My Mum Tried A Non-Surgical Facelift And Here Are Her Results

HIFU to the rescue…

As a beauty writer, I’m often inundated with a wealth of emails offering me delicious, skin-altering treatments. But occasionally, the treatment in question would best serve another woman. 

In this case, when I was offered a non-surgical facelift from Body Catalyst Sydney, it seemed more fitting to pass the opportunity onto my mum, who was experiencing a lack of elasticity and radiance that had started to bother her. 

Much like myself, my mother has an aversion to invasive treatments (squeamishness must run in the family I guess). So, fair to say her interest was piqued when I told her she would be treated to a round of HIFU (AKA High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound), radio frequency skin tightening (typically used as a cellulite treatment) and NCTF skin perfusion.

 In layman’s terms, that’s a gentle peel, dermarolling sesh and serum infusion, all with zero downtime and little to no pain. It’s all part of what’s often referred to as a ‘non surgical facelift’…

What is a non-surgical facelift?

When speaking to Vikki Pow, Manager at Body Catalyst Sydney CBD, she explained the treatment as a way to rejuvenate ageing skin by providing clients with tailored treatment plans.

“They are targeting different levels,” Pow explains. “So HIFU gets in nice and deep, to the muscle layer… RF is targeting skin only and also improves blood flow (and nutrient delivery), [and] NCTF is working on the surface skin itself.” 

“It also helps when people might be contraindicated for a certain treatment; we can do something else,” she went on to say.

In mum’s case, HIFU would need to be avoided around the jawline in order to avoid a dermal implant, with RF being used predominantly in this area to aid in tightening the jawline and neck.

What technology and techniques are used by the clinic to achieve these results?

“At Body Catalyst we offer Ulfit HIFU (High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound) technology to tighten and lift areas of the face without needles,” says Pow. The result? “Younger looking skin without surgery or downtime,” explains Pow.

“The Ulfit HIFU technology uses focused ultrasound energy to penetrate the skin, repairing damaged cells and forming new collagen to visibly tighten, lift and rejuvenate the skin.”

How can the treatment be customised for best results?

There is a “thorough assessment of you and your goals to tailor a treatment plan focused on your specific concerns,” Pow explains.  “Combining our state of the art technology and treatments to give you the best possible results.” 

“As our treatments compliment one another, a combination of therapies may be needed to enhance your results,” she adds. 

As for any skin care used during your treatments? Body Catalyst “stock clinic-only, scientifically researched cosmeceuticals to [ensure] your results and maintain them for longer,” says Pow.

How long does it take to see results after treatment?

Depending on your customised treatment plan, Pow says you should “notice results instantly from all three of our facial focused treatments.” 

However, “the skin cell cycle is 28 days,” she explains.”[This means] it usually takes a month for results to start being seen, and 1-3 months for the full effect.”

Who would benefit from this treatment and who should steer clear?

While these treatment plans are non-invasive and rarely require downtime, according to Pow it is important to be mindful that if you have “open lesions on the face” or are “taking Roaccutane” as you will not be suited to these treatments.

But as far as the Body Catalyst Sydney CBD manager is concerned, “it’s never too early or too late to take care of your skin”. 

“Our clients range from those in their 20s up to 60s and beyond,” says Pow, which means the treatments are suited for any of us looking to work “on fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, blemishes, large pores, hyperpigmentation and over all skin vibrance.”

The results

Admittedly, as far as 52-year-old’s go, mum has been lucky enough to be blessed with pretty great skin. She’s not plagued by wrinkles, but as she’s gotten older she has had more issues with hyperpigmentation from sun damage and a loss of elasticity particularly around her eyes and jawline. 

She’s religiously applying all the skin care I palm off onto her though, and she’s always been an advocate for a balanced diet and moderate exercise, so her main goal in getting a non-surgical facelift was to address her lack of skin tightness, firmness and radiance.

Now, in all honesty, mum’s treatments had to be stretched out over May through to November due to lockdown. 

But despite all the stops and starts to her treatment plan, it was apparent that at about the halfway mark (late July to be exact) she was already looking a lot more radiant. Her fine lines around her eyes were filling out, and the skin on her neck was appearing firmer and tighter. 

According to mum, her smile lines were less pronounced too. Though if you’d asked my dad, he’d shrug and say he couldn’t see a difference. But that’s men for you. 

After coming out of lockdown and finalising her treatments in November, mum dragged dad out of Sydney for a holiday, and subsequently sent me a slew of follow-up ‘after’ picks. 

Initially, when I looked at the photos it was apparent that her jawline had definitely tightened, as had her neck. Her skin also appeared considerably firmer and plumper than her ‘before’ pics.

While mum may have needed to point out her fading smile lines to me at the halfway mark, at the finish line it was evident that the lines around her mouth had indeed plumped out and she was definitely sporting a refreshed youthful glow.

The final verdict

While I obviously wouldn’t compare mum’s results to a literal facelift, in terms of tightening, firming, plumping and rejuvenating the overall appearance of her skin, I would equate mum’s after pics to a light round of Botox with a sprinkling of microneedling facials (and maybe a small syringe of filler). 

Obviously you can get all of these treatments as alternatives, but the great thing about non-invasive treatments like HIFU, RF and the like, is that they offer a unique opportunity to experience completely painless skin rejuvenation without any downtime. 

Do you think you’d be open to trying a customised non-surgical facelift? Or do you have other preferred methods for skin rejuvenation?