It’s been over a year in the making! A results-driven, intensive treatment facial, with the only down-time needed being to lay back and be immersed in the experience: The Factor Four Facial has landed at FaceTime.

Uniquely developed by Shore skin guru Melissa Gladding, this perfect balance of four-stages of treatment is now wowing women and men at the divine Mairangi Bay skin clinic.

Melissa said: “It’s been a huge work in progress for over a year, so I’m really pleased to have perfected this to create, what I believe to be, a leading advancement in skin. I’m so happy to now be offering it to our clients to benefit from and enjoy.”

Here, Heather Vermeer explains how it goes...

Factor One: Gentle microdermabrasion removes redundant dull cells revealing a smoother, softer, more vibrant skin.

Ok, let’s back up a little here. Being greeted by the radiant, friendly staff immediately sets the vibes high for full immersion into the time-out, treatment space. Harley & Sons teas are served in gorgeous china, of course, with even a little tray to dispense of your tea bag, complete with tiny gold rabbit and spoon - cute touch. The Skin Bar can be perused and sampled whilst you gear yourself down into treatment mode.

When you’re led to your treatment room the next level of downtime begins. Impeccable decor, Facetime’s own cloud-soft towels, soothing music, a marble dish for your jewellery, a chocolate treat...Yes, they’ve thought of it all. “Lie on your back under the covers and make yourself comfortable.” Sure! This alone is enough of a treat for most of us.

If you don’t drift away to the music - trancey and absorbing with not a pan pipe to be heard - you’ll be awake to enjoy the headband application and initial cleanse of any existing make up, which is like being cosseted and having your head held dearly by a loving relative.

Then begins Factor One which, to recap, is ‘a gentle microdermabrasion to remove redundant dull cells and reveal a smoother, softer, more vibrant skin’. This feels refreshing and invigorating. Out with the old, in the with new, right?

Factor Two: Initiating collagen synthesis and transforming skin. Shallow depth collagen induction therapy, also known as micro- needling, is performed to rejuvenate, rm and renew. A non-invasive approach that uses our bodies own natural response to wound- healing to target ne lines, wrinkles, acne scarring and skin laxicity.

Here, the delightful Melissa gets to the science part. ‘Manager Melissa’ - not to be confused with owner Melissa who, to avoid confusion, shortens her name to Mel - tells me about the dermis, collagen induction and microchannels... Her passion for skin is clear - as clear as her skin.

Factor Three: Osmosis Stemfactor infusion. A revolutionary growth factor serum is infused into the dermis via microchannels formed from Factor Two. This advances the repair process while delivering over 600 growth factors and skin proteins derived from adult stem cells to further produce more collagen and elastin.

This feels an immersive cooling contrast to the day’s humidity. The Stemfactor serum feels like it’s going to places it’s never been before, following the micro-needling experience.

Sounds good, feels great. 

Factor Four: Healite II Light therapy. Improve the health and vibrancy of your skin while again promoting collagen and boosting skin hydration. On the completion of this treatment, your skin is rejuvenated and hydrated.

So this is where I commented that it felt like being on a low level, light alternating sun bed and then realised this was like swearing to a skin therapist. I’ve only been in one a couple of times and that was probably back in about 1992, I quickly added. Funny what pops into your head when you’ve having an unusual experience like this.

So, lights flash and move around from behind your closed eyelids, creating this vision of different shades of red and pink as you lay there cocooned in warmth. Melissa was reassuring as she lightly rested her hand on my shoulder during the process to let me know she was still there, I was going to be ok. It was an exercise in letting go. Once you do, it’s mesmerising. Melissa explains more science background to the procedure; how it was first discovered and used medically for advanced repair and cell rejuvenation.

Plenty of other lovely things happened during this out of this world experience. Like the seemingly everlasting shoulder and neck massage and the Ultimate Recovery face mask that felt so soothing and made me think I resembled Nacho Libre. (Yes I shared this thought with Melissa too.) I was so taken away elsewhere that even immediately afterwards, I was unable to recall where these things came in the order of proceedings.

“Take your time coming round, no rush. I’ll see you outside. Would you like still or sparkling water?”

The one and only element that could have made it any better would have been to be wheeled out on a trolley and driven home.

The Factor Four Facial gets five stars. 

Facetime 4/404 Beach Road, Mairangi Bay 09 476 7058 info@facetimeclinic.co.nz  www.facetimeclinic.co.nz