cobweb of “dynamic” deep wrinkles. No surgery was going to fix that.
So I had the first of two (several years apart) of ablative CO2 laser treatments, the earlier generation kind that burned the upper layers of the skin off. The treated area was oozy, then crusty and scabby and extremely swollen for a couple of weeks. Then it settled into a state of persistent, but gradually fading, redness for about three months.
I was schooled to know what to expect, so while the downtime and recovery period were a pest, I knew the results would be worth it. And they were – again, no regrets.
Over subsequent years I kept the appearance of my eyes within the realms of what I felt comfortable with, but hardly perfect – good skincare, strategic dermal fillers (including PRP injections) and anti-wrinkle jabs to keep the eyes and brow area more “open” and “bright”. That was good enough for me.
Then about a year ago, my upper eyelids suddenly, or so it seemed to me, dropped to my knees.
I was considering another upper bleph when I received an invitation from the folk at Thermage for an eye treatment with Katherine Millar-Shannon – cosmetic nurse practitioner and owner of Duquessa medispa in Melbourne, and a new clinic in the Sydney CBD.
The concept was to reintroduce the “new-and-improved Thermage” to influencers (I had Thermage when it was first in Australia and, while I was pleased by the results, it hurt like hell), and especially how it can be harnessed to rejuvenate notoriously tricky areas like the eyes.
Katherine is one of only seven practitioners in Australia at this time who performs Thermage on the upper and lower eyelids, as it’s a very specialised technique requiring the utmost skill.
So what is Thermage? It’s a device that harnesses radio frequency (RF) energy to rev up the body’s natural cell renewal process. A defibrillator for the dermis, of sorts, it combines heat energy to treat deep tissue and a cooling effect to protect the skin surface and provide optimal patient comfort.
It is a highly effective, non-invasive way to smooth and tighten ageing tissue and loose skin on the body – suitable for non-surgical facelifts, tummy tightening, and for firming and rejuvenating upper arms, backs hands, thighs, knees and buttocks.
Oh, and did I say it dramatically reduces the appearance of lines and wrinkles? And, in the case of the eyes, minimises dark circles as a result of improved circulation and regeneration of collagen and elastin where the skin has significantly thinned.
But this is all about me, so back to me …
With some trepidation, I arrived for my appointment with Katharine at her chic new clinic upstairs from the renowned Bambini Trust restaurant and bar in Elizabeth St, Sydney, opposite Hyde Park.
Let me give you a snapshot of Katherine here. She is a pocket rocket (literally) dynamo, with an engaging down to earth personality and great sense of humour. She’s a former nurse midwife who seems to have studied at just about every university in Victoria to achieve advanced qualifications in cosmetic injecting and other cosmedical procedures.
But back to me again … more than the pain factor I remember from my first Thermage nearly a decade ago, I was trepidatious about having shields inserted to protect my eyeballs during treatment.
As it turned out, that was easy peasy. Katherine’s a pro. Then she slathered a protective gel on the areas to be treated, and I barely noticed as she did multiple energy “passes” with the handpiece along my brows (to help “open” the eyes and make them and the whole face look brighter), and on my upper and lower lids and at the sides of my eyes and temples.
There was a slight ouch every now and again, but Katherine encourages her patients to keep talking to give her feedback about what they can cope with and what she needs to tweak. And gives you a rubber stress ball to mash to pieces if necessary to distract yourself.
The treatment took about 30 minutes. What, it’s over already?!
When I looked in the hand mirror I was astonished to see how much more lifted, open and younger my eyes appeared. But that is actually just a preview of what your eyes will eventually look like after the collagenesis has had time to kick in (from two to four months, depending on the age of the patients and the condition of their skin, among other factors).
The “instant” effect is a result of slight swelling caused by heating of the tissue, and it will subside after a few days. You will (as I have) notice gradual improvements over ensuing weeks.
My treatment was about six weeks ago and Katharine tells me I can look forward to the full monty around February. I’ll share the visuals then (gulp …).
To maximise results I returned to Katherine for some dermal fillers around the temple and upper cheek to further lift the eye contours back to where they once belonged, along with a touch of Botox to lift the outer corners of my brow contour. She also gave me (at a different appointment) another Thermage blast across the brow to enhance the overall lifting effect of the eyes.
I’ll keep you posted – and feel free to email me questions: editorial@3.106.143.225.
