Having your face pummelled, scraped and zapped with a range of strange devices may not sound the most enjoyable beauty treatment.
But this ‘face workout’ is the latest craze winning a string of celebrity fans.
Like a body workout, it involves a warm-up, intensive ‘cardio’ session and cool-down – which, it is claimed, can re-shape the face, tighten skin and banish saggy jowls.
FaceGym, which has two studios in London and is opening in New York and LA, is behind the Screen Face workout loved by stars including Katherine Jenkins, Geri Halliwell and Simon Cowell.
Kneaded: Muscles are given a far-from-relaxing massage, which also helps to rub oils deep into the skin
Left: As a warm-up, a ball is rolled over the face to stimulate muscles, reduce tension and get the blood flowing. Right: Gold roller is said to iron out lines and wrinkles by making red blood cells come to the skin’s surface
Stretched: Stretching or ‘whipping’ skin apparently drains toxins, boosts circulation and activates collagen
The 75-minute £250 treatment targets the 43 muscles of the face rather than simply the surface of the skin as with conventional facials.
The warm-up includes stretching the skin and rolling a ball over it to get the blood flowing.
The ‘cardio’ section involves muscles being zapped with electric volts.
Scraped: The jade stone, it is claimed, works as a detox by draining toxins and excess fluid, reducing puffiness and stress
Left: The Electric Muscle Stimulation machine ‘sculpts the cheekbones and tightens skin’. Right: Journalist Lauren Barnett after the 75-minute £250 facial workout at FaceGym in London
Heated: A device blasts radio waves, heated to 42C (108F), which is said to build up collagen to tighten skin
Frozen: An ‘oxygen gun’ shoots air at -20C (-4F) with the aim of freezing your wrinkles and hydrating your skin
The treatment also includes being blasted with radio waves heated to 42C (108F) and, at the other extreme, a cool-down featuring an ‘oxygen gun’ shooting out air at -20C.
Afterwards clients, who are often left bruised and with sore muscles, are given a ‘skin cocktail’ of oils to wear overnight.
FaceGym founder Inge Theron, 41, said: ‘I realised muscles in the face work exactly like the ones in the body and need to be worked. Basically it is like doing press-ups for the cheeks and burpees for your jowls.’