You’ve seen the photos on Instagram. Blood-splattered faces on celebrities and influencers. And it’s not Halloween makeup. The Vampire Facial drew in many fans because it boasts big time results. It is a combination of microdermabrasion and smearing of platelet-rich plasma (PRP). It was during my quest to look for the best facial rejuvenation treatment that I realize that PRP is not approved for skin rejuvenation in Singapore. Microdermabrasion also risks pigmentation scars in Asian skin.

A close friend of mine tried and recommended a microneedle lift. Also called the Profound Contour Lift, this treatment at SW1 Clinicdelivers way superior results and less social downtime compared to the Vampire Facial. Not only does it improve the skin quality, it LIFTS! I spoke to Dr Chia Hui Ling, Consultant Plastic Surgeon at SW1 Clinic, who explains the science behind this ground-breaking technology and why it beats the Vampire Facial hands down.

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Tearing Down The Barriers
One of the skin’s major function is protection against harmful external agents (ultraviolet light, bacteria, chemicals etc). The outer epidermis forms the protective shield, which also makes the skin impenetrable to many beauty products.

Instead of microdermabrasion, which only removes the very top layers of the skin, the microneedles in Profound Contour Lift, fully penetrates this layer, and deliver powerful radiofrequency (RF) energyto where it matters most – the dermis. Because these needles are ultra-fine, it does not leave any lasting trace, unlike microdermabrasion which abrades the skin. The micro-needling itself is a well-known method for improving wrinkles, scars and stretch marks.
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Deeper and Better
The inner skin layer that matters is the dermis. It is a reservoir of elastin, collagen and hyaluronic acid (HA), all responsible for the youthfulness of skin. These youth-preserving goodies plummet with age and we stop producing elastin from our twenties! Here is where Profound Contour Liftworks wonders. It is the first and only device clinically proven to induce your skin to produce more elastin, collagen and HA. The latest Profound model has a very high safety profile with tightly-controlled needle temperature that avoids risks such as burns.

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Pain and Downtime?
The procedure is done with light sedation where you will not feel a thing. It can be performed without sedation too – a numbing cream is applied onto the skin before the injections and you will not experience the pain from the needle per se, but will feel the heat of the RF energy. The skin will be mildly puffy and red for around 3 days, which settles after that. You can read more about my experience here.

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