Time now to look beyond botox

Just a few years ago, botox was the most sought after anti-ageing technique. While it is still popular among the beauty-conscious, newer age-busters are gradually making their way into the city.

“LED phototherapy and mesotherapy are certain new techniques which are now being used,” says well-known cosmetic dermatologist and president of the Cosmetology Society of India, Dr Rekha Sheth, “Not only does it help decelerate the ageing process, but it also helps tackle simple problems like acne.”

Elaborates Dr Satish Arolkar, practitioner and Fellow in aesthetic surgery, “Mesotherapy is localised and doesn’t require admission to a hospital. It is non-invasive and works by destroying local fat from the area it is applied.” Most doctors claim that Indians have an advantage over Caucasians, whose skin tends to loosen rapidly, and Arolkar feels thermage and mesotherapy help tighten Indian skin effectively.

But Dr Aparna Santhanam, head of Kaya skin clinic, feels otherwise: “Thermage, when used on Indian skin, has the side-effect of causing pigmentation faster.” Santhanam also believes that fillers may be a better alternative to botox. “Many people think that botox will paralyse their facial muscles and leave them devoid of expression. We have introduced a new filler called aquamid, which is 97.5 per cent water,” she says.

Like botox, fillers are also used to smoothen laugh lines, and an appropriate dosage can even help enhance the lips. While the procedure is mostly preferred by individuals in their late forties, especially those from the entertainment industry, Dr Sheth says that even young girls come to him to rectify their problems. “Using botox and other techniques is no longer considered taboo.”

Though they have caught on in Mumbai, none of these procedures claim to stop the ageing process. “They can only slow down the ageing procedure, not halt it completely,” admits Santhanam. As for how long the results last, most cosmetologists say the effects of these procedures may last for a period of anywhere between two to five years or maybe a little more. “Nothing is permanent,” concludes Arolkar.