'Lunchbreak' eyelids treatment that has left me looking years younger

Of all the skin issues that come with ageing (fine lines, sagging skin, hyperpigmentation, the list goes on) I didn’t think my eyelids would become one of my top concerns. 

But when I reached my mid-40s, I began to notice how the shape of my eyes seemed to have changed.

Indeed, it was my eyelids that were noticeably more hooded, crepey and downturned at the outer corners. In short, I look constantly tired and I can’t even blame my children now that they’re sleeping through the night. 

It’s a problem that no amount of eye cream has been able to fix. Believe me, as a beauty editor, I’ve tried plenty.

In plastic surgery terms, the solution would be an upper blepharoplasty, which two doctors have told me I’d be a good candidate for. 

This kind of surgery, which many A-listers are rumoured to have had, involves removing excess loose skin from the eyelids, leaving the eye area tauter, lifted and smooth. But it also costs between £4,000 to £7,000.

That said, I really did want to do something about my eyes. Ideally a treatment that’s less invasive and less expensive, too.

So when I heard about a new non-invasive ultrasound tweakment called Sofwave, which promises to lift the upper eyelids by up to 4mm, I was intrigued. 

The best part? It can be done in your lunch break as the procedure takes an hour, there are no needles or scalpels involved, and thus there’s no downtime.

Not to mention at £1,200 a session, it’s around a quarter of the price of an upper blepharoplasty.

‘Sofwave uses ultrasound technology to heat the middle layers of the skin, which causes a controlled trauma triggering the body’s natural healing response. 

'This stimulates collagen and elastin production, tightening and firming the skin around your eyes and brows, which in turn can lift your eyelids,’ Dr Sindhu Siddiqi, founder of the No Filter Clinic in London, explains.

She says most patients get a good outcome with either one or two sessions, and while it is possible to see results in a few weeks in some cases, the best results are seen a few months after the procedure. 

However, Dr Siddiqi is quick to manage my expectations – I won’t get the dramatic lifting results similar to that of a blepharoplasty because excess or saggy skin isn’t being removed, it’s being tightened.

Unlike plastic surgery, most patients require Sofwave to be repeated every year. While results can last a couple of years, most patients require an annual top-up session for optimum results.

So I went along to Dr Siddiqi’s London clinic to find out for myself. Pre-procedure, my eyelids were measured – 20mm from the outer corner of my eye socket to the tail of my eyebrow. Next, a good layer of numbing cream was applied around the eye area. The Sofwave machine heats the mid-dermis to between 60 and 70 degrees, which can cause discomfort, so numbing cream is essential.

Forty minutes later, by then unable to feel the top half of my face, the treatment began. I had to wear special goggles to protect my eyes as the Sofwave machine – a hand-held ultrasound gadget – was passed around the eye area.

Every few seconds, it emitted a sharp blast of heat to targeted areas. Thankfully, a gust of cooling air followed to take the edge off the discomfort.

Despite the cooling air and numbing cream, the treatment wasn’t comfortable, but it was bearable and the procedure itself only took 20 minutes.

Immediately afterwards I was disappointed that my face looked the same, with a small amount of redness that disappeared after an hour.

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But Dr Siddiqi assured me that over the coming weeks and months, my skin in the mid-dermis layer would begin healing from the trauma response that Sofwave is designed to trigger, stimulating new collagen and elastin production, and delivering that all-important lift.

Once the numbing cream had worn off, I was amazed to discover I felt no pain or discomfort. I could carry on with my day – no need to don sunglasses on the school run.

Eight weeks later, I definitely looked less tired, the fine lines around my eyes were less pronounced, and the whole area was tighter. Two friends even asked me what eye cream I was using.

At the three-month mark, I went back to the clinic to have my eye area remeasured – I was stunned to learn the area from the tail of each eyebrow to the corner of my eye sockets measured just under 4mm higher on each side – meaning that my brows were nearly half a centimetre higher than before. 

A subtle difference, but a noticeable one.

I am delighted. Although the results are a slow burner, if like me you’d prefer to avoid going under the knife, it’s an effective option.