Vivace: Lift, tighten, and improve skin texture in one go at Belo
This story is brought to you by Belo
Being in your early 30s marks the beginning of one’s first encounters with aging. It starts flexing its muscles on you around this time and while some signs of it can easily be swept under the rug, some tend to show themselves on your face, making them harder to ignore. I’m quite diligent when it comes to my skincare and face massages but I know it’s only a matter of time before gravity fully starts to get the best of me. So why not nip it in the early stages?
Pandemic visits to the dermatologist can still be a pleasant and safe experience.
I’ve been doing my research on less-invasive treatments to lift and tighten my skin. Names like Ulthera and Thermage have become quite the household topics but there’s actually a new player in the game. Enter, Vivace.
Vivace 101
Dr. Vicki Belo, Founder and Director of Belo Medical Group, describes Vivace (starts at P19,000 per session) as a combination between two of modern aesthetic medicine’s most powerful innovations: radio frequency (RF) and microneedling. Vivace promises skin lifting and tightening to make your face appear smaller while improving the skin texture.
Dr Macaraeg-Jimenez and the Vivace wand with its 49 needles.
The machine does this through a head of 36 needles that go into the skin, section by section, delivering RF energy at precise depths. The machine also employs light therapy: Red for collagen stimulation and blue to kill acne-causing bacteria.
I’m no stranger to adult acne and chubby cheeks so Vivace seemed like the best option for me and my needs. A quick teleconsult with Dr. Jona Macaraeg-Jimenez of Belo Medical in Greenbelt confirmed my assumptions and I was scheduled for the treatment just a few days later.
“The furthest it goes is around 3.5 millimeters,” Dr. Macaraeg-Jimenez said as she explained that we would have to do three passes around the face with the wand. The needles do go in pretty deep but that means the RF energy goes exactly where it’s needed.
Minute injuries are created on the skin to stimulate its natural healing process, encouraging it to make more collagen and elastin.
Tweakments during a pandemic
I entered the clinic on the day of my treatment without apprehensions. I visited a Belo clinic for a facial just a few months back and saw the pandemic precautions they take.
From appointments and consults made online to minimize contact down to Intellipure air purifiers that let you breathe easy and worry-free. Every staff member is in full PPE and there’s also a lot of sanitizer use throughout the time you’ll spend at the clinic.
The Visia machine gives a complete analysis of your skin
People coming in for a treatment go through Covid-19 screenings and are asked to gargle using an anti-bacterial solution
I was analyzed using the Visia machine which gave a clearer picture of the state of my skin. Dr. Macaraeg-Jimenez recommended that I get a cleaning facial before going for Vivace. Since we’re talking about a treatment that’s slightly invasive due to needle penetration, it’s best to take such precautions and avoid infections.
Fresh from that time of the month, I had two big pimples. They seemed rather eager to tell the world about the state of my hormones. The clinic used pimple injections to shrink each one and leave my skin a lot more calm. I was initially more afraid of those injections than the Vivace but they were just quick, tolerable stings.
After cleaning up my skin, anesthesia was applied all over my face. I had to wait about 45 minutes for it to fully take effect but since I was in a cozy treatment room, it gave me enough time to relax.
Waiting for the anesthesia to take effect.
The Vivace treatment is pretty straightforward. It runs between 30 to 45 minutes, depending on your needs. The wand’s tip is directly placed on top of the skin’s surface with the needles and LED lights making a quick dip into the layers of your skin, going only as deep as needed.
Does it hurt? Barely. The anesthetic does the job well but even on parts of the skin that didn’t go as numb as the rest and where skin is thinner, it was rather tolerable. Each penetration is quick and seamless with swift transitions from one section to the next.
To be honest, it feels rather soothing after a while. When asked about the needles used on patients, Dr. Macaraeg-Jimenez explains that the Vivace wand’s head is disposed of after every customer. Needles are not re-used to ensure hygiene and minimize the chances of infection.
After Care and Results
Expect redness after the treatment. I admit that it was quite shocking to see that level of redness but it subsided significantly after three hours. The day after the treatment, my skin was back to its original shade.
Right after the treatment, expect intense redness. Once the anesthesia wears out, it won’t be painful – just a tad raw.
After care is simple: A laser cream and Tyrosinase Inhibitor 5 – provided by Belo Medical – to be applied both morning and before bed time for a whole week. You’re also required to use lots of sunscreen. This is no problem for me since it’s something I’m never without during the daytime.
Significant lifting is not expected to be seen until about a month. This, as we have to wait for the development of collagen and elastin that will fully trigger the desired effects. It is said that the results even get better after three months and I am nothing short of excited.
A day before Vivace (without makeup)
10 days after Vivace - love the improvement!
Four days after treatment (with makeup)
However, just a day after the treatment, I noticed that my pores look a lot smaller. My skin feels smoother that I can’t seem to stop running my fingers (whenever they are clean) over it. Application of the creams are a joy, gliding easily on the skin’s surface and are quickly absorbed. Makeup is not advised for at least three days yet I was brave enough to show my face in public the day after the treatment. I just woke up looking a lot fresher than yesterday.
If you’re looking for a treatment that will target several concerns at once, especially if you’re looking into slowing signs of aging, I highly recommend the Vivace. They do say prevention is better than any cure so even if I have very minimal sagging, I saw it as a great opportunity to get a good head start. There’s also no new acne since my treatment which makes me think that blue light really did me some good as well!
Will be updating the article with more photos in a month to see the difference. Do watch out for that! If you think that this is something for you as well, go for an online consultation. Book it at shop.belomed.com or by calling 8-819-BELO.
