I was just tweaking my closet to flatter my new “curves,” when I began to fixate on changes in my face. More specifically, a bit of drooping in my chin that whispers “jowls.” Ugh!

I had made a deal with myself not to do-whatever-you-need-to-do to hang onto the appearance of youth. I wanted to show my daughters that aging is a natural part of living and something to embrace rather than dread. I needed to believe that too, but as the texture and contour of my face started shifting, I began to doubt my commitment. I was willing to try almost anything shy of getting cut up or being injected with poison. At least not now. On the recommendation of a Facebook friend, I put my trust and face into the expert hands of Madame Camille Obadia, who had just opened Beauté Oblige, a branch of her Paris beauty clinic, on Madison Avenue.

After all, Frenchwomen are raised from the time they are very young to think of skincare as a form of prevention. According to a recent survey, 33 percent of teenage girls in France already use anti-aging lotions and wrinkle creams.

Madame Camille is a petite woman d’un certain âge, with porcelain skin that, blissfully, is not an airbrushed version of her former self. She chirps away enthusiastically in her melodious accent, imparting a lifetime of knowledge about custom tailoring ways to improve the quality of your particular skin. Her holistic recommendations are sensible—a blend of science, aesthetics, and lifestyle considerations. And while her skin products are pleasing, it’s the two machines employed in her so-called “RF Sculpting” treatments that provided the elixir I was looking for.

Camille employs a state-of-the-art machine used for radio frequency treatments that stimulate collagen—the beneficent protein that plumps up our skin and gives it elasticity and a youthful glow. As we age, our collagen diminishes, which causes dryness, wrinkles, and sagging skin. The treatment is administered with a wand-like instrument that deploys three currents in what feels like a warming facial massage while penetrating 2 centimeters (about ¾ of an inch) below the skin surface, stimulating collagen without disturbing the outer layer.

I didn’t notice visible results in a mirror after one session, but I immediately felt  the incredible softness of my face.

The second technique in Camille’s procedure is an electro-therapy treatment that strengthens and tightens muscles. I tried this restorative within a week after my first treatment. My face, chin, and neck were attached to another machine with multi-flex currents by electrode pads that look like those used for cardio checks. A multi-flex machine can vary the intensity of the current for working on different layers of the skin. There is one current for moving and toning the muscles and another that can stimulate the collagen production. As these currents stimulate your neck and facial muscles, you feel a slight tingle. But it is not uncomfortable and definitely worth the results.

I was thrilled! To my eye, my jowls were diminished considerably. In fact, my entire face got a lift. How long it lasted I cannot tell you, but a week later I received flattering comments about my appearance from a younger man I knew well enough to realize that he was being objective and not just complimentary.

Each machine is designed to maximize both safety and efficacy. The ideal treatment, Madame Camille maintains, is to have both treatments within a week: radio-frequency technology to stimulate collagen and electro-therapy to strengthen muscles. This will provide the one-two punch that provides immediate visible and longer lasting results, without any down time, since the surface of the skin is never disturbed.

My own game plan is to have the facial sculpting before special occasions and the collagen treatment on occasion to help my skin appear fresh and feel soft.

Like many Frenchwoman, I am not aiming to hang on to youth, but to do the best I can to look refreshed and natural as I do age. Vivre la Beauté!