Is there really such a thing as an anti-ageing treatment?

Just before I flew out to Dubai at the end of April I had an invitation from a friend to have my skin ironed out. Can you believe that? Ironing out the skin. Who wouldn’t want to have their wrinkles smoothed away like the creases in a shirt?

I was curious, but sceptical as I am with most things cosmetic. My friend insisted that the new anti-aging technology she was taking me to experience would be essential when I made the occasional public speaking appearance. Okay, I thought, there’s nothing to lose. I’m always living in hope of a miracle, although I know nothing will get rid of the genetically designed lines I share with my mother and sister, or the fine scar between my brows, the result of a skiing accident and another from a fall while dancing during a drunken orgy that was a friend’s birthday. Except of course going under the knife. And that will never be an option for me. Perhaps some of the lines created by my excessively animated facial expressions might respond to some ironing out. Rather that, than a syringe full of toxins pumped into my face resulting in a mask effect. Fancy not be able to show your feelings on your face. Yes I know there are hundreds of thousands out there, mainly young women, who swear by botox injections and collagen fillers.

Perhaps this new little hand-held wonder device/machine, the size of a mobile phone, my friend called a ‘galvanic spa’ and the various phials of ageLoc facial gels might help minimise the years of sun damage and some of the evidence of my life’s experiences.

Have any of you found that, like me, one side of your face is worse than the other? With me it’s the right side, the side exposed to the sun when driving, the side I sleep on.

When I arrived at the venue where I was assured I’d see the difference demonstrated before my eyes after only a ten-minute treatment, I was confronted with a network of overly-excited people. Oh, here we go again, I thought. I’m always a little suspicious when people are too enthusiastic.

The image they use as a promotion gets me in. Oh, if only.

Anxious to confirm her claims, my friend sat me down and organised a galvanic spa treatment on one side of my face only so that I’d be able to see the difference when it was finished. ‘Which side?’ she asked. I chose the left side, not wanting to disappoint her if my right side did not show a demonstrable difference, as I suspected might be the case. After ten minutes, I must say the results were impressive, even if on my good side, but I was not prepared for the intense scrutiny I received as people came up and touched my skin, asked me to move my head around in the light, took close-ups on cameras, and I mean close-ups, the cameras almost against my cheek. I was a hit.

But it was only half a face and the question was, would it last?

The day before I flew out, my friend gave me a full-face treatment and I must admit I glowed. She also suggested that I take a spa with me to Dubai where the excessive heat and air conditioning, plus the dehydration of the plane trip, would wreak havoc with my skin.

Just another thing to fit in my suitcase. Something had to go: hair dryer and hair products. Just as well I look good in scarves.

I’ll keep you up to date on this anti-ageing treatment in later blogs.