*This is not a sponsored post. The treatment was paid for in full by the author*
If you want healthy, radiant skin, it takes a bit of work and commitment, but the payoff is as good as your favourite long-lasting Mac lipstick. There is no secret to looking your best in your 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond: good, vibrant skin is the reflection of the YOU within: you need to work on your inner peace, your gut health, your fitness and of course, the largest organ in your body, your skin.
When I turned 50, I started investing properly in my skin. I had always had a good skincare routine but I felt that I needed to bring in the big guns in order to maintain the healthy skin I had. Research divulged that collagen had left the building long ago – collagen is a protein in your body found in bones, skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. It’s the glue that holds all these things together. In fact, the word comes from the Greek word “kólla,” which means glue. I realised then that slapping on my night cream wasn’t going to help me out in regaining my long lost glue, or collagen to be precise, but that microneedling certainly would bring back some bounce and juiciness to my skin.
Microneedling, also known as collagen induction therapy (CIT), stimulates the skin’s natural ability to produce collagen and elastin, so the skin looks and feels younger.
Where to go
Go to a registered Doctor (and ask your doctor specifically for an authenticated Dermapen treatment) – don’t opt for cheap automated microneedling devices that can be done at home. There are home dermarollers which are generally safe, but I chose to go the medical route-(told you- big guns).
The Dermapen 4 treatment is administered by my aesthetic doctor, Dr Debbie Norval.* This ensures that I can get the deepest setting of 3mm so that the results are noticeable. Therapists in spas and salons are only allowed to work to a depth of 1mm. I experience no pain during the treatment, as the area has been numbed. Dr Norval concentrates on the eye area, lips and neck – all of which are usually where lines and wrinkles set in.
After the treatment, there is slight redness, which is easily covered by wearing your mask and possibly a silk scarf around your neck, if like me, you pop into Woolworths straight after.
By the next day, the redness should have subsided and you’re good to go. I used to experience quite a lot of roughness in my skin for about 5-6 days after my treatment, but with the Dermapen 4, I have noticed that I heal more quickly. This is due to the fast, precise needle oscillations.
How often
It would be lovely to do a treatment at least once every 6-8 weeks, but I skipped quite a few this year (thanks Covid) and depending on your budget, 3-4 times a year is great, along with using a good skincare routine which contains some active ingredients. Dermapen/microneedling is a tried and tested way to stimulate your skin and ensure its radiance, health and beauty.
One week after Dermapen treatment
More about Dr Debbie Norval
- MBBCh (Rand), Dip Pall, Med(UK), MPhil Pall Med(UCT), Adv Dip Aesthetic, Med(FPD) www.drdebbienorval.com
- President of AAMSSA (Aesthetic and Anti-Ageing Medicine Society of South Africa) www.aestheticdoctors.co.za
Paola Chellew is a freelance journalist and regularly writes for a number of publications. A former professional contemporary dancer, she has always loved the arts in all their forms. She has been a freelance writer for many years and has been published in various magazines including Live Out Loud, Private Life and Do It now magazines. Her passion for beauty and skincare started in her teens, when she would read every beauty editor’s picks and reviews. Serious about skincare, she has researched medical-grade products for over ten years, as well as aesthetic treatments to restore and repair skin to look its best. Having turned 60 last year, she has dedicated her blog to the “over 50s and beyond Club”, shining a spotlight on a generation that is seemingly side-lined by the beauty industry. “There is no age limit for when you stop being beautiful – a gorgeous lipstick, a sexy fragrance, radiant skin- these are not synonymous with youth- they are just things that add an extra sparkle to my day”.
📸 Profile photo credited to Lerissa Kemp Photography
- Paola Chellewhttps://www.aestheticappointment.co.za/author/paola-chellew
- Paola Chellewhttps://www.aestheticappointment.co.za/author/paola-chellew
- Paola Chellewhttps://www.aestheticappointment.co.za/author/paola-chellew
- Paola Chellewhttps://www.aestheticappointment.co.za/author/paola-chellew
