Ask Alice

Ask the practitioner who is proposing to treat you with one and/or the other. They’re the one who can actually tell you because they’re doing the treatments!

No, it does not have medical certificaton. I have tried the Lyma ‘laser’ but I’m not a fan – I used it every night for months on end in spring 2021 (on one side of one wrinkle on my neck, and on the knuckles of my left hand, as advised by the brand founder,) without getting any results.

My laser-manufacturer acquaintances laugh at it when I ask them what they think of its supposed powers of rejuvenation. Why?

‘Look, this isn’t competition to us,’ said one. ‘Laser?’ laughed another. ‘That’s more of a laser pointer.’

The Lyma makes enormous claims, claiming the sort of results that it normally takes several rounds of in-clinic treatment to achieve, and has the flimsiest scientific backup  – and despite making these claims the company hasn’t seen fit to put the product through a single clinical trial or comparison with other devices.

It has been brilliantly and stylishly marketed and it has persuaded a lot of journalists who should have asked a few more questions to repeat its extravagant marketing claims. What should they have asked? How can a device the size of a torch with a rechargeable battery generate enough power to do what it says it does? Or how can any light which is allegedly strong enough to prompt healing deep within the skin be safe to use around the eyes/ shine directly in your eyes without protection?  Why do they suggest using an oil or cream with the product to give it ‘slip’, when any oil or cream will distort the light beam that’s reaching the skin?

For what it’s worth, if you are contemplating spending that much money, I know two brands that really will deliver. The Dermalux Flex works a treat and I know that because I gave it full road testing during lockdown #1 and got brilliant results. Plus it has a medical CE certification which means it can make medical claims to treat, for example, acne and heal wounds. The other is the range of home devices from Celluma, which come in various sizes and which are also medically certified to treat various skin conditions and have an immense amount of research behind them.

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. In a recent article, Alice mentioned a few TTG-registered practitioners who offer polynucleotide treatment including Dr Sarah Tonks, Professor Syed Haq and Professor Bob Khanna.

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. Without knowing what your skin is like or any specific aesthetic concerns you have, the go-to, cosmetic-doctor-approved routine for just about anyone is: cleanse, antioxidant serum and SPF of at least 30 in the AM; cleanse, other treatment product if needed (maybe to hydrate, maybe for acne, maybe for pigmentation, etc.) and retinol in the PM.

Yes, it can give good results when it’s needled into the scalp. Take a look at the scalpconfidential.co.uk website to see the sort of results it can give.

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. This type of laser can absolutely get impressive collagen-stimulating results, but whether or not those results will be comparable to microneedling depends entirely on you – your face, your skin quality, what you want to achieve, how much downtime you’re willing to undertake and how many treatments you’ll commit to. The best bet is to find a practitioner who offers both and see which they recommend for you during a consultation.

Hiya TTG editor Georgia here. Tixel – yes, in the right hands it’s safe for use on the upper lids and gets brilliant results on hooded eyes. Plasma – we would advise you to be very careful – or even better, completely avoid – traditional plasma pen-type treatments and look into Neogen nitrogen plasma instead. It’s a far more sophisticated, modern device that is much safer. We’ve seen some excellent skin-tightening and brow-lifting results on the upper lids. There will be various factors to consider when deciding which is right for you, so have a consultation with a couple of practitioners to find out.

I hate to say it, but I don’t know that there are any supplements that really stand up to medical scrutiny, but the ones that are most popular among hairdressers and friends with hair issues include Viviscal Pro and Philip Kingsley’s Density supplements. Lots of people (me included) think collagen supplements help with hair strength as well as with skin/ nails/ joints. Hormone supplementation may help too if this is something that’s appropriate for you. You also want to think about massaging the scalp to enhance blood circulation, and using a scalp scrub occasionally so the follicles don’t become blocked, and healthy lifestyle – a good diet, (lots of protein, lots of colourful vegetables), plenty of sleep, reduced stress, etc. – makes a big difference to hair because when we’re stressed, our body prioritises its main functions and organs and hair suffers from a reduced supply of nutrients.

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. It might be worth booking a consultation with an oculoplastic surgeon who also performs non-invasive eye treatments because if this is really bothering you and you’ve already tried filler (and paid out again to have it dissolved), you might decide to invest in lower bleph surgery as it’s the most permanent solution and will ultimately give better results than anything non-surgical. Having said that, RF needling like Morpheus8 (there are many other devices that have their own merits) can be used right up to under the eyes and can work really well to tighten the area. There are also some new polynucleotide skin boosters for the under-eyes which will help smooth those folds and wrinkles and generally improve the look of the area.

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. If you’ve only had one of the three recommended sessions in a course of Belotero Revive then that’s probably why you haven’t seen any results yet. Finish the course, wait a bit and then assess.

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. Have a look around the site – the Concerns menu is a good place to start to figure out what’s bothering you and what the tweakment options are. Then, pop your postcode into the practitioner finder to find a skilled and experienced cosmetic doctor in a convenient location for you.

Hiya, TTG editor Georgia here. I wrote a whole article on melasma not too long ago – read it here, and also have a look at this page and the attached free e-book for more info on your options and managing the condition in general.

Absolute Collagen, Revive Collagen, Ingenious Collagen and Gold Collagen are all more affordable than Totally Derma, use decent types/ sources of collagen and have reasonable data to support their efficacy, so have a look at those.

Book yourself in with an oculoplastic surgeon who also offers non-surgical treatments, to properly assess and advise what would be best for you – it may be that a lower blepharoplasty will give the best results, though there may be some non-surgical treatments that might help.

This is a good HA-based injectable moisturiser if your face is showing the sort of lines that look etched into the skin on your forehead, or around your eyes or mouth. It has a nice, ‘stretchy’ consistency in the skin and is manufactured by IBSA Derma – the people behind Profhilo, so you can be sure of its safety and efficacy.