The Men's Skincare Secret No One Talks About
The women in my life always told me I needed to moisturize. My mother, my girlfriends, my wife.
But soap and water had always been good enough for me.
Sunscreen? Too sticky.
Toner? Too much effort.
But now in my late 40s, I’ve noticed my laugh lines getting deeper, and my jowls beginning to sag. My skin, leathery from all those days in the sun without protection. And I regretted not listening to previous skin care advice.
Fortunately, I was invited to try Ultherapy, a non-invasive skin tightening and lifting treatment. It uses ultrasound therapy to go deeper than similar treatments to stimulate collagen and uses ultrasound imaging so doctors can actually see the layers of tissue they are treating. This way, the treatment was targeted at areas that needed help.
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Unlike other technology such as lasers, radio frequency, and, dare I say, surgery, Ultherapy is completely non-surgical. It bypasses the surface of the skin through ultrasound energy and goes straight to the necessary spots with focused imaging. It targets just the right amount of energy at the right depths and the right temperature, jumpstarting the body’s collagen production.
That all sounds well and good, but as the women in my life remind me, beauty is pain. So what did it feel like?
Well, the medical professional first applied a topical anesthetic cream to my face and waited about 45 minutes for it to take effect. When it felt fairly numb, she started the procedure. I lay down as she talked me through it, pressing a smooth tool on my face that released spurts of energy every few seconds. It felt like my face was being zapped, and it tingled slightly, but I didn’t find it painful at all, except for one zap on my jaw that made me cringe.
Before I knew it, it was all over. The treatment itself took about 45 minutes. My face felt a bit sore but I looked into the mirror and it didn’t look sore at all—and that’s what counts.
It was a very subtle transformation, with my cheeks slightly plumped, and a noticeable lift in my chin, well, to me at least. I even went out to dinner with friends that night and no one mentioned noticing anything different.
Over the next few weeks, I noticed my skin clearing up. The minor breakouts here and there that I used to try to hide by growing a bit of stubble? Gone.
My cheeks felt tighter, smoother; my jawline, firmer and more defined.
My friends have been asking if I’ve lost weight (No.), if I’ve changed my diet (No.), or if I’ve been on vacation recently (No.). They say I look great, and can’t seem to put their finger on why I look different. I say, happy wife, happy life!
My wife? Well, I caught her rummaging through my toiletries the other day, asking what moisturizer I’ve been using, because my skin’s extra soft.
Yours, I told her.
Ulthera’s my little secret.
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