I Wanted My Confidence Back So I Tried Facial Contouring

(SPOT.ph) When someone says "facial contouring," you probably think of the makeup technique (and the Kardashians), but through the years, it's also come to refer to something more literal: a range of innovative non-invasive and minimally invasive procedures designed to sculpt and define one's facial features. Whether you're seeking a subtle enhancement or a more dramatic change, these treatments are a personalized approach to reaching your desired outcome. From dermal fillers to more advanced sculpting technologies, more and more people are finally warming up to getting something done via an actual procedure. Confused by all the terms? Or, hey, maybe even a little scared? Allow us to take you along our own facial contouring treatment.

Also read: SPOT.ph Tries: Is Going to a High-End Derm Worth the Price?

Here's what you can expect when you try facial contouring:

Where should you go for facial contouring treatments?

Located along Timog Avenue, Stesso Clinic is an aesthetic center that specializes in safe, effective, and non-invasive slimming and shaping treatments as alternatives to getting surgery, undergoing fad diets, or consuming dangerous weight loss products. They're pretty much on the small scale of things compared to their competitors, but that only adds to its charm. Having a more personalized touch thanks makes all the difference when it comes to a self-care day.

During your first appointment, a dermatologist will come in and take note of your medical history as well as inquire about your main concern for the visit. For the author, it was to help reduce the fat in her face—something that she has actively worked on by eating a proper healthy diet and exercising, however, PCOS makes it harder to lose the excess fat.

What treatment is best utilized to target your concern?

Once the consultation ends, the derm then proceeds to outline the treatment plan. In my case, I was recommended to try Exilis, a machine that's been around for quite some time but is still known to deliver great results. Compared to the gold standard of facial contouring Ulthera which only requires one session, Exilis needs to be done for four consecutive weeks before seeing proper results. It was also stressed that it's important to maintain a healthy diet and have proper exercise if I want to see results. After all, this isn't magic, and full cooperation is required to succeed.

Now, you might be wondering, what exactly is Exilis? It's a non-invasive treatment that uses radiofrequency technology to deliver controlled thermal energy in target areas. Essentially warm things up a bit (an understatement, we warn). It's meant to stimulate collagen production as well as promote skin elasticity with the hopes of addressing sagging skin, wrinkles, and unwanted fat deposits. The machine is also versatile. It can be used on a variety of body parts such as the face, neck, abdomen, and thighs.

What happens when you do a session of Exilis?

Once I got settled into the treatment room, a monitoring patch was placed on my back. The patch itself is cold when applied and is used to monitor my hydration levels. The tech even said that had I been dehydrated, the machine would beep which signifies that I cannot continue with the treatment given the controlled heat that needs to be applied to my skin.

A cold sensation quickly follows as a water-based gel is applied to my face in copious amounts. The tech then let me know that she was about to start the treatment before passing the Exilis wand over my neck and jaw area before proceeding to the temples and around my eyes. As to how it feels? Well, pain is a subjective concept and luckily, I do have high tolerance. We admit though, this treatment hurts. Remember accidentally touching the hot plate of your hair straightener? Yep, that's pretty much how hot it can get, hence the need for a bulk load of water-based cooling gel.

The first session is always the longest, as there's quite a bit of fat to melt. But what's nice about the entire program is that, depending on how well your body reacts to the treatment, sessions may get shorter. There's also little to no downtime with each session, meaning you can go about your day as if nothing happened. 

What does progress with Exilis look like?

Like with any procedure, before and after pictures are taken. Before undergoing Exilis, my face was more circular than square (my actual face shape). The area underneath my eyes was also more pronounced and had a deep-set indent towards my nose, giving me the appearance of having dark eye bags.

While there was no guarantee that one session would show any significant changes, I did notice that my under-eye area was more lifted and my cheeks and jaw area didn't look as round. A clear indication that the treatment worked well.

The week after didn't show any significant changes, but what surprised me was that people were already noticing that something had changed. I'd gotten comments like, "Oh, you're more rested. Your eyebags are gone." and "Did you lose weight? Your face seems smaller." I did lose weight thanks to cutting down on my carbs, but I feel the machine gave me a little boost, too.

It's also worth noting that I was injected with Mesotherapy on my third visit to help speed the process along. Meso, as it is oftentimes called, helps melt fat over with the aid of amino acids, minerals, enzymes, and vitamins.

On my last visit, we reviewed my progress. My face was indeed slimmer and more angular. I had my jawline back, in a way. The appearance of a double chin lessened as well. 

Is it worth getting a facial contouring treatment like Exilis?

It's worth it if you're doing it for the right reasons and of course, you have a little extra cash to spare. P8,000 for one session of Exilis is a lot but when you get it someplace that's more popular, it might even cost you more. A total of four sessions would set you back P32,000; P40,000 if you're recommended one session of Meso to speed things along.

During the sessions, I was at a point in my life when I barely looked in the mirror, nor did I take any selfies. Not that I'm vain, but it's a natural habit of mine, considering I work in the media and take great care of my appearance. In the four weeks that I've undergone this treatment plan, a small trickle of confidence started to pour in. I could stomach looking at a mirror, taking pictures as I go. Gone are the thoughts of fat-shaming myself. In short, I finally felt like my efforts to lose weight through proper diet and exercise is finally showing through since the outside now matches what I felt on the inside.

Stesso Clinic is at Unit 203 2/F, Toyama Group Center, 22 Timog Avenue, Quezon City.

Also read: SPOT.ph Tries: Is Getting a P2,300 Exfoliating Skin Treatment Worth the Price?