Sophie Power tries the treatment duo Dr Clodagh O'Shea loves to recommend to women in their 30s and early 40s who have benefitted from injectable treatments but who would benefit further from collagen stimulation – Secret Pro & PRP.
As someone in my mid (ok, reluctantly approaching late…) 30s who takes relative pride in my appearance, I happily jumped on the Botox bandwagon almost seven years ago. I love how it adds an instant ‘pick me up’ to tired skin, vanquishes fine lines and gives you a glossy sheen for the three glorious months it lasts on me before I need a top-up.
What started at 30 as baby Botox just on my forehead, expertly applied by my aesthetics dermatologist Dr Clodagh O’Shea at Beacon Face & Dermatology, has now spread, at 37, to include Botox along my crows’ feet, my frown line and even a spatter on either side of the bridge of my nose (gamechanger for those fine lines under your eyes). Dr. Clodagh O’Shea’s philosophy is to nurture every layer of the skin, not just the surface. From the age of 30, collagen stimulation is key to maintaining strength, elasticity, and glow and her tailored treatments are designed to support that journey beautifully. She designs treatment plans that maintain structure and luminosity as the years evolve. I’m dedicated and invested in my crusade, but this year I decided that injectables alone were no longer cutting it and I needed to layer on something new. Not quite Kris Jenner and her (glorious) new face, but something that would give me a subtle glow and stimulate my natural collagen to help knock a few years off my birth cert. I often compare notes with friends and family on what we are and aren’t trying (yet) and what new and exciting procedures are coming down the tracks and that’s how I first heard about Secret RF and PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma).
In the ever-evolving world of aesthetic dermatology, Secret RF is making waves as one of the most innovative skin rejuvenation treatments available. Known for being minimally invasive, it combines the power of fractional radiofrequency (RF) energy with microneedling to stimulate collagen and elastin production, resulting in firmer, more youthful skin. Essentially, it is the perfect solution for those seeking to rejuvenate not just the surface of their skin, but to tackle the root cause of skin aging from within. Dr Clodagh told me she loves recommending this treatment to women in their 30s and early 40s who have benefitted from injectable treatments but who would benefit further from collagen stimulation, in order to boost and elongate their results. I was sold. And with minimal downtime, what’s not to love?
I signed up to three sessions of Secret RF at Beacon Face & Dermatology, and with my final session, Dr Clodagh suggested that we also add PRP into the mix to really super-charge my results. So how does it work?
When you arrive for your treatment, your skin is cleaned and prepped and generously lathered in a numbing cream, then you lie back, relax and wait for the cream to work its magic until you can’t feel a thing. When the team is happy that you are sufficiently numb, the Secret RF process starts. What makes Secret RF so effective is that its advanced microneedling system delivers fractional RF energy deep into the dermis layer, allowing it to reach new depths of your skin where the treatment is most beneficial. Versus traditional microneedling, the added RF energy supercharges the treatment’s effectiveness, stimulating collagen and elastin production and instantly tightening your skin, smoothing fine lines and improving your overall skin texture. Tick, tick, tick. What’s more, the results are more noticeable and long-lasting than other microneedling treatments.
In terms of how it feels, I would describe it as mildly uncomfortable, particularly around the eye, lip and neck area, but absolutely bearable and the team are mindful to make it as quick as possible. Overall, once the treatment starts, it is over in about 20 minutes and you feel as though every inch of your face is being rejuvenated. In terms of the downtime, I looked just like I had done an intense cardio workout with that flush lasting for the rest of the day and by the next day it wasn’t even noticeable.
For the PRP add-on, it was the same process as before but while your numbing cream starts to work, blood is drawn from your arm by a nurse into vials, which is then taken and put into a special centrifuge that shakes it to concentrate the platelets. This concentrated plasma is rubbed into your skin while doing the Secret RF microneedling to allow it to really penetrate the skin. PRP harnesses the healing power of your own blood plasma and growth factors, delivering intense hydration and promoting cellular regeneration and maximising collagen stimulation. Downtime was the same as other Secret RF treatments; the only difference was that the plasma residue makes your skin feel a bit tight for 24 hours, like you have one of those thin peel-off face masks on (which you kind of do!).
The benefits of this collagen stimulation accrue over the months to come. A few months on, I can report a subtle but critical improvement in the overall quality of my skin. It’s much fresher looking and feeling, and I appear better rested though I’m most definitely not. These benefits will likely continue to multiply for another few months and last for another two years or so, which makes a little time in the chair so worthwhile.
A course of three Secret RF treatments usually costs €2,200 at Beacon Face & Dermatology. Patients can avail of a consultation with the team of specialists by booking online at beaconfaceanddermatology.ie or calling (0)1 213 6220.
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