I Tried the Viral Wrinkle-Preventing ‘FaceLift’ Patches—Here Are My Honest Thoughts
I have hooded lids that I know will get lower as I get older, which means even in my mid-20s I'm already hyperaware of my forehead and eye area. My mom, who shares this trait, feels like her lids have gotten so low that she can't play with eye makeup in the same way she used to... something the beauty editor in me would like to avoid at all costs.
Although I know the aging process is inevitable (and is certainly a whole lot better than the alternative!), I want to put its visible signs on hold for as long as possible, which means prevention in my most vulnerable areas is top of mind when I'm putting together a skin-care routine.
- Dendy Engelman, MD, FACMS, FAAD, board-certified dermatologic surgeon at Shafer Clinic Fifth Avenue in New York City
I've noticed my lids are less hooded when I lift my brows, so I decided to try out the SiO Browlift ($30) patch to see if I could fake a brow lift at home.
How FaceLift patches work
Unless you sleep perfectly still on your back all night, you're likely smashing your face into your arm or your pillow. This creates folds and lines that break down collagen and elastin fibers in the skin and can cause wrinkles over time. The SiO patches—which come in a few different forms to use on different spots on your body, including your chest, forehead, eyes, and lips—keep your skin taut and in place so you can't beat it up in your sleep. Holding the skin and its underlying muscles in place to smooth or prevent dynamic wrinkles (those caused by movement) is also how neuromodulators like Botox work.
"Botox works by preventing dynamic wrinkles by temporarily weakening the underlying muscle," Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified dermatologic surgeon in New York City, previously told Well+Good. "With Botox treatment, the muscle contraction is weakened and the overlying dynamic wrinkle is lessened. And with early and effective treatment, it can not only reduce the dynamic lines with movement but soften or eliminate static lines as well." These patches won't deliver the same long-term muscle-freezing powers as Botox, but they will allow you to benefit from a similar but temporary stillness.
The patches are made from medical-grade silicone, so in addition to keeping your muscles in place, they also help to prevent transepidermal water loss. Translation: they keep your skin from losing its natural moisture. When your complexion is plump and hydrated, fine lines and wrinkles are less noticeable. Each patch works for up to ten uses, so you can keep reusing them to see increasing results over time.
See them in action here:
@hannahwiththelipstick #ad Preventative skincare tip using my @siobeauty silicone patches! #ad #siobeauty #over30skincare #matureskincare #botoxalternative ♬ original sound - Hannah With The Lipstick
What it's like using the SiO Browlift Patch
Following the directions on the pack, I washed my face, dried it completely, and then applied my patch without applying any skin-care products. I immediately noticed that I couldn't really move my forehead—which wasn't uncomfortable, just a bit odd. I quickly forgot the patch was even there.
I was admittedly a bit worried that using the patches meant that I had to skip my standard skin-care routine. My skin is dry, and unless it gets a good dose of moisture it starts to feel immediately tight and thirsty within minutes of cleansing. To my surprise, though, thanks to the patch's moisture-sealing abilities, when I woke up the next morning my skin didn't feel as dry and reptilian as I'd expected. Even so, my serums and I are in a committed relationship, which means the patches aren't something I'd want to use every night. That way, I can alternate them with my usual retinol, creams, and oils to get the best of both worlds.
After sleeping in the SiO patches, my skin didn't look any different than it had the night before, which was to be expected. Though these patches promise to show an immediate difference, that's only if you have dynamic lines you're looking to smooth. I'll keep playing with them and using them before events and nights out for a quick smoothing treatment. For me, using these patches is more of a plumping, preventative step that I am more than happy to keep up with.
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