Battling Old Lady Hands at Firma Medical Clinic

It is starting to hit me that being thin and trim does not necessarily lead a person in the direction of the fountain of youth. I have always been a very fit person and have years of yoga and running to thank for a low body fat percentage but I am now wondering if skinny equals a young and youthful appearance as the years start to tick away.

As birthdays start to pass me by though I am beginning to focus my attention on those celebrities who while skinny look much older than their Hollywood counterparts. While I love her, Miss Sarah Jessica Parker is a perfect example of what I am talking about. She is often made fun of in the magazines for her old lady hands and I am fearful I am heading in the same direction because I can already start to see my bony and dull looking hands resemble the hands of the lovely SJP.

So, when Firma approached us to test out their new Enerpeel treatment for hands and eyes I jumped at the opportunity because those body parts were the superficial thing I was obsessing over at that moment. I figured before I downed a few more burgers or skipped out on a few gym classes I should check out whether a treatment could really breathe some new life into my eye and hand area.

Firma, for those who don’t know it, is a 5,200 square foot medical/beauty clinic on Duddell Street in Central. They focus on Chemical Peels, Hair Regeneration, Laser Hair Removal, Body Contouring and Toning, Non-Surgical Face Lifts and much much more. Essentially, it is the perfect place to get a bit of a beauty tune up without going under the knife.

When I arrived at the clinic I was greeted by the staff and brought into a room to see the doctor. During the consultation we spoke about my different “problem areas” and he started to suggest different things I should consider down the road. This would take many people back I am sure but I appreciated it as he was telling me things I wanted to find ways of addressing (thin face = loss of collagen = try out Sculptra).

He told me that the Enerpeel technique that I would have that day would remove the layers of dead cuticle, which will then leave my outer skin regenerated, smooth, and more even in tone. It is great for helping with pigmentation issues as well as sun spots, wrinkles, lines and scars. Since I am a peel newbie I asked what the difference between an Enerpeel and a chemical peel was and he told me that Enerpeel causes less peeling and redness and the recovery time is much less than a traditional chemical peel.

I was then taken into a treatment room and after a few before pictures were taken I settled into my 20 minute back massage which is a little perk that comes with every treatment. After the massage was over I was brought into the treatment room where I sat in a chair and they prepped my hands and eyes for the treatment. The doctor then applied an acid solution to my hand and eye area (they use a fun wand for the eye area) and you let it sit for about 5-7 minutes. The pain is not too intense but it does start to tingle a bit, which the doctor monitors by asking your pain level (1-10).

After the solution is washed off the treatment is done. I was then brought back to the photo room for my after pictures and within the hour I was back on the streets of Central. I did go straight home afterwards as I was not allowed to wear makeup for the rest of the day so if you are getting treatment on your eyes I would suggest making your appointment later on in the day. After care requires putting sunscreen on the treated area as the skin is more sensitive during the peeling process.

Three days after I started to peel on my hands which was a unique experience for me. I can’t lie, the peeling was a bit intense for me to look at but I kept feeling the new skin that was coming through and it trumped looking a bit odd for a few days. My eye area had little to no peeling as Firma recommends doing Enerpeel eye treatments in stages since the area is so sensitive. While they suggest multiple treatments for different areas I do see some nice changes to my eye and skin area. It feels and looks a whole lot smoother and at the end of the day that is exactly what I was after.

So, is the Enerpeel my new fountain of youth? Well, I think it was a nice first step into the non-surgical cosmetic procedure world. I am still a bit terrified to try Botox but I have a feeling my feet will be walking the halls of Firma sometime again soon. I just need to figure out what procedure is next on my list. Sculptra after yoga class anyone?

Sassy Deal: Throughout the month of March Firma is offering Sassy readers 10% off a Enerpeel Eyes or Hands Treatment (cost = $1,400 per treatment). Your treatment will come with a 20 minute massage too! Just mention Firma-Peel when making your appointment.

Firma, 5/F, Printing House, 6 Duddell Street, Central, Hong Kong, 2869 6688, www.firma.hk