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Tweakments, or beauty treatments designed to give an undetectable boost to your appearance – without going under a knife – are shaping the way we age.
Medical spa owners and dermatologists across Canada have seen an upswing in clients looking for a less-is-more approach to common skin concerns in tweakment procedures, which range from Botox injections to microneedling facials.
What is a tweakment?
Dr. Michael Brandt, a surgeon who specializes in facial cosmetic and reconstructive procedures at FORM Face + Body in Toronto, defines a tweakment as a subtle, non-surgical aesthetic procedure designed to enhance, refine or maintain one’s appearance without significant downtime.
“It bridges the gap between skin care and surgery, offering noticeable yet natural-looking results,” he says.
At FORM, tweakments currently account for more than 40 per cent of the clinic’s business.
Dr. Monica Li, a dermatologist and owner of Vancouver Skin MD clinic, has witnessed a 50-per-cent growth year-over-year since the height of the pandemic.
Tweakments can be a part of a wellness maintenance plan to help you grow old gracefully, says Li. “My patients are not looking to dramatically change their anatomy and the way they look, but they’re using tweakments to help refine themselves, so that they feel more confident in their skin,” she says. “They feel they look more refreshed.”
Why are tweakments so popular now?
On the East Coast, Dr. Dominique Babin-Muise, the owner of Luma Clinic in Halifax, has also experienced an uptick in clients seeking out tweakments.
“There’s just a lot less stigma around all these procedures. People are talking about them more than a generation ago, when it was taboo to talk about what quote, unquote, work you had done.”
She’s also seen more men coming to the clinic. “They’re asking if they can do something about deep frown and forehead lines, broken blood vessels and redness in the cheeks, and acne scarring,” she says.
Tweakment procedures are talked about more openly on social media and among celebrities, and a heightened collective self-awareness of how we look on screens (known as the Zoom effect) paired with advanced beauty technology and a push toward wellness has influenced their rise in recent years.
For 56-year-old Jenny Boussoulas, an accountant in Unionville, Ont., tweakments have helped her feel healthy and youthful. Spending between $5,000 to $7,000 annually, her latest investment was a No Needle BioGlow, administered by Joanna Auguste, medical director and owner of the Face Lab in Toronto.
Auguste used thermal heat, ultrasound and laser technology to resurface, tighten and brighten Boussoulas’s complexion in one visit. “I love how my face looks. I don’t feel that I look tired, even when I’m working long hours and am sleep deprived,” Boussoulas says.
Before you book that appointment
With med spas and clinics popping up to meet a growing market, confirming a provider’s credentials is key.
Look for a board-certified physician in relevant specialties (such as dermatology or plastic surgery) or a licensed medical director who trains staff for quality patient care, treatment protocol, safety standards, managing adverse events and more.
A provider should have in-depth anatomical knowledge and a conservative, safety-first approach, says Brandt. “Check before-and-after photos and online reviews,” he says, recommending Google reviews, which are difficult to be taken down.
“Not offering a consultation before a treatment is a red flag,” adds Babin-Muise. “Not every treatment is appropriate for every patient, skin type or condition.”
Li says it’s important to assess your motivation for getting a treatment, too, and discuss expectations and budget with the practitioner beforehand.
The experts also emphasize the need to support any in-office enhancement with an after-treatment daily skin-care routine that includes sun protection. “Otherwise, it’s like going to the dentist and not brushing your teeth at home,” says Babin-Muise.
Whether you’d like to soften fine lines and wrinkles, reduce discolouration and dark spots or plump and tighten your complexion, here’s more on top tweakments, including pricing and upkeep.
For fine lines and wrinkles
A neuromodulator
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Also referred to as a neurotoxin, this class of injectable protein that includes the brand name Botox is derived from botulinum toxin type A and widely used as a targeted treatment on signs of aging.
“A neurotoxin temporarily relaxes targeted muscles to smooth fine lines and wrinkles,” explains Brandt. “It’s ideal for treating dynamic wrinkles, such as forehead lines, crow’s feet around the eyes and frown lines between the eyebrows.”
A neurotoxin can relax overactive jaw muscles to reduce TMJ pain and tension in the area. The result also has a slimming effect on the jawline. “It can really be transformative to somebody’s appearance,” says Babin-Muise, noting additional applications to the lower portion of the face include a reduction of chin dimpling, giving a downturned mouth a lift and softening the appearance of platysmal bands, the two vertical muscles of the neck that can become prominent with age.
Beyond aesthetic enhancement, a neurotoxin can be used to treat hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) of underarms, hands, feet or forehead.
Treatment and recovery time
An appointment may take 15 to 45 minutes, depending on treatment areas, with injections taking only a brief portion of that time. You may have temporary pinprick marks immediately afterward, but otherwise there is no recovery time and full results appear 10 to 14 days later.
Cost and maintenance
Priced per unit, a neuromodulator can range from approximately $10 to $15 per unit and total cost will depend on how many units are required to treat the area, which can vary by person. Crow’s feet, for example, may require 12 to 24 units. An extremely low price could be a red flag of a non-Health-Canada-approved formula in use, says Babin-Muise. “If it’s $6 a unit, or priced too good to be true, it probably is,” she says.
Expect results to last three to four months, with slight variances depending on the type of neurotoxin administered, the area being treated and your desired outcome. “A higher dose is generally going to last a bit longer, but everyone metabolizes it differently,” she says.
For tightening and plumping
Microneedling
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Microneedling uses a device that has tiny ultrafine needles on the tip to puncture the skin. “It creates controlled microinjuries and triggers the skin’s natural healing process, which stimulates collagen and elastin,” explains Babin-Muise, who practises microneedling combined with radio frequency for additional skin tightening. By prompting the production of the key components of firm, bouncy skin that naturally deplete with age, this tweakment can address skin laxity, fine lines and wrinkles, and acne scars.
Auguste considers microneedling a good starting point for anyone new to aesthetic procedures. “It’s a tried-and-true collagen-induction therapy that builds the scaffolding of the skin, and people get great results,” she says. It’s a go-to tweakment on Li’s list, too. “It’s not sexy or new, but it works great on improving skin texture and reducing the appearance of pores or even stretch marks,” she says.
Treatment and recovery time
The treatment takes 30 to 60 minutes. Recovery-wise, expect mild redness for 24 to 48 hours after a session.
Cost and maintenance
A single treatment can cost approximately $400 and vary depending on location. For most people the experts recommend three sessions of microneedling, typically done a month apart, but age and skin quality can be determining factors. “For those over 60, I generally recommend five treatments,” says Babin-Muise.
For dark spots and redness
IPL or laser
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IPL, which stands for intense pulsed light therapy, involves a hand-held device that emits flashes of broad-spectrum light into the skin to treat a range of pigmentation concerns, including melasma (large patches of discolouration), sun damage (small dark spots) and redness caused by rosacea. When the light energy is released into the skin, it gets converted into heat in the body and that breaks up the pigment. “After an IPL treatment that pigmentation is actually going to look darker, it’s like it’s been lifted up on the surface of the skin,” says Babin-Muise. “Then it peels and flakes off.”
When treating any type of pigmentation, skin tone is an important factor. While IPL is suitable for those with fair to medium complexions, it is not recommended for use on olive to darker skin tones owing to risk of superficial burning. Lasers, however, can help. Auguste recommends Aerolase, a versatile short pulse laser technology that was approved by Health Canada in 2022, effective and safe for all skin tones, and growing in availability. “The laser goes deeper into the skin, targeting melanin and hemoglobin to help with redness and brown pigment, but it can also tighten the skin, refine pores and can zap acne, too,” she says.
Treatment and recovery time
A treatment can take 30 to 60 minutes. Expect mild redness and swelling for a day or two afterward but otherwise there’s no downtime required. You can prepare to return to work and regular activities immediately as long as you avoid sun exposure and anything heat-related (workout, sauna, etc.) for 48 hours.
Cost and maintenance
Pricing for IPL and lasers can vary depending on location and area being treated, but can range from approximately $350 to $600 a treatment. For both therapies, a multi-treatment plan will yield the best results. Babin-Muise tends to see clients for two to four IPL treatments. “It depends on the amount of pigmentation. And honestly, some of the older pigmentation that people have does not respond,” she says. For lasers, the recommendation can range from four to six treatments.
