(PREFACE | Let me start by saying, I know was supposed to do a celery juice update this week, but – alas – I feel it would be premature, so I’ll be posting on my celery journey within the next few weeks, when I have certainty that the results I seem to be experiencing are legitimate and CJD (“celery juice derived”). In case you’re new to the blog and have no idea what I am on about, click here.)
So, from celery juice to skin, this week I decided to let you guys in on an anti-ageing treatment that has the entire aesthetic industry (and I) rather excited right now. I first considered doing a post on the space-age-sounding Morpheus 8 treatment this last weekend, after hosting a private premiere of MOOIMAAK Season 3, my makeover television show. You know a procedure is (objectively) amazing when your family and closest friends (typically, not ones to be “polite”) ask you to pause the episode they’re watching and please repeat the name of the treatment that has your makeover candidate looking a gob-smacking 15 years younger than she did at the beginning of said episode.
I subsequently noticed the Morpheus 8 being used in almost every episode of Netflix’s latest makeover series, Skin Decision: Before & After featuring well-known Hollywood aesthetician Nurse Jaime and plastic surgeon Dr Sheila Nazarian. I figured if it’s a go-to treatment for Nurse Jaime (who counts the Kardashians, Huda Kattan and Jessica Alba as clients and has the entire spectrum of high-tech beauty treatments at her manicured fingertips), it’s obviously one of the world’s best modalities right now. (As an aside: I have yet to try any of them, mainly because they’re always sold out, but Nurse Jaime’s at-home beauty tools also get rave reviews. Her Beauty Stamp is on my list to try next.)
Instead of pulling research off the web and getting too technical about things, I thought it best to post some before/after images of what the Morpheus 8 is capable of and, of course, speak to someone “on the ground.” Who better than our brilliant MOOIMAAK aesthetician Mazanne (of Laserderm) who, together with her world-class team, is responsible for giving our candidates (and our show, for that matter) a fabulous “face lift” this season?
Mazanne, what makes the Morpheus 8 different to everything else out there? Its cutting-edge technology provides a combination of two powerful anti-ageing technologies (collagen induction through microneedling and tightening/remodelling of skin via radio frequency) in one pulse. Morpheus 8 works on almost any area of the body and is perfect for patients that are not ready or do not want surgery.
What is Morpheus 8 best at? Tightening, remodelling and resurfacing skin.
If you’re between the ages of 24 and 39, you can expect visible skin rejuvenation. For younger clients, we work on a more superficial depth of about 0.25mm, which assists with more effective product absorption.
If you’re between 40 and 55, it will help with resurfacing (getting rid of the old and stimulating the new). We only “thermally treat” 20% of the skin, leaving the remaining 80% untouched, which assists in the healing process and renders the procedure safe for darker skins at risk of hyperpigmentation.
If you are between 56 and 74, it can help with remodelling (“pinching” the fat under the skin to create a tighter appearance). This is similar to the manner in which a hot pan can “shrink.” However, at this age, depending on the amount of excess skin the client has, plastic surgery might be a better option. Every case must be assessed individually.
How many sessions are needed? We like to do a first series of 2 to 4 sessions, 3 to 4 weeks apart. We then give the skin a 90-day “break” to allow for the desired regeneration and the production of new collagen. We then reassess and, typically, repeat the treatment twice a year after that, to help maintain results.
What is the cost involved? It starts from R6000 per session, depending on your concerns and goals.
Is it painful? We use a topical anaesthetic to make the patient more comfortable. It is not exactly relaxing, but it’s nothing unbearable.
How long is the downtime? For two days to two weeks post procedure, the skin is “actively working” to repair the controlled injuries. A bit of redness, bruising and swelling can be expected after your treatment, and small scabs might form in the areas that have been treated.
How does it compare to regular microneedling and/or radio frequency treatments? It’s a matter of walking there vs sprinting there: the one combined treatment will work faster than the other two.
OK, and if one wants to fly there…and arrive with a halo? Then we would combine the Morpheus 8 with our Lumecca photo facial (light-based) treatment: this combination is strikingly effective and we often combine these for our clients wanting to take ten years off, without surgery. The skin will continue to look younger and more brilliant over time with most visible results appearing after one or two weeks.
So, to conclude: what really has me excited about the Morpheus 8 is the remarkable results I’ve seen it have on SNS (“sagging neck skin”): one of the most pesky age giveaways besides our hands and our ears (yes, ear wrinkles are a real thing and, quite frankly, too depressing to get into here.) The bottom line is: no amount of botox, fillers or threads can do what this little hand-held miracle device can do, when it comes to tightening and lifting our delicate neck skin – an area that was for a long time notoriously difficult to treat. To me, that’s a major breakthrough. I have yet to try it out myself, as I’m busy with one helluva detox right now (again, a topic for another day) and staying away from topical anaesthesia, but – you can bet your bottom dollar – once I’m retoxing, after detoxing, the Morpheus 8 and I will schedule a proper date.
Hope you’re all keeping happy & healthy!
Love, Clare.
PS | This post was in no way sponsored by Morpheus 8, Laserderm or any other organisation, nor will I receive any referral commissions for this post.
Clare Wiese-Wentzel 