This treatment has earned the name The Madonna Lift because Madonna is reportedly a fan. I’ve no idea if this is true, but nonetheless, a non-surgical eye lift is definitely going to appeal to those who want to freshen up their look without going under the knife.
So, in a nutshell, CO2RE treats the surface and deeper layers of the skin (a good physician will never use the strongest resurfacing anywhere near the eyes) to make it contract and tighten and give a ‘lifted’ look. So, it’s great for upper lids that have started to go crepey or droop a little. It’s not ever going to equal the wide eyed look of a surgical eye-lift, but can certainly persuade the skin to behave younger! It is said to be easier on the skin than traditional laser treatments.
All this is leading up to telling you that I’ve had a go! In fact, I only had it done a couple of hours ago so can go through the process so if anyone is considering it. Firstly, I met Dr Ariel Haus at a press day a few months ago, and he thought I would be a good candidate. So, we waited til a time when I didn’t have lots of things to go to. There is ‘downtime’ or after effects of redness and possible swelling so it’s not a good idea to have it before something important work-wise or socially. And, it’s not a pain free procedure, either. I was warned. There are so many ads for non-surgical procedures that they’ve become commonplace, and with that, I think goes the idea that they’re painless, not-serious treatments, neither of which is true. COR2E is a laser treatment so basically it is burning the skin, and yes, of course that bloody well hurts! But, not so painful that you need anaesthesia, or that you can’t manage it.
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| Man meets Laser |
I have to say about Dr Haus, that he is really a very nice man. He’s sympathetic, fastidious and ultimately, genuine. I’ll also add that of all the dermatologists (he works also for the NHS specialising in skin cancers) I’ve met recently, and in this job, I meet quite a lot, he has been the only one to take time to discuss cold urticaria with me properly, something I’ve been chasing a solution to for a long time. I can’t fault his bedside manner.
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| The machinery! |
So, with my face swathed in anaesthetic cream, which I hate, we waited for it to take effect, and as soon as it had, Dr Haus began with the laser, sending brief pulses of laser energy across the upper lids. My eyes are protected with those spoony things. Now, despite the numbing cream, the pulses hurt. Not off the scale, but you wouldn’t want too much of it. We had talked about doing below the eye as well, but I decided against it. It feels like tiny, burny pinches to the skin. On the plus, it takes literally two or three minutes to achieve, so most of the time is taken waiting for the anaesthetic cream to kick in. I’m told some patients wait at least an hour, but I didn’t have an hour so made do with about twenty minutes.
Speaking of patients, by chance, I had the opportunity to talk to one of Dr Haus’s regular patients – her story was pretty horrific as she had had permanent fillers put in her cheeks that had become infected. She allowed me to look at some pictures Dr Haus had on record and, bottom line, her face was trying to eject the filler so it had swollen like a huge, golf ball sized boil. Rather than cut it out and leave a permanent scar Dr Haus treated it differently (not sure how) and other than the tiniest red mark, her skin is perfect. Part of what Dr Haus does is rectify the mistakes of others, so don’t start him on non-regulated Botox or filler practitioners. They make his blood boil, and his motto is ‘permanent filler, permanent problem’. You heard it here.
And that’s it. My eyelids look very red, but they aren’t swollen, and they feel sunburned. I’ll post again in a couple of weeks when the full effects have taken place, but for now, I’ve got strict instructions to wear no make up for 24 hours (eek) and to use Cicaplast recovery cream around my eyes. The skin will go very dry, apparently, and then start to heal in the next few days.
If you want to know more about the procedure and Dr Haus, head here: www.drhausdermatology.com or email him at drhaus@drhausdermatology.com
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