With Valentine’s Day upon us, we got to thinking about power couples. Not John Legend and Chrissy Teigen or David and Victoria Beckham, but aesthetic treatments that go hand in hand, spurring each other on to promote more impressive results than if they were alone.
No one knows better than Dr Sophie Shotter of The Illuminate Skin Clinic in Kent, who is famed for her combination treatments. Her Glow Lift, which combines hydrating Profhilo, with lifting fillers as well as the Tri-Lift which involves one of the most cutting edge radiofrequency and microneedling machines Profound which works to tighten on the lower face, with fillers to lift the upper face. These are the treatments that, according to Sophie, work all the better when paired with another, as well as those that should be kept well apart.
For firmer skin: Profound or ultherapy and dermal fillers
Profound is lifting treatment that combines microneedling and radiofrequency , providing a lifting effect by tightening the skin. Ultherapy (using ultrasound, but no needles) is another example of this type of lifting treatment. Using dermal fillers in tandem with a lifting treatment restores the structure underneath the surface of the skin so you get far better results. “Not only are you tightening the skin’s structure, but you’re also improving the framework for it to sit better," explains Dr Sophie.
MORE GLOSS: Everything you need to know about subtle fillers
For ultra-glowing skin: Hydrafacial and Profhilo
A HydraFacial is a combination of many different facial treatments, including using water to exfoliate, a light chemical peel for refreshing the skin as well as infusing your skin with hydrating active ingredients. “When you combine HydraFacials with moisturising filler Profhilo you get great resurfacing and skin improvement on the surface as well as deep hydration from Profhilo,” says Dr Sophie.
MORE GLOSS: How Profhilo skincare knocked five years off my face
For body fat loss: Coolsculpting and Body Ballancer
“ Coolsculpting freezes fat and reduces fat pockets by up to a third in a single treatment, but one of the side effects is swelling,” Dr Sophie tells us. “When you combine it with a course of Body Ballancer lymphatic drainage treatments you’ll get improved lymphatic drainage, improved comfort and improved results.”
For younger-looking skin: Peels and LED
Dr Sophie loves peels because they penetrate at a deep level for noticeable results, but you do see irritation and redness afterwards. “When you combine peels with LED it calms inflammation and better stimulates collagen.”
And the tweakments that are better apart...
Lifting treatments and chemical peels
Invasive treatments, such as lifting treatments including Profound, can leave your skin a bit rough or dry straight after the treatment, making you tempted to try a peel to soften the skin. “That can prolong the irritation instead, so definitely avoid,” advises Dr Sophie.