Facelift without surgery

"We owe it to the public to look good."

Others call it vanity, but to Lorna Tolentino, looking good is an important requirement especially for a job that entails being in the limelight and going under the glare of the klieg lights. For 33 illustrious years in showbiz, she has captivated audiences not just with her acting prowess, but with her charm and beauty, as well.

Lorna, who is fondly called LT in the showbiz circle, undoubtedly remains one of the prettiest faces in tinseltown to date. At 43, she is among the few showbiz women who are not embarrassed to admit her real age. Yet, she shows no signs of aging – no sagging skin or wrinkle.

Admittedly, Lorna previously underwent skin treatments like Obagi oxygen facial and IPL (Intense Pulse Light). But the actress exudes a much younger and different glow these days. She does not hide it, though. She readily tells anyone who compliments her that she recently had thermage, the advanced, non-surgical procedure that can be used to tighten the skin on face or body.

"It’s a facelift without surgery," says Lorna of thermage. "I’ve heard about thermage even before. Then I asked Dr. Vicki Belo about it. Wearing makeup everyday for several hours is really punishing for the skin. For stars like us, there’s a pressure to always look good. I’m glad there are new ways and techniques, like thermage, to make you look good. When I turn 50, I still see myself flawless, although may wrinkles na siguro ako by that time."

Lorna is also the image model of Forever Flawless, the steadily growing chain of skin clinics for average income earners, with branches at SM Megamall, SM Northmall, SM Bicutan, Dasmariñas (Cavite) and Fairview.

The Belo Medical Group is the first clinic in the country to acquire the much raved-about machine for thermage. The clinic also boasts introducing other now-popular treatments like mesotherapy, Botox, Aptos Thread, IPL and lipo-lite.

"I always want to be the first," asserts dermatologist and liposuction expert Dr. Vicki Belo. "That’s my obsession. It’s ethical to be the best, but I also want to be the first."

Thermage was even endorsed by American TV host Oprah Winfrey in her widely followed TV show in the US. "Thermage is the latest breakthrough technique for achieving non-surgical skin tightening," informs Vicki. "Thermage is proven to show dramatic and satisfactory results with minimal discomfort. Patients who long to soften the effect of time on their faces can now turn to thermage."

Vicki further explains that thermage’s patented capacitive radio frequency devise helps achieve the desired effect on and under the skin surface. And because thermage bypasses the surface skin, targeting deeper layers and stimulating the growth of new collagen fibers over time, the procedure requires no incisions and no recovery time. The treatment has been carefully tracked down in hundreds of patients, with absolutely no reports of serious adverse effects or minor skin damage.

"It’s perfect for those who want to sneak away for a quick rejuvenating launch," Vicki says. "Thermage is great for the skin so that usually, only one session is required. If you need more tightening, another session can be done in six months. There’s no bruising, bleeding or cutting. It’s extremely safe. You’ll have tighter skin in less than an hour."

In the case of Lorna, however, two sessions had to be scheduled because of her tight schedule. But the actress cannot so pleased with the results that she would recommend it even to her hubby, Rudy Fernandez. Lorna attests that the treatment doesn’t hurt and is tolerable even without anesthesia. "After only one hour, you’ll see the difference right away," Lorna beams. "My face took on a smaller shape."

Aside from taking care of her face, Lorna also makes an effort to take care of her body. She does not have the luxury of time to work out in the gym, but she gets to play badminton regularly with Rudy, as well as with her fellow showbiz friends Phillip Salvador, Jinggoy and Precy Ejercito, Tirso and Lyn Cruz, Bong Revilla and Lani Mercado.

Lorna is also into the South Beach Diet, which encourages healthy eating habits to shed off extra pounds. "After going on South Beach, I became more conscious on my food intake," Lorna says. "Now, I don’t eat pork, but fish, vegetables and wheat bread. I also avoid rice as much as I can."

Thermage employs a cryogenic treatment to numb the skin and radio frequency current is used on the procedure, according to Vicki. The said treatment is totally different from IPL (Intense Pulse Light) and Aptos Thread method. "IPL gets rid of blotchy pigmentation and is only for the surface," Vicki clarifies. "As we grow older, our skin loosens, so Aptos Thread lifts the skin. But thermage gets into the deeper layer of the skin – from the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous fat – and reduces signs of aging."

Thermage was recently done, too, on Edu Manzano and Albert Martinez. The treatment is good for six months to one year and costs P105,000 per session. In the US, a thermage session can cost as much as $3,000.

(For inquiries about thermage, please call the Belo Medical Group’s help desk at 844-2939 or send e-mail at [email protected].)