Friday, December 5, 2014

An evening with Transform

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REISS leopard structured coat | FOREVER21 headband (similar)

Last week I was invited down to London by Transform, the cosmetic surgeons, for their first ever bloggers night. Now this is a bit of an unusual topic compared to what I usually venture into, but - with the promise of being able to sit in on three live non-invasive procedures - curiosity got the better of me, and I was so intrigued to go down and see what went on behind the scenes. There's nothing too intense in the following post (this is coming from someone who has to turn away from 80% of 10 years younger so you can trust me on this one) but there are a few photos of injections, so if you have a needle phobia be warned, enter at your own risk etc etc.

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Catching up with some blogger gal pals before the event started. I feel like this is the perfect candidate for a 'insert your own caption' contest, because whatever's going on, me and Lucy seem very, very involved in what Sarah's telling us.

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Transform really went above and beyond, treating us all to our own personalised goodie bags which was such a lovely touch - if I was still at school it'd be getting used as my p.e bag fo' sho'.Transform surgery non evasive plastic surgery event 6
I knew the night was full of promise as soon as I saw a table full of boobie cupcakes. Complete. With. Nipples. After snapping a few photos of these and stocking up on canapés and fiji water (award for biggest blogger cliché goes to....) we headed through to a separate room of the clinic and waited like little eager beavers for the procedures to commence.

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We were given a little bit of background before each procedure and then the presentation continued throughout the procedure, telling us what was going on, what was being used, and how painful it was - first on the agenda was botox. Turns out botox wasn't really painful at all, just little injections into specific muscles which paralyse them and force them to relax, giving an overall smoother appearance to the skin. As she was getting it done she was able to talk to us without even a hint of a wince or a tear in her eye, so pain rating was pretty low on this one,Transform surgery non evasive plastic surgery event 5 Transform surgery non invasive surgery event 4

The average age group for this procedure is 35-44 and, when done correctly, only a slight tightening of the skin will be visible - basically you'll just be left looking like a more rejuvinated version of yourself. It can also be used to treat excessive sweating, chronic migraine and rapid blinking. Prices start from £199.
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Next up was lip fillers, which I was particularly interested in learning a little more about in light of Kylie Jenner's ever-expanding monsters. Lip fillers is one of the few procedures that's promoted as being acceptable for all age groups (from 18+ of course, sorry children) and, like the other two procedures, is one that could be done on your lunch break if you so fancied. Lip fillers can help with a whole host of mouth-related woes, from making thin lips appear fuller, to giving drooping corners of the lips an upwards lift. As lips can be quite sensitive, anaesthetic was applied prior to the injections. The overall verdict was that it was a little sore - with a few teary eyes - but the pain was momentary and quickly faded; apparently the suspense in the build-up to the injections was actually the worst part. There can be a little bruising or tenderness around the lips afterwards, but this fades within 6-10 days. Prices start at £180.

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Next up was ultherapy, which is one I hadn't heard of before. This was the least invasive of the three, as there's no needles or anything like that involved; it's all done by ultrasound and for this reason is known as the 'non-surgical facelift'. Basically the ultrasound technology works by stimulating the deep structural layers of the skin where collagen is found (without disturbing the surface of the skin) to lift, tighten and tone through stimulating new collagen. The results can take a couple of months to show, but many patients have reported that they could feel tightening of the skin immediately. The pain rating was low for this one, with the main sensation being intense heat on the areas of the face it was being administered to, and the biggest upside is that there's no downtime needed post-treatment. It's not just for ladies either, apparently more men are seen for this treatment than women. As well as the face and neck, it can also be used to improve lines and wrinkles on the chest area. It's recommend for around age 40 and up and prices start at £450.

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If cosmetic surgery's something you're interested in and would like to know more about then their website's absolutely bursting with information. There's lots of testimonials on there and the great thing is that in Transform's new 'non-surgical patient charter' they've promised that all before and after photography will be genuine and unaltered, so you know that you're seeing honest results.  Consultation at the clinic is free and they'll give you a thorough assessment before deciding which route to go down as well as whether your needs are suited to what you're asking for. If you're too young or are asking for excessive or un-required treatments then they'll turn you away, which I thought was tres admirable - no one wants a world full of Leslie Ash lips (sorry Leslie). It's not something I've ever thought about getting myself, but I absolutely loved getting a little more insight on procedures that I'd otherwise have known little or nothing about (let's just say my mum's not stopped grilling me about it since), and it was really nice to see how subtle the results could be. I should probably also mention that the staff were all incredibly lovely and knowledgeable, so you'd be in great hands if you did decide to head along.

 I really hope this post has helped a little for anyone who's considering, or is simply just interested in finding out a little more about, cosmetic surgery! Thank you so much again to Transform for having me down for one of the most interesting, unusual and informative nights I've had in a long time!

Amy