Behind every public figure's appearance lies a personal care regimen. This series examines the diets, exercise routines, procedures and beauty and fashion choices of notable figures as practical lifestyle information.
Actor Eom Ji-won, 48, has shared the skin care routine she has followed for more than a decade, saying she prefers treatments that target the eye area and jawline while allowing her to return to daily life with minimal recovery time.
Eom recently visited the dermatology clinic she has been going to for years, documenting the trip on her YouTube channel. "I generally prefer treatments with no downtime," she said. "There are moments while filming when I think, 'I've aged.' That's when I come in."
On how often she goes, she said she visits every two to three weeks during intensive care periods and has continued going to the same clinic through three different locations.
The treatments she said she receives consistently are eye-area lifting and scalp fascia release to improve her facial contour. "The area around my eyes is weak, so I get eye lifting and a treatment that loosens the fascia around my head," she said.
After the session, she expressed satisfaction with the changes to her eye shape and jawline. "It tightens the line a little," she said of the effect.
The skin around the eyes is among the thinnest on the face and is subject to constant movement — blinking and smiling repeatedly engage the surrounding muscles. As collagen and elastic fibers diminish with age, fine lines and sagging can become more pronounced.
The eyelid area in particular changes in appearance depending on skin thickness, fat distribution and the condition of the muscles that open the eye. When upper eyelid skin descends, the eyes can look heavy or tired.
Non-surgical lifting treatments for the eye area typically use energy-based technologies such as radiofrequency and ultrasound. These deliver thermal energy to the skin and underlying tissue to stimulate collagen remodeling and improve elasticity.
Radiofrequency works by transmitting heat to tissue to induce collagen contraction and regeneration. Focused ultrasound concentrates ultrasonic energy at a specific depth to generate heat within the tissue.
Both approaches are characterized by minimal surface damage and short recovery periods, and are used to address skin laxity, fine lines and mild sagging.
Radiofrequency and ultrasound lifting may produce a temporary sense of improved firmness immediately after a session, but collagen remodeling takes time. Changes generally appear over a period of weeks to months.
In cases of significant sagging or major structural changes to the eyelid, non-surgical lifting alone may not deliver sufficient improvement.
Because the eye area is close to the eyeball, careful attention to treatment zones and energy levels is essential. Depending on the device used, protective eyewear may be required, and the decision to proceed should take into account eyelid thickness and skin condition.
The other treatment Eom described is scalp fascia release lifting. The scalp is not simply skin from which hair grows — beneath it lie layers of connective tissue, fascia and muscle. The muscles at the front and back of the head are connected by a broad tendinous structure.
The key structure is the galea aponeurotica, a wide tendinous sheet that links the frontalis muscle at the front with the occipitalis at the back and is involved in moving the forehead and eyebrows.
The muscles around the forehead and scalp work together during facial expressions. The frontalis in particular raises the eyebrows and therefore influences the appearance of the eye area.
Massaging the scalp or relaxing the muscles around it can temporarily ease muscle tension and reduce stiffness.
However, it has not been sufficiently demonstrated that releasing the scalp fascia alone can produce long-term lifting of sagging facial skin or restore stretched tissue to its original state.
Changes to facial contour involve multiple structures — skin elasticity, subcutaneous fat, and the ligaments and muscles that support the face. With age, collagen in the skin decreases and the distribution of fat and soft tissue shifts.
When tissue around the lower cheeks and jaw sags, the jawline can appear less defined. In cases of reduced skin elasticity, energy-based treatments that directly target skin tissue — such as ultrasound or radiofrequency — may be used.
Even when scalp care and skin lifting are combined, the purpose and target area of each should be understood separately. The temporary muscle relaxation from massage and the elasticity improvement from energy-based treatments work through different mechanisms.
Eom said she prefers treatments with shorter recovery periods. Downtime refers to the time needed after a procedure for the skin to heal before resuming normal activities. Non-invasive treatments that do not wound the skin surface generally require little recovery time.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), ultrasound and radiofrequency lifting treatments that do not damage the skin surface often require little to no dedicated recovery period before patients can return to daily activities.
Temporary redness or swelling may occur immediately after a session. Pain or a sensation of heat can also arise depending on the device used, the energy level applied and the individual's skin condition.
By contrast, some ablative laser treatments that remove the skin surface may require several days or more to heal. Even for the same lifting purpose, the degree of skin damage and recovery time can vary significantly depending on the method used.
Treatment intervals also matter. Eom said she visits every two to three weeks during intensive periods, but not all lifting treatments are repeated on the same schedule.
For radiofrequency and ultrasound lifting, treatment intervals are set with the ongoing collagen remodeling process in mind. Depending on skin condition and device type, intervals of several months or more may be recommended.
Using excessively high energy levels or repeating treatments without adequate intervals can cause skin irritation and side effects. Burns, pigmentation changes and damage to fatty tissue have been reported with some energy-based procedures.
Routine skin care should accompany any treatment program. UV exposure is a primary driver of collagen and elastic fiber breakdown, leading to wrinkles and loss of firmness.
The AAD recommends sun protection and moisturizing as the foundation of any anti-aging skin care routine, advising the use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher when going outdoors.
Lifting treatments are one option for addressing skin sagging and loss of elasticity. Their effectiveness and how long results last depend on skin thickness, the degree of aging, the treatment area and the device used. Rather than simply increasing the number of sessions, choosing the right method and interval for one's skin condition — alongside consistent sun protection and moisturizing — is what matters most.
rainbow@heraldcorp.com
