Treatments We Love: Lumenis NuEra Tight at Renée Lapino Clinic, London
The word ‘Tight’ in the name of this treatment is a strong clue about what it does. The NuEra Tight uses radio frequency (more on this below) to tighten skin on the face and body. For Beauty Bible, Sarah volunteered her slightly sagging jawline and could-be-plumper-and-firmer lower face to trial this new treatment. Here’s her report:
‘I’d never thought about having an adventurous treatment like this until a Very Big Birthday loomed. But I found an old photo and admired my clean jawline – then scrutinised my current one and saw these irritating saggy bags either side, just above my chin. More than my brown spots, more than lines and wrinkles, even more than my puffy eye bags, those dewlaps felt insulting. Plus, there was no denying that the lower half of my face was heading slowly but inexorably south…
A press invitation winged into my email offering a trial session with the super knowledgeable aesthetician and medical facialist Renée Lapino (dubbed the ‘London Skin Guru’) and this new radio frequency machine. No brainer! Off I went, had a long and interesting talk with Renée and ended up being her guinea pig for a six-session course of NuEra Tight at her clinic in Notting Hill (it’s über discreet with – confusingly - no signage because her A-list clients don't want to be papped popping in; that’s my terminology not hers).
Like all these machines, the NuEra Tight looks like a benign Dalek – and benign it is as Renée and her top facialist Christina (ex-Corinthia Spa) explained. The technology is so sophisticated that it self-adjusts to exactly the right temperature – using something called Automatic Power and Impedance Control or APIC - with no risk of hot spots or spikes. Lumenis, by the way, is a longstanding global leader and NuEra Tight has all the US and EU regulatory controls.
The facialist (Christina in my case) applies lots of special gunk so you really don't feel anything except the hand piece moving over your skin. Dermatologists agree that, performed correctly, this highly controlled technology has minimal short-lived side effects (I had none at any point) and virtually no downtime so you can walk out happily and certainly go to a party that evening, looking fab. The only thing I noticed was I occasionally looked a little more rosy than usual – which was flattering.
Now, a bit about radio frequency (RF): this is the geeky part so if you just want to know about the results skip down. All types of energy - from sunlight to the sound waves from your mobile - are measured according to their frequency (the number of wavelengths per second) on the electromagnetic spectrum. The RF used in skin tightening is on the slow end at about 450 kilohertz, about 100 million times slower than visible light. So, as one derm explained, ‘it’s quite calm…’.
Moreover, RF has been used in medical treatments for over 75 years. One form – ablation – can cut skin and performs minimally invasive surgery. The non-ablation form is used for aesthetic treatments like this to tighten skin, reduce fat and promote healing.
Like all forms of energy including lasers, RF produces heat to have an effect. But while lasers use higher frequency light waves to improve the skin’s surface, this slower frequency penetrates safely to a deeper level. Working at that deeper level, RF helps to improve skin tone and structure by stimulating collagen and elastin to regenerate. RF can also treat patients with different skin tones without risking discolouration.
So – the results. Well, AMAZING! I had six sessions at weekly-ish intervals. (Allow 30-40 minutes to lie down, have the treatment and get up.) As the weeks went by, the most noticeable changes were the smoother texture of my skin and the increased plumpness and firmness. Maybe that doesn't sound that much but I used to say that, on a tired stressed day, I was prone to look like Lady Macbeth’s first cousin. Now I have lost that slightly droopy, prone-to-haggard look, and I love that everyone says I look ‘so well! - younger, brighter, healthy, radiant.’
By the end of the course, the dewlaps haven’t totally disappeared but I no longer look in the mirror and hitch up the skin to see what I might look like after a facelift. The lower half of my face went on getting plumper and firmer – more cushiony (as in firmly stuffed cushion not saggy floppy one). My cheekbones look more moulded. As one US beauty editor concluded, RF is the tech equivalent of a contouring palette but much, much better.
I truly had no expectation of results as good as these. As I said at the top, ‘tweakments’ weren’t on my list of must tries but I’m now a convert to RF and NuEra Tight. (Almost can’t believe I wrote that, but it’s true.) I haven’t tried the body tightening treatments – but I imagine it would be very effective for cellulite. There are before and after shots on lumenis.co.uk.
The cost of the treatments makes this a real investment. But if you have the budget it is certainly worth considering.
A course of six costs from £1200 at Renée Lapino’s clinic in London (reneelapino.com). All patients have an initial consultation to establish their concerns and create a treatment plan.
Follow Renée Lapino on Instagram @reneelapino.
Other UK clinics currently offering NuEra Tight are:
The Salon, Surrey: thesalonbrowbarskinbeauty.com
MediSpa Cheshire: drnyla.com
SkinFit Face & Body Clinic, Middlesex: skinfitclinic.co.uk
NB Costs may vary.
