I haven’t reviewed a facial on my blog before because, on the whole, I think they can be a waste of time and
money. I concede that they can be relaxing and being pampered is always nice but I’ve got a very results driven attitude towards skin and I don’t think standard facials do very much to help improve the condition of the skin and sometimes they can make it worse. The exception to this is the advanced facials that are precisely tailored to give obvious results using a range of high tech equipment. I only know of a handful of places that provide this kind of treatment and the Teresa Tarmey Clinic is up there at the top of the list.

I saw Philippa at the clinic for the Advanced TT Facial and I thought it was truly incredible. It started with a deep cleanse with steam while Philippa assessed my skin and we discussed what I’d like to achieve. My main aims were tackling some little veins on my chin and around my nose and then improving and maintaining the tone and texture of my skin. It was decided that I’d be treated with a combination of two different lasers but first Philippa performed some extractions. This is something I’m usually very wary about as it could result in scarring if done by the wrong person. However, Philippa is so skilled that afterwards I couldn’t even tell the exact sites where she’d squeezed.

The latest lasers play a big part in treatments at the Teresa Tarmey Clinic and is one of the reasons why their facials are so special. Also, with the Advanced TT Facial you’re not just limited to one laser so each part of your face is getting exactly what it needs. I’ve wanted to have some IPL for sometime just on my red veins but not all over my face as though it can boost collagen production it’s actually quite painful and I didn’t think I could tolerate it even for 15/20mins.  However, most places will only book you in for a specific IPL treatment which, as well as being too painful, can be quite expensive. Therefore, to have a few minutes of IPL as part of a larger facial makes so much sense.

I then had the Clear Lift laser on the areas that weren’t treated by IPL. Clear Lift is something I was particularly interested in trying as there’s quite a buzz about it at the moment. It’s been clinically proven to be safe and effective at improving the appearance of the skin by inducing collagen production. It’s a ‘non-ablative’ laser which means it causes no injury to the epidermis so there’s no downtime. This is why it’s become known as the lunch hour facelift.

The only slightly disconcerting thing about the Clear Lift treatment is that there’s a kind of popping sound as the treatment head is passed over your face. I did feel something while having it done but it wasn’t painful at all. As we age the rate at which we produce new collagen decreases dramatically so Clear Lift is a great way to help reverse this decline. It’s a treatment I definitely intend to continue having either on its own or as part of the Advanced Facial.

Next on the agenda was a bespoke massage followed by a mask peel and things ended with a stint under the Dermalux LED Light. Depending on the setting, this can address many different concerns from treating eczema and acne to reversing sun damage. It’s best to have the light quite close to the face and initially I found it almost uncomfortably bright but I did get used to it quickly. Philippa’s calm and reassuring presence definitely helped with this.

I was very lucky to have my facial extended as the person after me cancelled but the aim with the Advanced TT Facial generally is to fit in as much as possible. My face was flushed immediately afterwards but it calmed down a lot within the next hour. Since then I’ve been reaping the benefits with skin that’s firmer, more even-toned and glowy. The results from the Clear Lift take about 6 weeks to show so I haven’t even had those yet.

I’m so cynical and hard-to-please when it comes to treatments but I’m completely convinced by the benefits of these advanced facials and I’ll definitely be going back for more.

The Advanced TT Facial is £200 with Philippa or £280 with Teresa. The Teresa Tarmey Clinic is in Notting Hill and can be reached on 0207 243 3247.

Immediately after the facial.

They stock the best skincare products at the Teresa Tarmey Clinic from brands like Neostra and Heliocare.

The clinic is beautifully fitted out and the interior styling could be straight out of the pages of Elle Decoration.