I have a history with EF Medispa as I’ve had a few facials at their Kensington clinic courtesy of the amazing Biologique Recherche, so when I was invited back to sample some of their other treatments, I couldn’t wait to book my appointment. EF Medispas offer top-of-the-range facial treatments such as lasers, peels and LED, and have a few clinics dotted all over the UK, including four in London – I chose to visit the St Johns Wood clinic as I haven’t visited before, and it’s also my nearest.
The main reason for my visit was to have an LED treatment, which is something that can be experienced alone, but is most effective when tagged on to other treatments; I love using LED as I think it’s one of the most gentle yet productive treatments available and you always find it being used in the best clinics. Of course you can also pick up at home versions such as the blue light device from Tria for acne, or the LightStim for general skin healing, but the at-home devices involve a lot of time and effort whilst you slowly and tediously move them around your entire face, whilst an in-salon treatment such as the one I experienced at EF Medispa covers the whole face and of course is a lot more powerful; I think there’s a place in life for both home and salon treatments, but whichever you go for, try to ensure you experience some sort of exfoliation beforehand (at home do a chemical tone or mask, at the salon go for a peel) to ensure nothing is in the way of the light.
The treatment itself was, of course, mostly results driven, but there were some great relaxing elements too. The Dermaquest MangoBrite peel itself was very strong – I have skin that can tolerate a lot, and I don’t tend to react to acids at all, but even I struggled with this one as it stung whilst on, and for the first time ever in a treatment, I almost asked for it to come off early! After the peel I was given a very relaxing lymphatic drainage massage and I will say that the cleanse before the peel was also relaxing and it gave the whole experience a more facial-like vibe; the one big reason I don’t like booking in for peels is because they always seem so quick and brutal – quick cleanse, peel goes on, leave for a few minutes, remove, off you go; I like treatments to feel like treats, and this one definitely bridged the gap between the two facial extremes.
Once the facial was complete, I was then plonked under the LED for around 15-20 minutes, and during this time I was given a great arm and hand massage. I’m so pleased this was included in the treatment as so often with these types of procedures (especially in clinics, where the focus in on results and little else) you’re just left to it, but the hand massage made the experience a lot more enjoyable and pampering. All this is well and good, but what about the results? First up, I will say that my skin didn’t like the peel to start off with and my nose was actually burnt in a couple of places, since there were red blood spots where my skin had felt the most uncomfortable during the peel. This sounds horrific, I know, but after three or so days the spots were gone and there were no remaining signs of burning. Immediately after the peel my skin felt a little tender for a few days, but other than the nose marks, it wasn’t visually obvious. A week after the treatment I was brushing my teeth and checking out my skin in the mirror (as you do…) and I remember thinking how much better it looked; the parts that were spot-free looked extremely clear and glowing, and the areas with scarring from spots looked a lot less inflamed and angry, and I can only assume this is down to the treatment. Annoyingly, I then experienced some extreme and intense stress that resulted in another total skin meltdown, so it’s difficult for me to establish how long the effects lasted, but I would definitely recommend this as a treatment for anyone who has fairly good skin but would benefit from a boost to lift, brighten and generally enhance what they’ve got. Just tread carefully if you’re sensitive! Find out more about the peels on offer at EF Medispa here – link – how good does the Deep Sea Skin Peel sound?? The MangoBrite Peel is £180 and the LED Treatment is £150, however, the two combined would cost £250 which is a considerable saving so well worth doing if you’re keen to see results.
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