Botox, fillers ... and now exilis? What is it and how does it work?

These days, there’s no shortage of anti-ageing treatments doing the rounds. There are your usuals: Botox, fillers, laser treatments — and on the more permanent side of things, face lifts. I regularly do chemical peels and the occasional micro-needling. Exilis? I had never heard of it.  

According to Dr S’lindile Ndwalane, a dermatologist from the Specialist Laser and Cosmetic Institute (SCIN) in Hyde Park Corner in Johannesburg, exilis is a fairly new treatment in SA and has been on offer for around two years.

It’s marketed as a non-permanent, pain-free “lunchtime treatment”, meaning it’s a quick in and out procedure and requires no down time afterwards.

WHAT IS IT?

Exilis is a series of sessions done using a device that delivers radiofrequency and ultrasound energy waves in the form of heat below the surface of the skin to tighten and transform the skin.

“This energy is delivered deep within the skin where it heats the tissues to destroy fat cells and induce tissue remodelling. As the body heals, new collagen is created,” explains Sameera Kahn, the SCIN therapist for my first session.

It is used as an anti-ageing therapy but can also be used to treat cellulite. It’s described as a head-to-toe treatment, meaning you can use it on your face and neck as well as your thighs, arms, abdomen and buttocks.

HOW IS IT DONE?

After cleansing my face, Kahn applied an ultrasound gel to the areas she was going to use the machine on. To demonstrate its effects, she first did half of my face.

The machine is regulated by a built-in sensor to reach temperatures of between 40 and 43°C for 10 consecutive minutes. While it may sound like an uncomfortably hot experience, I found the likening of a hot stone massage to be suitably descriptive.

As this was my first treatment, the session only lasted about 10 minutes but when booked as a full treatment, a face treatment will last 60 minutes and a face and neck treatment 75 minutes.

THE RESULTS?

I must confess: I am still in my early thirties and don’t have visible signs of ageing — yet. According to Ndwalane, it’s downhill from the age of 25 which is exactly when it becomes beneficial to start using preventive therapies.

That said, I did see a noticeable difference in my skin, not only when I compared the side that had received the treatment to the side that hadn’t, but also afterwards. My skin appeared plumper and more radiant.

According to the experts at SCIN, your skin may appear a little red after the treatment. I found the opposite to be true. Unlike after a micro-needling or chemical peel session, my skin looked vibrant and event-ready.

Unsurprisingly, many people book a treatment before a big event exactly for these instant results.

Most patients will start seeing immediate results after a single treatment but the effects from collagen production will start showing between two and three months after starting treatment. “We recommend four to six sessions, two sessions per week or minimum one session per week,” Kahn says.

If treatment is discontinued, your lifestyle will determine for how long the effects may last. Kahn recommends exercise and a healthy diet.

• For more information or to book a treatment to test it out for yourself, visit scinmed.com.