Ask Alice

Is the dermaflex pro worth the money?

Yes, if you know that you will find the time to use it. Take a look at the videos here to show what it did for me (and I still love it just as much as I did during lockdown).

How can I solve my forehead wrinkles without droopy eyelids?

With wrinkle-relaxing toxin, injected by an expert practitioner with lots of experience and a good understanding of anatomy – you will find lots of these practitioners on here.

I have had toxin for sometime for my crow’s feet but it doesn’t seem to be as effective. Would filler in the temple area help? I noticed you had it done recently.

Completely depends on your face. If the crow’s feet toxin doesn’t seem to be doing much, is your injector getting it into the right muscles? I have it regularly, but just want the muscle activity damped down, rather than wiped out – I still want to be able to smile in a genuine way!

Have you tried Liplase? Essentially, using lasers on the lips to add volume rather than using filler. I am in my fifities and don’t want to do filler as I feel its a slippery slope!

It’s a lovely and fascinating idea but I have yet to be convinced that it produces much of a result, or that this result is long-lasting.

Laser hair removal – Prior to getting laser hair removal on the face, is there any requirement to stop using any/and or all topical treatments? I use retinol and vitamin C. And if yes, how many days pre and post-treatment? There appears to be really mixed advice when researching the query online and mixed advice from clinics offering this service. Thanks.

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. I would first ask the clinic that is going to treat you, they ought to have a protocol for this, and definitely stop using your retinoid for a week before, and your vitamin C for 48 hours before your treatment and leave it for the same amount of time afterwards, just to avoid increasing skin sensitivity. The most important thing is to avoid sun exposure in the area (hard when it’s your face, I know, but be generous with your sunscreen) and fake tanning products for four weeks before laser hair removal.

I can’t find anyone in the London area that will do Profound RF.

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. I did a quick Google search for ‘Profound RF London’ and lots of practitioners came up who are based here, including Dr Martin Wade and Dr Tatiana Lapa. Alice has tried the treatment with Dr Sophie Shotter, though this was at her clinic in Kent.

Does regular Botox over time lead to muscle atrophy?

I have a very deep line across my forehead. I hate it so much – what do you advise, please?

I’d suggest you made an appointment with a great practitioner to get their view on what has caused the line, and what the best way to soften it might be. Most of the horizontal lines on our foreheads are from the way we raise our eyebrows, and the lines settle into place over the years. Because these lines are caused by muscle movement, wrinkle relaxing injections of botulinum toxin A should help soften your line. For lines which are really deep, it may make sense to treat it with a soft kind of hydrating filler, but a skilful practitioner will know just what to do.

Two weeks ago I had some toxin and now my right eyelid has a droop. The last toxin I had was over three years ago previous to this.

Sounds like your practitioner has over-treated/ hit the wrong muscle – if you have toxin injected in the muscle that lifts the eyelid, it weakens the muscle, so the eyelid will droop. The muscle will recover its function in a couple of months. Maybe next time, choose a practitioner with more experience with toxin?

It it ok to put toxin on top of having filler put in three months ago in the elevenses? Thank you.

Yes, absolutely.

As a 48-year-old woman on a budget, what would you say at the top 2-3 treatments to have that won’t break the bank that will help with ageing/sagging skin? I’m religious with my skincare and SPF and already occasionally get toxin. Thanks

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. The best tweakments for you will really depend on what sort of signs of ageing you’re seeing, but as you’re good with your skincare and SPF it doesn’t sound like skin quality is a big concern. An energy-based skin-tightening treatment like ultrasound – specifically Sofwave or Ultherapy, though they work slightly differently – might be a good bet as results last a long time so you’ll get more bang for your buck.

Alternatively, you could look into collagen-stimulating filler. A conservative amount placed subtly around the face will restore structure to counteract the sagging, and they’re also great for ageing skin because they work to gradually stimulate collagen production in the skin for overall rejuvenation. Again, results last much longer than other injectable treatments so will offer you good value for money. To identify the best and most cost-effective treatment for you, find a great practitioner who can take a good look at your face and advise accordingly.

I recently had tear trough treatment which initially was too much, then dissolved too much, then applied again but I still have a couple of lumps at the bottom which I think makes me look like I have slight bags! I’ve lost confidence in the doctor I was seeing. I used to visit Darren McKeown as from Glasgow but I live in London now and would like a recommendation please.

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. Sorry to hear you’ve had such a back and forth with this. Here are some fab practitioners who do a lot of tear-trough/ eye work and are based in London: Dr Sabrina Shah-Desai, Dr Uche Aniagwu, Dr Rachna Murthy, Dr Maryam Zamani, and Dr Wassim Taktouk. Good luck.

Hi Alice, who would you recommend in relation to bio-identical hormone replacement therapy? It’s my understanding that you can only get the bio-identical hormones via a private practice, is this correct? Many thanks.

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. Many aesthetic clinics also offer BHRT. If you’re in London we’d suggest Dr Mayoni Gooneratne and Dr Sohère Roked. Dr Mayoni offers BHRT via the Human Health branch of her aesthetics practice, and Dr Roked specialises in hormone treatment. There’s also Dr Shirin Lakhani and Dr Sophie Shotter in Kent, Dr Sam Robson at Temple Clinic in Aberdeen, Dr Martin Kinsella who offers an online service, and Dr Aarti Narayan-Denning in Winchester. And yes, BHRT is currently only available privately.

Who are the top 3-5 experts in London for fat dissolving in the chin in London?

Pop your postcode into our Practitioner Finder, select ‘Fat-Dissolving Injections‘ as the Tweakment and you’ll be able to see who offers the treatment near you.

Treatment for smoker’s lines? Dermal needling wasn’t a success.

These barcode lip lines, or ‘smoker’s lines’ are hard to treat – one new procedure that looks promising is Cutera’s Secret Pro, which combines radiofrequency microneedling with CO2 laser – so gives a deeper, more far-reaching result than just microneedling. I’m hoping to try it at some point this year.