St Gregory Spa

The treatment: CACI (pronounced “KC”) non-surgical facelift ($220 for 60 minutes). The experience: An initial cleanse with Elemis products relaxed me, and was followed by the application of a cooling collagen gel to moisturise. Then the procedure began. Looking disconcertingly like jumper leads for a stalled car battery, the metal roller balls on the end of the CACI “wand” deliver a fine electric current to the skin. It was moved from my décolletage and up to the neck in repeated motions, along the neckline, then along the lines from mouth to nose.

Next, my therapist focused on the area around the eyes (a safe enough motion, even though I could see occasional flashes of light through closed eyes), then finally the forehead, along the hairline and into the hair (where I imagine they cut and lift during real surgical facelifts.)

The experience wasn’t calming, with slightly more uncomfortable pressure to start, which I then relaxed into; it felt like a workout for my skin, or a firm massage. Winding down: My skin was slightly red and puffy, but firmer and definitely brighter. It felt warm and somehow “activated”, and the pleasant tingling feeling continued for a few hours. The skin on my neck was tighter, and the finer lines significantly plumped up. Dark circles under my eyes were a little reduced and my combination skin felt smoother and evenly moisturised.