Beauty - Hair & Makeup
By Elisabeth Edvardsen on August 28th, 2012
Unless you’re getting married in your early twenties, chances are your face and skin will show a few signs that you’ve lived life when your wedding day comes around. Now there’s nothing wrong with that, but what if there’s something that could help reduce those fine lines and make you even more glowing…
After a hectic few weeks at Bridalwave Towers – probably the same levels as in the weeks before a wedding – my skin was definitely showing signs of city life and sitting in front of a computer all day. As if the little beauty angels were watching, an invite from Freedomhealth Skin to test out their microdermabrasion treatment landed in my inbox on the very same day I’d started trawling the interwebz for some TLC treatments. Yes please!
Freedomhealth is based on the well-known Harley Street in London and offers the latest in non-surgical cosmetic treatments for both men and women. Whether you’re after a chemical peel, botox or anti-ageing or skin rejuvenation treatments, you’ll find it here. And best of all, most of these are quick and can be fitted around busy lifestyles – or tight wedding planning schedules.
Lee Garrett
Arriving at Freedomhealth Skin I met with its Director – and my consultant – Lee Garrett, who has been dubbed the ‘Skin Guru’ by some of the world’s biggest names (I didn’t get any names even thought I did ask!). What I first noticed about Lee was his impeccable skin. Always a good sign when testing out a skin treatment! For new readers, I learnt the hard way to never trust a bald hairdresser last year…
Before the treatments could start, and after I had filled in the necessary papers, Lee went through my skin history, asking questions that would help him determine which areas of my face are particular troublesome. Luckily I’ve been blessed with fairly good skin (thanks to the Nordic diet and Arctic air when growing up perhaps??), so bar a few clogged pores (thanks London!) and some dry areas there wasn’t too much to pick up on. Phew!
Having been explained what Microdermabrasion would entail, I made myself comfy eagerly anticipated the results. Lee first removed all make-up (mineral if you’re wondering) before starting the first session: microdermabrasion; a fast, effective and non-evasive treatment that scrubs your skin, removing all dead skin cells and leaves you feeling clean and refreshed. The Derma Genisis machine uses a controlled flow of fine, medical grade crystals to exfoliate the skin, allowing for new, living skin cells to be revealed, and to help stimulate collagen production. Some people might feel a slight discomfort, but it feels like a tiny sand-blaster is moved across your face, removing all dirt and nastiness in its path.
This is followed by another treatment, DermaFrac, which uses a small roller with teeny needle like spikes that will enable a clarifying serum to be infused into the deeper tissue layers. For those with a fear of needles, these are optional but will ensure a much deeper treatment. This part of the treatment is said to give you a smoother, firmer and healthier looking skin.
The treatment ends with a refreshing face mask to calm the skin and reduce redness.
Example of possible result
Asking about how close to the wedding day one could have microdermabrasion done, Lee said that as late as the day before as it leaves very little redness, and it provides a great base for the make-up. For the best results you should have at least four to six sessions, but a one-time treatment to freshen up and get a healthy pre-wedding glow is not to be overlooked.
Before leaving the clinic, Lee gave me some ‘Urbane Renewal’ face serum and ‘Stop the Clock’ day cream from the PRESCRIBEDsolutions skincare range to make the effects of the treatment last further – and help me fight the nastiness in the London air as well as the sun. The serum I was given was a triple action anti-oxidant serum to help repair the DNA within the skin cells, while the day cream was for protection against the potential damaging rays from the sun. PRESCRIBEDsolutions is a customisable range based to fit your skin type in order to prepare, protect and repair to your individual needs.
Bracing myself to walk around central London without any make-up on, as you have to leave the skin to calm down and the pores to get back to normal, I left the clinic feeling unbelievably fresh-faced – yet hoping I wouldn’t run into someone I know. I didn’t, but I did walk past Jamie Hince. I wonder if his missus Kate Moss is one of Lee’s clients…
Where: Freedomhealth, 60 Harley Street London, W1G 7HA / 020 3642 7842.
Cost: £115 per session. 4 to 6 sessions are advised for a dramatic difference.
I am very happy with the results of my first microdermabrasion experience. Are you considering having non-surgical skincare treatments done before your wedding?
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