From new glow injectables to collagen-boosting tweakments, Lesley Reynolds, the founder of The Harley Street Skin Clinic, delivers the lowdown on the aesthetic trends set to dominate 2024.
New year and a new you? Your wish is granted. This year is bringing a whole new raft of innovations promising to rejuvenate you from top to toe. And 2024 looks the most exciting yet.
Say goodbye to quick fixes, fads and over-filled faces. The new mood in aesthetics is not what shall I have but rather why do I need it. The two biggest trends this year can be summed up in two words – preventative and regenerative.
Skin quality will be the new buzzword along with products and treatments that will foster good health. The science behind the latest ‘tweakments’ is also better than ever, with less downtime and more natural results.
We’ll also be seeing a shift in how we treat patients with more focus on treating the root cause behind our skin concerns rather than simply papering over the cracks. Using holistic and regenerative medicine to stimulate our own cells to renew themselves, this new trend will also involve looking at a patient’s genetics and DNA to provide a completely bespoke solution to skin rejuvenation. Using a combination approach including diet, and lifestyle methods to treat damaged or ageing skin from the inside out, it is all about a’ 360-degree’ approach focussing as much on what we put in our bodies as on them.
Here’s, a look at the next generation of treatments, trends, and techniques tipped to make their mark over the next twelve months. Get ready to glow!
Collagen Banking
2024 is all about preserving our skin quality using collagen banking to hold off the signs of ageing skin such as sagging and wrinkles before they’ve even appeared.
While it’s recommended we start collagen banking in our 20s and 30s, as a preventative measure to keep the contours of the face and the skin looking plump, bouncy and smooth for longer, it’s never too late to start. So what will help us bank our collagen? Basically, any treatment that kick-starts collagen synthesis such as IPL, PRP, micro-needling, radio frequency, chemical peels, and retinols.
Collagen-stimulating supplements and eating a collagen-rich healthy and balanced diet will also help boost the skin’s collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid thus banking it for future use. One new innovative treatment to look out for is ABG Lab Meso-Xanthin P199. A mesotherapy treatment, based on over 30 years of stem cell research, it contains hyaluronic acid, amino acid complexes, antioxidants (including Fucoxanthin, a powerful antioxidant that neutralises free radicals and super oxidative species that mediate UV damage) fibroblast and epidermal growth factors, regulatory peptides,(that stimulate healing and regeneration of damaged cells), nucleotides (the building blocks of DNA) vitamins (A, C and E) and minerals, to reactivate the adult stem cells in older skin to trigger cellular renewal, alter the skin structure, and stimulate fibroblast synthesis of hyaluronic acid and new collagen and elastin. Expect to pay around £500 per session. For best results one session is recommended once a week for 6 – 10 weeks at 7–14-day intervals, repeating the course of treatment every 12 – 18 months.
Did you know increasing collagen intake for several months could improve skin elasticity as well as signs of ageing? The wrinkle-reducing effects of collagen supplements have been attributed to their ability to stimulate your body to mimic its own collagen production. Additionally, taking collagen supplements may promote the production of other proteins that help structure your skin, including elastin and fibrillin, which give the skin its bounce and elasticity.
My mantra is that ‘prevention is smarter than a cure’ – so start adding collagen supplements to your skincare routine early – ideally from your early-mid 20s – and your skin will thank you in your 30s, 40s and beyond!
The New Skin Boosting Injectables For Gorgeous Glowing Skin
While traditional fillers change the shape of the face, skin boosters change the appearance of the face. The newest skin booster making its mark in 2024 uses polynucleotides. Made from fish sperm (salmon and trout), which mirrors human DNA factors, it is a natural way to improve our skin and tissues on a cellular level, i.e. not to pump up our lips or define the jawline, but simply to make our complexions look healthier and softer.
Polynucleotide treatment involves either microneedling or injecting polynucleotides under the entire surface of the complexion but unlike other skin boosters such as Profhilo, polynucleotides communicate with our cells to make them produce collagen and elastin, restoring skin tone and elasticity so the skin looks and feels healthier. They can also work in all the areas many skin boosters can’t such as under the eyes, lips, and forehead including on scars and can also to stimulate hair and eyebrow growth. The treatment requires 2 – 4 sessions every two weeks and results last around six months. Expect to pay from £350 to £700 per treatment, depending treatment area.
Another new innovation in ‘skin boosting’ is Skinvive. This buzzy new treatment promises to deliver soft-focus glowing skin that lasts for months. Skinvive is an intradermal filler, as in, a filler designed specifically to be injected very superficially. Unlike traditional hyaluronic acid fillers, which are used to contour and lift the face, Skinvive targets the quality of the skin itself, hydrating from within to erase crepey areas and smooth fine lines and is injected superficially without any danger of visible lumps and bumps. It is mainly used for cheeks and involves around 20 small jabs on each cheek. Once injected, Skinvive diffuses into the skin, where it draws in water molecules to activate long-lasting hydration. A treatment typically only takes about 15 minutes with results lasting up to six months after just one session. Depending on the practitioner, expect to pay from £500 for one treatment.
With the appetite for over-filled or frozen faces continuing to dwindle, the growing demand for the no-trace face is paving the way for a new category of ‘undetectable injectable’. Leading the way for a more subtle approach is SuneKOS, an amino acid-based injectable. Designed to regenerate (rather than replace) collagen and elastin in the skin it promises all of the benefits of wrinkle erasure and volume as Botox or dermal filler, while being virtually undetectable and can be used anywhere on the face.
Treating Skin from the Inside Out
Exosome Therapy is another buzzy term you’ll be hearing more of this year. A skin repairing and rejuvenation topical treatment used in new medical grade facials, exosomes are great for pigmentation, dark circles and dull, ageing skin helping to boost collagen synthesis and neutralise cell-damaging free radicals They may also help lessen the symptoms of inflammatory skin conditions like acne, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis although research in this area is new and ongoing.
Exosomes, which occur naturally in the body, are derived from stem cells and contain ingredients such as growth factors, peptides and proteins. In the UK they are harvested from plants as it is illegal to use exosomes derived from human stem cells. They work by switching on skin cell rejuvenation and work best alongside microneedling facials and laser treatments. A course of three monthly treatments is recommended for best results. Expect to pay from £400 for one session depending on the clinic and treatment.
Futuristic Technology
We’re getting even more tech-obsessed this year with a greater interest in procedures to improve skin texture and tone. Advancements in technology will take skin resurfacing and regeneration to the next level.
Secret Duo from Cutera is the first technology available in the UK and Ireland to combine 1540 nm laser and radio frequency microneedling in one device. This glow-boosting and collagen-stimulating treatment can target an array of skin concerns, including fine lines, texture, pigmentation, stretch marks, and scars and can be used on the face and décolletage. Treatment time is around 20 minutes, one to three sessions are required with results lasting up to 18 months. Expect to pay from £1000.
AviClear is the biggest breakthrough for acne sufferers. Acne forms when sebum, the oily substance on the skin, combines with dead skin cells and clogs pores. What makes AviClear different is that this revolutionary 1726nm wavelength laser selectively targets and suppresses the oil-producing glands that have a role in all types and all grades of acne, meaning that AviClear targets acne at the source, whilst traditional acne treatments target other things or indirectly hope to down-regulate sebum. Only roaccutane is known to do this, which is why it is being dubbed the laser alternative to this prescription drug. Courses of three treatments are recommended. Expect to pay from £4000 depending on treatment areas and clinic.
Lesley Reynolds
Beauty and cosmeceuticals expert, best-selling author and star of ‘Stitch Me, Lift Me, Tuck Me,’ Lesley’s unparalleled advice graces the pages of national publications such as The Daily Express, Best and OK magazines – as well as many more of our favourite glossies.
Featured Photo by Hamed Hoseini Pur on Unsplash
