Perfect beauty treatments for modern day mothers.         11 May 2015    Looking for the perfect gift for the mom in your life? You can’t add an extra hour to her day, but you can help her turn back the clock… While being a mom might keep you young on the inside, the reality is that most modern day mothers are older than their mothers were when they had children. In fact, recent statistics reveal that, for the first time in recorded history, the average age of women giving birth has officially hit 30. “The reality is that what our parents were doing in their 20s, we are now doing in our 30s and 40s,” says Dr Salome Gurgenidze, co-founder of Johannesburg-based aesthetic centre Radiance for You. “We are getting married later, having children later; we are working longer and harder. But we are also living healthier and as a result, living longer. We feel young on the inside, but sadly we don’t always look it on the outside!” But there is a solution. More and more women are turning to aesthetic medicine to help them look as young as they feel. “Aesthetics are no longer reserved for the rich and famous. Just as regular moms go to the hairdresser to get highlights to hide the grey, they are now seeing an aesthetic specialist to help slow down the aging process of their skin, “says Gurgenidze. She confirms that there is a definite increase in the number of middle class clients in medical Aesthetic centres in South Africa. Divorce rates are also on the up and up, and competition on the job market is intense. The reality is that looks do count; whether it’s about looking good enough to either catch the perfect man, or fresh enough to land the perfect job. “Ageing gracefully does not mean that we should not look after ourselves. When we look good, we feel good; and when we feel good, we perform better both at work and at home,” says Gurgenidze. The most popular treatments include anti-wrinkle injectable neurotoxin (Botox) and dermal fillers, while requests for laser therapy and mesotherapy are increasing rapidly. Anti-wrinkle injectables are most often used to relax frown lines between the eyebrows and on the forehead, as well as crow’s feet around the eyes. They are also used to lift eye brows and, in combination with fillers - which are used to restore volume to the face - are incredibly effective in transforming tired faces into fresh faces. Laser skin treatment is also becoming increasingly popular for its ability to improve skin texture, one of the primary signs of ageing. Laser treatments are incredibly versatile, able to treat anything from fine lines and wrinkles, to skin laxity, poor skin texture, sun damage and stretch marks. “There is a variety of different kinds of laser and radio frequency therapies available, each of which has been developed to treat specific conditions,” Gurgenidze explains. For example, Diode Laser treatments are specifically aimed at reducing fine lines and wrinkles as well as skin laxity and poor skin texture, while fractional laser treatments are better at treating deeper skin depressions and lines, as well as moderate wrinkles.  Mesotherapy is also on the up and up in South Africa, involving the intradermal injection of a variety of hydrating and anti-ageing compounds directly into the dermal layer. Mesotherapy rejuvenates the skin via the injection of hyaluronic acid and collagen synthesis, which is stimulated via the active ingredients of the injected compound, as well as by the multiple injections themselves as needle stick injuries initiate the wound healing process, encouraging collagen synthesis. “While the treatments may differ, the common thread running through them is that they all provide very natural-looking results, with very limited downtime. The patients leave the clinic looking like themselves, just younger and fresher,” says Gurgenidze. In keeping with this, she adds that Radiance for You is also seeing an increase in requests for VelaShape sessions, which is a completely non-invasive machine that is used for body contouring and cellulite treatment. “This is particularly popular post-partum, because the reality is that the older you are, the more difficult it is, and the longer it takes, for your body to bounce back from childbirth. VelaShape simply speeds up this process,” says Gurgenidze. In conclusion, Gurgenidze points out that the one gift every mom really needs is time. “What better way to give her time than by helping her turn back the clock?”  Radiance for You may be contacted on (011) 327 1584 or visit their site: www.radianceforyou.co.za.