Needles and venom will sort you out

26/02/2008 

FOR ALL its sense of history and tradition, Harley Street is constantly evolving. Perhaps best known in our current, image-obsessed climate for being at the forefront of developments in cosmetic procedures, this is the place to keep your eye on for the latest ways to improve your looks — as much as your health.

Here we round up the latest news from the front line of first-class medicine…

In January, members’ club Chinawhite launched its Luxury Lifestyle card — holders of which are entitled to discounts on everything from private jet hire to restaurants and bespoke gem-buying services. Also on the roster is HB Health, a clinic with premises in Harley Street and Beauchamp Place. Chinawhite members can claim a 30 per cent discount on everything from aesthetics, dental care and genetic testing to hormone therapy and acupuncture.

48 Harley St. Tel: 020 7323 1388.www.hbhealth.com. For Chinawhite membership enquiries contact roma@chinawhite.com

The hot doc

Gaining a reputation as the rising star of Harley Street since his clinic opened there last year, is Dr Marko Lens. Practising a holistic approach to aesthetics, a person’s attitude and approach to life also form part of the consulting process — the theory being that only a face which can show emotion can be truly beautiful. Working with some of the most famous “faces” in the world, Lens is best known for his botox anti-ageing peel and eye-lift work, while he is also renowned for his research into skin cancer, carcinogenesis and skin ageing.

60 Harley Street, W1. Tel: 020 7631 4212. www.zelens.com

The new cream

This month sees the launch of Defy Time, the first anti-ageing potion to be developed by Shenaz Shariff, owner of Harley Street’s The Face and Body Clinic. Pre-release trials showed a 52 per cent reduction in wrinkles on the forehead after 28 days’ use, as well as an 80 per cent increase in skin smoothness.

And the secret ingredient? Synake — a synthetic snake venom taken from the Brazilian temple viper, which promises the effects of invasive treatments like botox without the needles.

£49.50 for 50ml. 57 Harley Street. Tel: 020 7436 3936. www.thefaceandbodyclinic.co.uk

The check-up

For the ultimate health-check, the European Scanning Centre is one of only two places in the UK with an Electron Beam Computed Tomography (ECBT) scanner — which is able to scan for coronary heart disease, detecting signs 15 years before symptoms would otherwise become apparent.

68 Harley St. Tel: 020 7436 5755. www.europeanscanning.com

The alternative face-lift

Maura Bright is one of the leading practitioners of the acupuncture face-lift — a bit of a buzz procedure this year. Her business, Futureface: Tomorrow’s Beauty Today, offers a unique blend of facial revitalising acupuncture, Chinese face-lift massage and Chinese face reading. And yes, it involves lots of needles.

140 Harley Street. Tel: 020 7484 5873. www.brightpractice.com

The smoking cure

This year is set to be crunch-time for cigs, with the number of people trying to quit smoking up 27 per cent on this time last year. Harley Street’s Stop Smoking clinic reports that approximately 96 per cent of their clients manage to kick the habit for good following one session with consultant hypnotherapist, Tim Williams.

£350. 7 Harley Street. Tel: 020 7127 4554. www.harleystreetstopsmokingclinic.com

By Ruby Warrington