Treatment review: ClearLift laser facial treatment in Wilmslow

Great British Life: Care of the Skin owners Lucy and Hannah BennettCare of the Skin owners Lucy and Hannah Bennett (Image: Archant)

Any skin treatment that offers a non-surgical facelift bears further investigation in my book, and when the information provided says it “takes years off of your face in just minutes, providing similar results to chemical peeling and laser resurfacing” curiosity is surely awakened. Like many women ‘of a certain age’, I am not happy at the slow but steady decline in the quality of my skin. It’s inevitable, I suppose (unless you’re Dolly Parton, who must have a surgeon on speed dial) but the incremental increases in skin laxity, loss of plumpness and arrival of fine lines, blemishes and general lack of lustre are depressing. So what if we could delay it all, give ourselves a regular boost and hold back the years? ClearLift says you can, and so I went to find out more.

If the term ‘walking advertisement’ can be applied in real life, it must be applied to Care of the Skin co-owner Lucy Bennett. She sports the fresh, glowing and taut skin every woman over the age of 45 craves, and puts it wholly down to the ClearLift laser treatment she has enjoyed on a regular basis for the last five years.

“ClearLift is the most popular facial treatment at the clinic,” she says. “It’s known as the Hollywood Facial as there is absolutely no downtime or visible signs of the treatment immediately afterwards other than a fresh and healthy glow – so you can have it and step straight onto the red carpet. It’s delivered via a fractional laser, which means that the laser beam – a photoacoustic shockwave – is scattered rather than singular, and penetrates to depths below the skin’s surface in nanosecond pulses at such speed that it disrupts the cells so suddenly it triggers a rush of blood to flood the damaged area with collagen. Because this all takes place below the epidermis, there is no redness and no downtime. The collagen is part of the healing process and as the skin heals, it tightens and plumps and gives you back your glow.”

Let the treatment commence!

Great British Life: Lucy in action using the ClearLift laser at Care of the Skin in WilmslowLucy in action using the ClearLift laser at Care of the Skin in Wilmslow (Image: Archant)

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Before we start, we look at my skin with the Observ 520, which shows precisely what my key issues are – in my case, enlarged pores and a degree of dehydration. The Observ 520 takes six photos, each of which reveal different potential issues, from pigmentation to texture, allowing Lucy to make educated decisions about what approach she should take with the ClearLift laser. Had I shown pigment spots and blemishes, she would choose a specific delivery-system to push the shockwave deeper into the skin, attacking the pigment cells. In my case, a shallower laser depth is needed.

It feels a little odd. There’s no sensation, as such, other than the gradual heating of the device as the laser fires. It gets to a comfortable warmth and is actually quite relaxing. I occasionally jump as the hand-piece emits a crackling noise, but it’s nothing more than the machine doing its job, and I soon start to drift. The treatment doesn’t take long, as Lucy carefully treats every square inch of my skin on face and neck and afterwards there’s no redness, or soreness, at all. It’s a stealth treatment leaving me glowing with natural health, no wonder the celebs love it.

Before I leave, Lucy undertakes a Hydrafacial treatment, which uses a vortex first to strip off all the dead cells from the surface of my skin and then to push an intense serum into it. It’s scratchy, but strangely pleasant.

Later that night and all through the next few days I compulsively stroke my face – it feels gorgeous. Maintaining a youthful complexion, with active aid in combatting aging, but maintaining a look that is completely me is the holy grail of skin rejuvenation – and I just found it.

To book your ClearLift laser treatment, visit careoftheskin.co.uk, Wilmslow