Let’s make one thing very clear, you don’t have to be girly to go for a facial, but you do have to be girly to actually enjoy it. Unfortunately, for those of us who don’t, it’s inevitable that we will reach that age where one morning the mirror will affirm, a tad apologetically, that even though you’re still cool and all, it wouldn’t hurt to make a little more effort with yourself.
It was with these thoughts in mind that we swallowed our tomboy pride, rolled up our sleeves and went to consult with an expert. Abu Dhabi hosts a plethora of good medi-spas, but with Kaya Skin Clinic making a fuss about their new preventative anti-aging package, we figured they’d be a good place to start. Their dermatologist, Dr. Marian Coutinho, gave us an overview.
Can you take us through the aging process?
From 30 onwards, you have little changes happening at all levels of the skin. First you start noticing open pores, fine lines, uneven colour – these are things we see superficially. As you go beyond 35 and into the early 40s you start seeing the lines getting deeper. Even the open pores will become more prominent. This is because of a reduction of collagen.
But wait, young people complain of open pores too.
They are due to two different causes. In the young, it’s due to excessively oily skin, whereas in an older person it’s because collagen support to the hair follicles is reduced, so the pores start to gape.
Ah, ok. And the final level?
As you age further, from late 40s to 50s, the muscles start getting weaker, which leads to sagging. When we talk about age control treatment we have to work on all these layers of the skin. Dr. Marian then took us through a variety of Kaya services which range from skin peeling to Botox, fillers, face-firming micro-currants, and even laser intervention which is meant to boost collagen production. Now the peeling has us thinking: Fair enough. But we can’t deny that the more drastic measures mentioned invite a slight shudder, accompanied by mental images of Nicole Kidman’s inability to produce expressions beyond vague surprise. Luckily for us, we still have the luxury of being below the age-30 mark, so we press on with questions about pre-emptive measures.
How much would a regular facial help to set off aging signs?
With a regular facial, you are doing a little bit of exfoliation, a little stimulation by massage, so once a month would help. But just treatment is not sufficient. It’s very important to take care of the insides: diet, water intake, proper rest, exercise, reducing smoking and sun exposure –all these things have to be taken into account.
Can you suggest any daily tips?
Wash your face twice a day. Moisturising is very important. Sunscreen is also very important, especially in this country. If you spend a lot of time outdoors, the lines and wrinkles will set in earlier and skin can look patchy.
How about tackling dark circles?
Dark circles can be caused by lack of sleep and being on the computer for a long time. Eyesight has to be checked regularly, because if there is a problem with your vision, and you continue watching TV, reading, driving, you’re straining your eyes. Nutrition is important – anaemia or other internal health problems – and also stress can cause dark circles. Finally it could be a hereditary tendency. The underlying factors have to be checked before going ahead with any treatment.
So with all that said, it seems to us that the most effective preventative measure for aging signs is to take better care of your insides and pray you inherited good genes. A consultation followed our Q&A, after which we opted for an Aqua Radiance facial. It’s particularly good for sensitive skin apparently, and promises to revitalise collagen-producing cells. The treatment room was a tad cold, the process made us feel fidgety and the supersonic spray exfoliation didn’t unclog all the blackheads it promised to in the pamphlet – but overall we felt well fussed over. The highlight: getting to see the facemask when it’s peeled off! It’s like Michael Myres staring straight into your soul.
Kaya Skin Clinic are open Saturday-Thursday 10am-8pm. Villa 218/1, near Khalifa Hospital, Al Karamah, www.kayaskinclinic.me (02 443 3709). Other locations: Al Raha Mall (02 556 2911); Mazyad Mall (02 553 4246); Abu Dhabi Mall (02 643 5030).
