Young women today have it tough when it comes to looking good. A girl can barely tiptoe into TikTok without being slapped with advice about fillers and micro-needling, serums, face masks, acne cream and glass skin.
If you believe the skinfluencers, cleansing your face once is no longer enough. You are not done until you have double-cleansed, which is just step one of a “basic” 10-step skincare routine. But rewind a few decades: In the 1990s, beauty writers counselled a skincare ritual of only three steps — cleanse, tone and moisturise. Serums had not even entered the chat yet.
Yes, I know. We may as well have lived in the Mesozoic Era since the world had not yet discovered lasers, ultrasound lifts and fillers. Imagine not a single forehead frozen by a toxin named botulism. The horror!
In the Instagram era, the pressure to conform to certain beauty standards affects everyone, not just young women. We must defy the assaults of time long before time can hone its cruel sword. While a good (and simple) skincare regime is evergreen, I recently discovered that giving it a boost with “Step Zero” can be a real game changer.
So, what is Step Zero? It is an injectable Skin Revival Treatment from Merz Aesthetics that, for the first time, delivers hyaluronic acid and glycerol in tandem to improve skin hydration, elasticity, firmness and texture.
Recommended once every six to nine months, this dual-acting skin revival treatment is a prelude to the basic skincare regimen. It gives our complexions a leg up by delivering the precious moisture the skin needs to delay ageing and remain youthful.
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Having experienced other injectable hyaluronic acids and fillers, my main concern was that they would give my skin an overly plump look. Dr Emma Xu at The Urban Clinic reassured me this would not be the case, adding that it will smoothen my skin and fine superficial lines, giving it better texture, more even tone and improved firmness — all visible qualities of healthy skin. Its targeted approach also means you can simplify your skincare routine, using fewer steps but experiencing better results.
Skin revival
After allowing the numbing cream to take effect, Dr Xu began mapping my skin, marking the points where the injections would be delivered. This technique allows for accurate product distribution across multiple layers of skin, delivering a more personalised skin quality treatment depending on your skin type, condition and needs. The targets were the larger pores around my t-zone and the fine lines radiating outwards from my eyes.
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It felt like Dr Xu made about 50 pinpricks across my face (in reality, it was more like 40). With each injection, her nurse placed a vibrating device beside the area to distract my brain from the pinpricks of pain.
The process took about five minutes and the pain level was about five out of 10. It felt like fierce ant bites across my skin and for the rest of the day, I looked like angry mosquitos had bitten me. The bumps subsided overnight, with a few gentle bruises easily concealed by a slick of foundation. The bumps took about three days to subside completely.
Dr Xu says the full effects can take a month or two to show, though individual results may vary. The Skin Revival Treatment, she adds, is particularly suited to younger skin whose troubles are only skin deep. Older skin like mine requires more muscle-smoothing treatments to lift and tighten.
Still, when I return for my follow-up consultation a month later, the before-and-after pictures are startlingly different. My complexion is brighter and even-toned, and my pores and skin are subtly tighter.
While I will never give up my four-step routine — cleanse, tone, serum, moisturise — I might have to factor in a regular dose of Step Zero.
