TV presenter Anthea Turner, 66, has revealed the time-defying results of a skin-tightening makeover – and says bus drivers now assume she’s too young to have a pensioners’ Freedom Pass!
Anthea has undergone a course of non-surgical face treatments to plump and firm sagging skin, and is thrilled by how visibly anti-ageing the results have been for her.
Anthea is delighted by the results of her skin treatment
‘Since having these aesthetic treatments there have been quite a few occasions when I try to use my Freedom Pass and the bus driver asks, “You’re not, are you?” and I have to persuade them that I am indeed 66 years old!’ says Anthea, showing off her results in a new photoshoot and impressive before-and-after images.
Bus drivers have questioned if she’s old enough for a Freedom pass
Anthea had six monthly sessions of Lynton Focus Dual, a system combining radiofrequency microneedling and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to give skin a more youthful look.
Natural-looking results were vital for Anthea
Anthea says she decided to embark on an aesthetic makeover at the beginning of the year after becoming conscious of loose skin around her jawline.
‘I think you get to an age where you suddenly stand in front of the mirror and start pulling your skin tighter around your face,’ she says. ‘I don’t have a girlfriend in my age group who doesn’t do that and you go, “oh, that would look nice”.’
Anthea says friends have complimented her on her skin
Anthea sought advice from her local aesthetics clinic, Bodyvie in Richmond, before settling on a course of Focus Dual. ‘I wanted something that was safe, effective, and had very little downtime,’ she says.
The treatment's claim of natural-looking results helped clinch the decision for her. ‘It was important to me because I really didn’t want to come out of this looking like I’d had work done on my face,’ says Anthea.
Anthea having a Lynton Focus Dual treatment
Anthea and her skin practitioner settled on what she describes as a ‘slow and low’ approach. ‘I don’t want to lose the plumpness that I already have in my face, that I’ve held on to. I wanted to primarily look after my skin,’ she says. ‘If you look after your skin, everything glows, everything looks great, and that’s the approach we went for, and I have got exactly what I wanted.’
Preserving facial plumpness was also vital for Anthea
Comparing her before-and-after photographs, Anthea is delighted by the difference, especially to hollowing under the eyes and to cheek volume.
‘My goodness me, I can see a difference. I definitely can,’ she says. ‘Tightening the skin on my whole face, it’s made a difference to my apples and my eyes. Gosh, that’s a task. Well, I never.’
She's especially pleased to see it’s also helped some of the trickiest midlife troublespots. ‘The fact is that when you start using the Focus Dual, not only do you get a much tighter jaw, you get a better quality of skin on your neck, and your neck has got very thin skin on it,’ she says. ‘People have said to me, “Oh, your skin looks good.”’
Anthea says downtime and discomfort were manageable
Her sessions cost £500 a time, took about an hour to complete, and Anthea says she found them comfortable: ‘I don’t really think it hurts at all. You have numbing cream, so hardly feel anything. On a scale of one to ten, where does it come? Maybe a three, if that.’
The downtime was minor and manageable, in her view. ‘I would say that if I had a procedure at 1 o’clock in the afternoon, by the next day, maybe I would look a little bit pink, but nothing that I couldn’t hide with make-up and go out.'
A course hasn’t been cheap, at £3,000 for six sessions, but she feels that committing is what works. ‘I impress upon my friends, if you’re going to do this, don’t waste your money having three and then go, “Oh no, I’m not going to have any more because I don’t think it’s doing anything.” You do the course. And even when you’ve done the course, it carries on improving,’ she says.
Anthea now plans to maintain the results with a top-up every three to four months, and says it’s a treatment she’s recommending to her friends. ‘Most definitely!’ she says.
How does Focus Dual work?
Focus Dual delivers energy deep into the skin via ultra-fine needles, creating controlled micro-injuries to stimulate collagen and elastin production. This is designed to improve skin texture, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and give a tighter, more youthful appearance with minimal downtime. Results will vary from patient to patient, and as with all aesthetics treatments, it’s vital to see a qualified practitioner. The British College of Medical Aesthetics has useful resources to support the safety of aesthetics patients.
Anthea on the treatment bed at Bodyvie
How much does it cost?
Anthea had her Focus Dual treatments at the Bodyvie Clinic in Richmond, where treatments cost £500 each (£3,000 for her course of six). Focus Dual treatments are available across the UK, and prices vary. Find Lynton approved clinics here.