Home   >   Beauty   >   The perfect workout for the face

The perfect workout for the face

By on February 3, 2013
Looking at myself in the mirror used to be fun. Not anymore. Fine lines on the forehead appear,  jowls start to show signs of sagging, right eyelid drooping and my skin is thinning, losing the firmness it once had very fast.It’s clear: I’m aging at an alarming rate!   I have very good genes.  In fact, ten years ago, people used to tell me I looked years younger than my actual age, even with minimal skin care routine.  Lately though, a common remark from friends is “oh, you look tired” even if I was not.   I am horrified to looking at photos of an ageing me.  Having a busy work and family life, it is easy to neglect a skin care routine.

What to do? Where do I start? “Am I ready for a surgical lift?”, I asked myself.  After flipping through pages of magazines on plastic surgery and tons of information on latest skin enhancement techniques, I realize I really was not. But then I thought there should be something that works for people like me who just want a reasonable skin enhancement and not a dramatic change. Then I heard about Hydradermie Lift by Guinot from a friend who has done it.  Convinced to give it a try,  I immediately booked a session at Nua Beauty Salon in Hiroo right across the National Azabu supermarket,  where the therapist speaks English.

How does it work?
The Hydradermie Lift by Guinot, one of the leading French brands in skin science,  uses an electrical current to gently stimulate the nerve endings on the face for muscles to contract.  The contraction aids in firming up and smoothing fine lines around the face, jawline and neck, giving it a lift.  Advertised as a ‘face workout, a skillful therapist works the muscles all over the face in vertical and horizontal directions, including eyes down to the neck giving visible results after one treatment. The muscle contraction continues up to six hours after the treatment.

Duration: One hour

Procedure
Like all normal facial procedures,  it started off with cleansing and exfoliation.  The therapist delicately wiped away all traces of make-up, dirt and grime from my face with almond-scented oil and patted it dry with a warm damp cloth to open up pores. Then she applied a soothing cool gel packed with anti-aging marine nutrients all over my face and neck to prepare it for lymphatic drainage that removes traces of toxins.

The Hydradermie Lift instrument consists of two metal balls through which the micro current pass.  The therapist while gently pressing one ball on a muscle area works the other muscle down in slow movement.  I felt some twitchy,  strange sensation but nothing nasty.  As the nerve endings were stroke by the instrument, the muscles jumped unwillingly.  When I asked my therapist  to adjust it higher to wake up more muscles, she gladly did and felt more nerve action.

After doing the other side of the face, I was treated to a soothing facial of some citrus oil massage to tone the muscles and boost the skin tone.  The last step was a 10-15 minute firming mask enriched with key vitamins and collagen and moisturizer.

Results
Much of the  improvement was on my eyes.  The slight drooping is gone, overall skin tone and jowliness have improved. I felt some tightening action even hours after the treatment. Overall, it was worth a try. Recommended to those who want a firmer, tighter skin.  Follow-up visits are advised for optimum results.

Cost
One 60-min Microcurrent Face Lift    ¥12,600
Trial price                                       ¥9, 450
Winter Campaign price                   ¥20,000 for 2 facial treatments (valid until                                                                 March 10, 2013)

Other treatments
NUA is a foreign-owned salon that does a range of anti-aging facials using Dermalogica skin care products.  They also offer quality Brazilian and bikini wax, IPL hair removal with manicure and pedicure packages for men and women.

NUA Omotesando
Lamial Jingumae #102, Jingumae 4-8-
17, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
info@nuajapan.com

NUA Hiroo
4F Muraatsu Bldg. 5-16-4 Minami
azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
hiroo@nuajapan.com
www.nuajapan.com

About Tokyo Families