L'Oréal Blackett's skin gets a breath of fresh of air with Flint Plus Flint
MY SKIN has now entered a tricky phase of life – or so I’ve been warned.
Following your 27th birthday, dermatologists say your skin’s collagen begins to drastically decrease. This eventually could lead to your first few wrinkles. Great. Just great.
Upon learning this fateful news, I celebrated my 28th year with a new eye cream and cod-liver oil.
While I'm by no means in lieu of anti-ageing moisturisers and good genes (cheers, mum and dad), it’s time to start taking my skincare regime much more seriously.
Although, I’m not quite ready for the hard-core anti-ageing stuff, am I? Anything involving needles seems like an endeavour for the very distant future, surely?
Enter Flint + Flint: skincare specialists with a known reputation for using results-driven, high-grade skin care treatments.
They’ve recently opened up a new concept clinic at Harvey Nichols Manchester and it’s quickly becoming a talking point in beauty industry circles. Dark, sultry and glowing with hot neon crucifixes and pink graffiti, they’ve called the clinic an ‘anti-spa’ for good reason. It's not your typical clinical-white spa, that's for sure.
Vampire facials, fat-freezing, collagen pins, microdermabrasion and much more make up the Flint + Flint treatment menu. The team are keen to use the latest in beauty technology to help reveal shiny, youthful skin. And yes, sometimes there are needles involved.
“Don’t worry,” smiled my Flint + Flint therapist, “you’re in great hands.”
I was invited in to try their COMCIT facial. I'd never heard of it - it sounded intense. Yet I was relieved to discover it sounds more intimidating than what’s actually involved. It’s essentially a rejuvenating treatment used to promote your skin’s collagen levels through a series of different treatments, including micro needling and Cryo Oxygen.
Now, don’t quote me on the science, yet I understand the microneedles (very tiny needles on a dermaroller) are used to create ‘trauma’ - although very minimally - to the skin’s surface to promote collagen production. Great for pigmentation and acne sufferers, it was reiterated that the needles do not hurt the skin and the results are impressive after three sessions.
Unfortunately, as I suffer from keloid scarring my therapist advised me away from the micro-needling process but ensured I was to fully benefit from a Flint + Flint Oxygen Facial instead.
Admittedly, I was relieved to know my facial would be a breeze (literally) involving a blast of cold oxygen to help tone and tighten my skin (it feels as if you've stuck your head in a wind tunnel, but far less intense and no screaming).
An eight-part system, the Oxygen Facial utilises an intriguing device called a CryoProbe that discharges cold oxygen onto the skin without any feeling of discomfort.
Now, a smart-arse would be inclined to ask why we'd need an Oxygen Facial when we all have oxygen in surplus supply. Not me, though. I was fully at whim to Flint + Flint's clever technology and excited to treat my skin to a thorough cleanse.
The cold oxygen rapidly cools the skin and stimulates the micro-circulation, positively increasing blood supply. This then intelligently provides skin with nutrients necessary for collagen production.
Laid out in the cool treatment room I prepared my face for a deep clean. My attentive and friendly therapist, Dominque, explained that for an hour, the Oxygen facial would allow my skin to, well… breathe.
Results
A relaxing hour on the massage table later and my skin feels taut and refreshed - similar to a 5 K run across the park and/or dashing for the bus on a winter's day. I'm not to wear makeup for 24 hours - fine, my skin doesn't look or feel like it needs it. It's a wonder how much good a cold, blast of fresh air can do. As for the old adage, 'prevention is better than cure', I've come to agree. Whether fighting wrinkles or looking to prevent them, Flint + Flint have mastered the remedy.
