TAMZIN Outhwaite says her self esteem has soared thanks to a new non-surgical face lift as she plunges into online dating.

Former EastEnders actress Tamzin, 55, is thrilled with her stunning new look after admitting that ‘sagging and dropping’ on her face and neck was making her miserable.

Unveiling the results, which have helped regain her lost confidence, the TV star said: “I feel younger when I look in the mirror.

“When I looked in the mirror before I just could see that my face just never looked as good as it used to.

“At my age I know it’s hard to avoid this but I’d really started to notice the difference and it was getting me down a bit.

“I’d also lost some weight and my face looked like it was sagging and dropping, so I decided to do some research on what could be done to improve things.”

For the past 12 months Tamzin has been having NeoGen, the same rejuvenating treatments Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas had in 2024.

Like Shirley, Tamzin wanted to shave years off her appearance – without the risk of plastic surgery.

“I definitely didn’t want to go under the knife,” added Tamzin.

“I didn’t want any form of face-lift, and I’m extremely wary of having injectables because I’m an actor and I need to have an expressive face.

“It’s essential for me to have a natural look, not a frozen face, but I was still keen to find out alternative ways to improve my appearance and a friend advised me to give NeoGen a try.

“After doing a bit of research, I could see that Shirley Ballas had got an amazing result with these treatments and now looks about 10 years younger, so I thought I’d give it a go.”

One of Britain’s most recognisable television stars, Tamzin has been a constant presence on our screens for almost three decades but in September 2024 she split from her toyboy Tom Child after six years together.

She has been single ever since, although admitted recently that she has signed herself up to dating apps.

The actress, who is mum to two teenage daughters Marnie and Florence, then met Tom Child at a yoga class and the pair started dating despite an age gap of more than 20 years.

Tamzin initially signed up to have three monthly NeoGen nitrogen plasma sessions at Dr Maryam McMillan’s Ambra Clinic in Finchley, near her north London home, but ended up having £5000 worth of treatments over the past year.

I feel younger when I look in the mirror

Tamzin Outhwaite

It is a non-invasive procedure that uses super-heated nitrogen gas to stimulate skin rejuvenation.

It creates a controlled heating which tricks the skin into creating large amounts of collagen and elastin, proteins found in the body which give skin its youthful appearance.

Dr McMillan explained: “NeoGen was a good fit for Tamzin because her busy work schedule means she can’t afford to have any down-time.

“She would often have filming and auditions which required her to look presentable just 24 hours after a treatment, and that is perfectly possible with NeoGen and so we managed to work around her many acting commitments.”

NeoGen treatments are relatively pain-free but at each session Dr McMillan would apply a numbing cream for 40 minutes prior to the procedure so that there was no discomfort.

The NeoGen treatment itself would take around 30 minutes, and would cover Tamzin’s neck, the top of her chest, and her whole face including around the sensitive eye area.

Following each session, soothing Allskin Med Growth Factor serum was applied on Tamzin’s skin and she was given Ameri-Vita Liver Support drinks which also promote anti-ageing effects.

Tamzin, who landed the role of Mel in EastEnders back in 1998, and went on to star in New Tricks and Hotel Babylon, says the enthusiastic feedback from friends has been overwhelmingly positive.

“The main thing I’ve noticed is that people I haven’t seen for ages always say to me, ‘Your skin looks amazing’ and that’s kind of enough for me,” said Tamzin.

“Friends started to notice as well, and unprompted would say things like, ‘I don’t know what you’re doing to your skin, but whatever it is, keep doing it!’

“Dr McMillan would focus on areas that I specifically wanted to improve, like the slight drooping of the skin on the jawline, the lines above my top lip and around the eyes, and also areas for redness and enlarged pores.

I’m so much more confident about my appearance

Tamzin Outhwaite

“Those areas would get two or more passes of the device to get more energy into the skin to help promote even more healing.

“After the first three treatments I could really see a major improvement, the general texture of the skin was improved, and where it had looked a bit dull and lifeless before it was now really radiant and more dewy.

As a result of the initial success of her early sessions at the clinic, Tamzin extended the treatment program and in total she had eight low energy treatments over the space of a year, at a total cost of £4,950.

She added: “I could have probably got the same result with six monthly treatments but due to work commitments I had to take quite a few breaks over a year, so I decided to have a few extra treatments.

“From now on I will look to have a top up treatment every three to four months for maintenance.

“I’m so happy with the results, and so much more confident about my appearance.

“The most striking change is that it’s tighter, my jawline and cheeks were getting a bit saggy before, but they aren’t any more. The general skin quality is improved as well, my pores are definitely smaller, my complexion is smoother and more uniform in tone.

“Previously there were red patches caused by broken blood vessels, they’ve also gone.”

And, like Shirley, Tamzin is also a firm believer in the health benefits of submerging herself in icy cold water on a regular basis too.

She was converted to cold water swimming after starring in the BBC show Freeze The Fear in 2022.

She said: “Some people see cold water as torture, but it’s therapy to deal with the rest of the world.

“The cold makes you feel like you can tackle a lot of other things.

“You’re able to handle things differently. All those things that used to bother you, like sitting in traffic or wearing something itchy, pass.

“It reframes things, and your mindset.

“We have learned to catastrophise every feeling we have, when really the bottom line is, you are alright.”