Have you ever wanted to slow down the signs of ageing or maintain your appearance. HELEN ROBERTS talks to Pat Bees about her own attempts.

PAT BEES, senior controller on the South Wales Golfer magazine, is approaching a milestone birthday and wanted to help her appearance.

She said: "It is my 60th birthday coming up and I always said when I got to that age I would go down fighting."

Mrs Bees went for treatment at the AMA, Advanced Medical Aesthetics, clinic in Caerleon.

She had filling treatment on the lines above her lips to change their appearance.

The overall effect is for the look not to be obvious but to make a subtle difference to the appearance.

"I wanted to have it done. I look after my appearance and I think when women get older the thing that shows more than anything is lines on the face."

The lip filler process took 20 minutes and the effects can last up to six months.

Dr John Diggle, a doctor for 25 years, performed the treatment.

He firstly gave Pat a dental block to block out much of the pain.

Then he started to fill in the little creases around the lip area. He would then massage it in and even it out along the lip to form a superficial fill.

He said after the process there could be swelling for up to 48 hours but said it usually goes down very quickly and they would then review the treatment within a couple of weeks.

Mrs Bees, from Chepstow Road, said that although she felt lucky with her complexion and took care of herself by eating healthy food, drinking plenty of water and stopping smoking 12 years ago, she felt she was beginning to notice the lines more and more.

She said she was very pleased with the outcome.

She said: "I am really pleased and everyone I spoke to said they noticed.

"I had a dental block but I didn't think it was that painful, it wasn't pleasant but I didn't think it hurt that much, the most painful bit was when he had to manipulate it.

"I wouldn't hesitate in having it done again and I will keep having it done.

"I am pleased and I think it does make a difference and I am waiting to go back for laser on the lines around my eyes and sun damage on my skin."

* The cost of the filler treatment at AMA, Caerleon for one syringe treatment is £300 and for a second syringe is £250.