Halt the ageing process with a non-surgical procedure

After our exclusive one poll revealed that almost half of women are unhappy with the way they look, we performed a non-surgical cosmetic procedure on 47-year-old Annabel Spooner who felt that she had aged over the last few years following a 'miserable' divorce.

In a bid to halt the ageing process and achieve a refreshed look, Annabel underwent a thread lift, a Nefertiti lift for her neck and what's commonly known as vampire therapy.

Watch above as Dr Hilary, Dr Kahn and Dr Devine discuss the procedures, and see the results!

Thread lift

The thread lift is an easy way to smooth wrinkles and tighten sagging skin without going under the knife. The procedure involves inserting threads into the skin which are then pulled tight, lifting the skin and underlying muscle to create a tighter, smoother complexion.

As the threads dissolve naturally, the skin starts to produce more collagen and elastin which gives a longer-lasting result. The threads are inserted through a tiny incision in the skin so there is no scarring after treatment.

Thread lifts can be used to treat a number of different areas, from smoothing horizontal and vertical forehead wrinkles to lifting the brow and outer eyebrow area and restoring volume to sagging cheeks. They can also smooth lines around the mouth and tighten sagging skin under the lower jaw.

Best results are seen around six weeks after the procedure and depending on the type of threads used, results can last up to two years.

Annabel had a five point PDO lift which costs from £999 – £3000 and lasts from about 18 months, up to 3 – 4 years.

It’s vital to have a consultation before the procedure. The best candidates for a thread lift are aged 35 to 65 and have relatively good skin tone with a little sagging. If there is too much loose skin then surgery may be the only option. Usually not too much recovery time is needed after a thread lift, however, there may be some slight bruising or swelling in the days following the procedure.

Most people are able to resume work a couple of days after the procedure but make sure you take advice from your doctor.

Avoid blood-thinning medicines and vitamin E a week before and after treatment. If painkillers are needed, take paracetamol rather than ibuprofen, which can increase bruising.

Nefertiti lift

Nefertiti lift is aptly named after the Egyptian queen famous for her very defined jaw line. The Nefertiti Lift works by using a series of injections of Botox along the jawline, and into the muscle in the neck, known as the platysma. This relaxes the downward pulling muscles and allows the muscles in the upper face to pull the tissue upwards, creating a lifting effect. It takes around two weeks to see the results from this treatment but you can expect to have improved jawline and chin definition and lifting of the neck. Results are temporary however and will last four to six months.

Getting a Nefertiti lift, or lower face rejuvenation, has become a must have in Hollywood.If you sit for hours with your head bent slightly forward, staring at your iPhone or laptop screen, you may shorten the neck muscles and increase the gravitational pull on the jowl area, leading to a drooping jawline. Other causes include a naturally short, weak chin, weight fluctuations and even exercise and diet. Strong muscles in the neck can pull on the jaw, causing sagging. The Nefertiti lift softens the pull using injection of Botox. This sharpens the edge of the jaw and makes the neck look more tucked up under the jawline.

A Nefertiti lift costs from £300

PRP Therapy or Vampire Therapy Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy has been coined the Vampire Facial because the treatment involves the collection of the body’s own blood which is separated and then re-injected into the skin to stimulate cell regeneration. Kim Kardashian is a fan and instagrammed pictures of her face covered in blood.

The blood is taken from the patient and then separated into plasma and platelets using a centrifuge (this spins the blood in a circular motion and works because the plasma and platelets weigh different amounts). The Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) portion of the blood is then injected back into your skin to stimulate new collagen production, and to re-energise cells into rejuvenating themselves. This can be done as often as every four weeks and is ideal as a pick me up or to stimulate wound healing post more invasive procedures.

Re-injection of the body’s platelet rich plasma portion helps stimulate new blood vessel formation, collagen production and helps build a new dermis so the skin is plumper, rejuvenated and more youthful looking.

PRP Therapy costs from £750