Makeup tattoos and Agarose. New beauty trends for the over sixties.

Here I am, a hopefully still foxy 70 year old who is ready to share her beauty secrets with you – without ridiculous claims or hype.

If you care about looking good and staying that way for as long as nature allows, my intention is to have you dancing for joy by the time you get to the end of this blog – because who doesn’t want to look beautiful without breaking the bank? I am going to begin with the benefits of permanent make up tattoos (which I recently had done and I’m loving) then we’ll move onto the latest in anti-aging facial rejuvenation treatments, and I’ll tell you where you can get them at a fraction of the price you’d pay in the UK.

PERMANENT MAKE UP TATTOOS

As you’ll know if you are over sixty, the lips lose definition, the eyebrows become sparser or maybe start going grey and you want to spend as little time on your make up as possible. Well, listen up ladies, I have found not only a hassle free alternative to applying eyebrow pencil, eyeliner and lip-liner every day, I have found a brilliant professional to do your permanent make up tattoos.

In my twenties, I had electrolysis done on my eyebrows and went too far because I ended up with puny strands of hair at the ends. I filled in the blanks every day but it really got on my nerves as the years went by. Whenever I went swimming my eyeliner ran – another nuisance. Then I was studying my lips in the mirror a few months back and saw that the left side looked thinner than the right. I thought ‘I’m not having this. Time for action.’

I started with my eyebrows and was so thrilled with the result, I went back and did eyeliner and lips – and now spend less time in the mirror and more time feeling wonderful. I went for a relatively natural look but if you want to look like a wild tiger that’s up to you.  The important thing is to go to someone who really knows what they’re doing so that your make up tattoos are the right shape, colour and thickness. But you don’t need to worry about a thing because I’ll be on hand to ensure everything goes smoothly. In the UK, all three would cost in the region of £1500.  In Athens you’ll pay e420 – which is a huge saving. The makeup tattoo practitioner I recommend, specializes in areola reconstruction make up tattoos for women who have had a mastectomy so that gives you an indication of his high standard of work.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAKE UP TATTOOS AND ORDINARY TATTOOS

For those who might not know, the difference between permanent makeup tattoos (which last for eighteen months to two years) and ordinary tattoos, is the pigment used. Permanent make up uses oxide-based minerals which are hypo-allergic which means anyone can do them – and for over sixties make up tattoos are not only a time saver, they offer a confidence boost for over sixties singletons when they wake up with a new lover (let’s keep the faith). In addition, make up tattoos provide a valuable solution for women suffering with arthritis, shaky hands or poor eyesight.

In case you’re asking yourself whether I’m the right woman to talk to you about beauty, the answer is a hearty yes. I was an international life coach for over 30 years so apart from advising clients on career, relationships and health, I made it my business to know everything I could about image, beauty and beauty treatments – for myself as well as them.

I have fortunately made few beauty mistakes and the only plastic surgery I had was under my eyes about twelve years ago. I didn’t try to cut the pennies and went to an expensive, supposedly top ranking plastic surgeon in central London but something went wrong –My wrinkles might have looked better but in their place I had bulging sacks of fat under my eyes! I vowed then that a surgeon’s knife would never touch me again unless the gravity pull on my face won out over my efforts – and so far I’m hanging in there.

I spent the time between my confidence sucking plastic surgery experiment and now, to search out alternative beauty methods. That means London, Paris, Prague, Budapest and New York -but my hands down favourite beauty destination has proved to be Athens, Greece.

The beauty package I’m going to tell you about which includes three treatments, would cost upwards of £1200 in the UK. In Athens you’d pay e400. That’s a huge saving – and I am not some random person telling you about these treatments, you are looking at the results.

Sure, if you see me up close, I do have a certain amount of wrinkles, but for a seventy year old I’m delighted. Anyway, the aim of the facial treatments I’ve got up my sleeve, are not to stretch your features into a Siamese cat but to enhance and update your natural beauty.

So are we ready to look at my three favourite treatments? These are the three treatments I’ve chosen for you. I will try to describe them without weighing you down in too much technical jargon – but there’s loads of info on the internet about two of the treatments (PLEXR and PGRF) if you want to read up on them.

AGAROSE – the very latest noninvasive skin sculpting aesthetic treatment

Did I hear you say you’ve never heard of it? Well that’s not surprising because Agarose is the new kid on the block when it comes to beauty treatments, and Greece is one of few countries where it is available. Agarose is a natural nutrient food made from human tissue, which encourages cells to repair and grow. It can be used on any part of the body but works best when injected close to the bone so is ideal for around the eyes. Unlike some fillers, it is 100% natural which means it can be used by those who have allergic or autoimmune diseases.

Agarose is an injectable filler and for about a week after the treatment if you touch the areas of your face that have been treated you will feel little lumps under your skin. The ‘human tissue lumps’ contain proteins, nutrients and vitamins which slowly dissolve into the skin, smoothing, firming and plumping the area(s) which has been treated. I have had three Agarose treatments over the past eighteen months and can honestly see the results around my eyes and on my neck (which was starting to look a bit wrinkly) so highly recommend this combined with my two other beauty picks

Plexr – complete non-surgical aesthetic treatment

Plexr is a groundbreaking treatment that gives great results through non-invasive means. The treatment is applied using a portable hand held plasma beam. The plasma beam breaks down excess skin without damaging the muscles or underlying structures around it so is perfect for the delicate skin around the eyes or mouth. When device is placed on area being treated, heat builds, there is a feeling of being gently stung as the nib of the plasma beam makes a series of small dots on the skin. These dots take away fine lines whilst tightening the skin so help to reduce visible signs of ageing.

After a Plexr treatment you are left with slight scaly grey-brown lines which are known as carbon dust but these disappear within a week –during which time it is advisable to wear concealer to protect yourself from sun light. The treatment is completely safe and most patients go back to work the same or next day. Plexr is really helping the appearance of my eyes look fresher and tighter so definitely loving that…

PRGF (plasma rich growth factor treatment) Third but not least – when the above two treatments are combined with a PRGF treatment (plasma rich in growth factor treatment), you will certainly smile at your reflection, look younger and reclaim your vibrant foxiness. PRGF treatments are one of my favourite advancements in facial rejuvenation for anyone over forty but especially for us over sixties. PRGF is an injectable wonder treatment that extracts live platelets found in our own blood plasma to stimulate and accelerate tissue and collagen regeneration. Since PRGF treatments use the patient’s own blood, this poses no risk of infection or allergy.

Platelets contain substances known as growth factors that activate and rejuvenate cells in the body. The growth factors, when released back into the skin, induce the generation of new capillaries to rejuvenate and give the skin luminosity. PRGF compliments Agarose and Plexr well. Working together they can eliminate fine wrinkles around the eyes, nasolabial grooves, lips, forehead, neck, dark circles under the eyes and loose and saggy skin. For those with deeper lines through sitting in the sun too long, botox is added to the mix.

The highly qualified professional who would be doing this treatment session for you, works out the exact amount of AGAROSE, PLEXR and PRGF that are right for your skin and needs. (I’ll disclose more about her should you decide to come to Athens). In short, she is a gourmet skin practitioner who has perfected her methods over years of trial and effort which means every treatment is tailor made. Therefore, whether you’ve got a special occasion coming up and want to look your foxy best, or update your natural beauty in your forties, fifties, sixties or seventies, this is the place to come.

However, let me not lead you up the garden path here, and do not believe anyone who tells you otherwise. Even the best non-surgical facial treatments on the market have an approximate life of six months – so if you are in your fifties or sixties you will have to keep up the good work whether it is here or elsewhere – but hey we’re worth it eh…  And in Athens you’ll pay a third of London prices.

And, as though you’re not jumping for joy already – here’s a bonus. This package comes with complimentary laser facial hair treatment (should you need it) because looking as good as you will, you won’t want to spoil the effect with facial hair eh…

 

 

PRICE LIST AND COMPARISONS                                                                UK                                ATHENS

Eyebrows – natural looking hair stroke method                                     £400                               e150

Eyeliner – top lid (natural or bold)                                                            £450                                 150

Lips – correction of lip shape with natural or bold color shade           £600                                 200

All three make up tattoos                                                                           £1450   special price      420

Areola – single symmetry correction, contour and color enhance     £680                                  250

Areola – double symmetry correction, contour and color enhance   £980     special price      400

AGAROSE – nutrient human tissue food treatment                               £500                                 200

PLEXR   (one area)                                                                                         £400                                 200

PRGF treatment (whole face)                                                                      £400                                  200

All three treatments   (Agarose, PLEXR, PRGF)                                        £1300    special price     400

Botox                                                                                                               £300                                   100

 

There’s still so much I haven’t said and I’m sure you’ve got questions so please feel free to write to me at stella@stellaralfini.co.uk and we’ll have a natter about your beauty aims. Then, if you are interested, we’ll have a Skype chat so I can see you and advice you further.  I am available in Athens during spring and autumn months (when you can get great deals on flights) so should you decide to come, please bear this mind.

For a small fee, I will act as your consultant at every stage, book your appointments and be there with you when you go to your appointments.  It’s all those years as a life coach I guess, but I love helping people feel beautiful and I hope every women over sixty reads this, lets her inner tiger out and thinks ‘I’m gonna join the club and get tattooed’

For women travelling on their own who wish to be in and out of Athens the following day, there is the added option of staying with me at my tranquil seaside suburb home for e50 extra. (You can even do morning session of easy yoga with me if that’s your cup of tea).

For women who wish to turn their beauty trip into a mini holiday and come along with a friend, I will send you a list of recommended hotels (around e40-50 per night) together with suggestions of where to go and what to do in your spare time. The area you would be staying in is called Glyfada – otherwise known as the Greek Riviera. It really is stunning, wonderful for shopping, inexpensive fish tavernas and sipping coffee overlooking the sea.