HEALTH & BEAUTY
Originally published on Thursday, 12 November 2009
Pin Up
A Google search brings up everything from 10 Years Younger guest appearances to expert opinions shared with The Times’ Simon Crompton – and the man himself, John Tsgaris of ENERGY BODIES , is undeniably one of London’s busiest beauty practitioners.
I’m sweaty-palmed and quaking, but John’s a soothing sort of soul with kind eyes and a soft voice, and he listens attentively as I list my various bodily bugbears. By the time I’m flat out on a hospital-y bed, every pore panicking, I decide that I’m going to take it like a woman and grin and bare it as the first, then second, third, and fourth needles slide into my feet and calves, a few key spots on wrists and arms, and then, the hard bit, my city-crazed complexion which is on the day scarred from pimples past, and threatening ghosts of the future too.
The face bit begins with a thorough feel – he closes his eyes and runs his hands all over, examining things beneath the surface – part mystical healer, and part sensible practitioner. He notes that my exfoliant is not doing me any favours (I swap to another on his recommendation and see big improvements), and then he goes in for the heal. I lose count of how many needles slide into my skin – around 70 I think – and some really do hurt, particularly when pressed through old scar tissue. I yelp twice, thrice, but it’s not as ghastly as I expected.
As the needles come out several minutes later there’s a horrible plunger-style pop – where the skin has already started to heal itself around the base of the fine spine, and my face feels extraordinarily strange – a bit tingly and tighter. Things do not look good straight away – far from it in fact – but the following morning, wouldn’t you know it, ancient dark spots, scars, and pigmentation patches have all started to fade; a threatening bump mid-forehead has been pinned into oblivion and everything else just looks rosier, smoother, calmer.
I’ve had some of the finest facials in the world so did not expect to see so much from a single sticking (or a session that involves a perfunctory cleansing wipe-down – a pet peeve!), but it just goes to show – beauty can still be found in the most unusual, and alternative, places. Amen.
INFO
Beauty Facial Acupuncture treatment is £200 for 90 minutes.
Energy Bodies clinic, 26 Wheatley Street, London, 0871 9030 000
