What: Scarlet skin treatment
Where: Obagi Medispa
When: Obagi Medispa is open from 9am until 8pm daily. Scarlet treatments must be booked in advance.
The promise: “Obagi Medispa’s new treatment is the closest thing possible to the imaginary Fountain of Youth. This exceptional skin treatment utilises radio frequency energy to reduce saggy skin, wrinkles, large pores and acne scars.”
Did it deliver? Obagi Medispa is very much how Team TMN imagine a posh doctor’s surgery 500 years in the future will look. Occupying a palatial villa located in Jumeirah, the Medispa is understatedly luxurious; immaculate, open, bright and airy with a pool in the yard and valet parking upon arrival. As we entered the villa, Team TMN were approached to fill in forms about our general health and directed towards a large waiting area with gender-specific waiting areas, before we were taken to Dr. Inas’ office.
Dr. Inas was a lovely, incredibly knowledgeable and attentive doctor, who asked further questions about our skin and medical history – specifically whether we had previously had any kind of procedures done to our faces – before thoroughly explaining the Scarlet facial treatment and all processes involved. Scarlet, we were told, is not a facial; it is a rejuvenation treatment that works by developing collagen cells in the skin. Dr. Inas then proceeded to examine our faces for target areas before cleansing and applying a numbing cream which felt slightly bizarre but was, we soon discovered, highly necessary.
We won’t lie at this point; the treatment was not exactly soothing. One member of TMN described it as an ‘almost-tattoo of the face’ as we were zapped with an electronic pen to stimulate collagen production. Thankfully, Dr. Inas didn’t use the pen – something that looked a little bit like a weapon in a low-budget sci-fi film – on any sensitive areas, although it did cause some areas (foreheads in particular) to become more sensitive than they were before. Having said that, we imagine that the sensations caused by the Scarlet treatment were only a fraction as painful as having actual surgery, which would also be a lot more invasive than, and the whole procedure only took around 30 minutes. Once the treatment was done, we chatted to Dr. Inas for a while longer as she explained any after-effects of the treatment and told us that we weren’t to clean the skin, apply makeup, or do anything to make us sweat for six hours. Leaving the clinic, we could feel our skin pleasantly tighten, almost as though it had been really, really thoroughly cleansed and washed.
The verdict: The effects of the Scarlet skin treatment were immediately visible – jawlines looked more pronounced, skin looked and felt tighter and almost thinner. The treatment also felt much more natural then alternative versions; perhaps because of its non-invasive nature or perhaps because it is recommended that Scarlet is carried out over a number of sessions to provide optimum results. At between AED 2500 and AED 4000 a session, Scarlett isn’t a cheap treatment but it does compare favourably to surgery and offers similar, youthful results. Overall, it’s a treatment that Team TMN would definitely recommend for those looking for a younger, more radiant complexion, without wanting to go under the knife.
