I recently visited the spa at Harvey Nichols Edinburgh (I know – it’s weird to think of a spa within a bustling and thriving department store) to try the most popular treatment, the HydraFacial. Once inside Beyond Medispa, you forget you’re in a busy four storey building and, although the spa is compact, the design makes good use of the space; it feels very private, which is an important factor when indulging in treatments or procedures of any kind. The white surfaces and furniture give a fresh, clean – almost clinical – appearance and, despite looking out on to the covetable shoe salon, the waiting area is a calm and discreet. The spa staff are attentive, knowledgeable and professional, and my therapist described every step of my treatment to me – a most welcome but subtle reassurance.
The HydraFacial is an award-winning treatment which claims to be the secret behind the flawless complexions of A-listers including Hollywood star, Kate Winslet and Queen-of-Pop, Beyonce. So, naturally, I jumped at the chance to put the HydraFacial to the test of mere mortals like me.
The idea behind this particular facial is non-laser skin resurfacing. The treatment gets the very best out of your skin by combining seven important steps; these involve cleansing, exfoliation, extraction, hydration and antioxidant protection, a very mild glycolic peel (not as scary as it sounds) and a lymphatic drainage. The lymphatic drainage was carried out with the aid of a tiny little ‘hoover’, which gently extracted the toxins in my skin. The drainage was oddly calming and relaxing and – if my therapist hadn’t been updating me on every stage of the treatment – I’d have easily fallen asleep! That said, I did find the exfoliation slightly uncomfortable, and the glycolic peel (don’t freak out, it’s very mild – you won’t end up like Samantha in season five of SATC!) was extremely tingly, but both were bearable and lasted only a matter of seconds (no pain, no gain, right?). The HydraFacial finished with LED light therapy (yes, you read that correctly), which is completely painless and fights aging and damaged skin (common problems helped by LED light therapy include acne, aging, chronic pain and even infection).
Overall, the facial was pleasant and the end result (after the pinkness subsided overnight) was clearer, brighter skin, which was most noticeable the following day. I don’t suffer from particularly damaged skin; my problem is a dull, lacklustre complexion so, for me, the HydraFacial made my skin a better canvas – my make-up went on smoothly and evenly, which really makes me wonder if I ever take my make up off properly! My face was brighter and clearer, and that’s why I love (and value) regular facials – after a certain age, they really do make a difference to the appearance and quality of the skin. The HydraFacial at Beyond Medispa will not only enhance skin and reduce impurities, it will target fine lines and hyperpigmentation.
Over the course of the two weeks following the HydraFacial, my skin appeared brighter, smoother and, well, perkier! Because I suffer from dull, lacklustre skin during the winter months, it’s important to me to have a professional assess my skin regularly and deliver an appropriate, recommended treatment, and the staff at Beyond Medispa definitely achieved this.
Aa I mentioned, the HydraFacial is the most popular treatment at Harvey Nichols Edinburgh’s spa, so this alone gives you an idea of how good it is. Now, yes, it does produce good results – but, at £125, it’s not cheap. However, Beyond MediSpa is great because they offer a payment plan for bulk appointments, which is worthwhile because the best results will inevitably come from maintaining your skin with HydraFacial. If the quality of your skin or complexion concerns you, I’d recommend giving this a try – even with the above average price tag.
The HydraFacial at Beyond Medi Spa, Harvey Nichols Edinburgh costs £125 for one, £350 for a course of three, and £540 for a course of six. Payment plans are available.
