The majority of women will have no problem spending a few hundred, or even thousand, dirhams on a new pair of shoes. When it comes to moisturiser, however, many will buy a Dhs30 pot of gloop from the supermarket. Sure, the fancier among us (or, rather, the wealthier) will stretch to a pricier cream with the latest ‘miracle’ ingredients extracted from the nostril of a tree-dwelling turtle, but, rumour has it, these products aren’t much better. But these ladies at least have the right idea. The fab new shoes are likely to spend more time in the wardrobe than on your feet. Your skin, however, will be with you your whole life. It is your ultimate beauty accessory, so you should look after it.
That’s what the Kaya Skin Clinic is here for; to make your lifetime-long coat look its best. Subsequently, treatments are more purposeful than pleasurable: laser hair removal, pigmentation balancing, anti-ageing treatments, anti-pimple peels and so on. Probably because of this, the clinic, as its name suggests, has a more sterile, hospital-like atmosphere than a spa. And so pampering is not what you should come here for – it’s all much more practical than that.
Firstly, you meet the doctor with whom you discuss any problems you may have with your skin, what your skincare regime is, and so on. She will then help you see yourself in a new light, literally. The clinic has one of those horror-show magic boxes with a UV light that illuminates every bit of sun damage and imperfection on your face. Not a pretty sight; my nose pores were oozing orange goo – but apparently this is caused by oil, not from drinking too much Mirinda (phew). And so, after discovering all this and agreeing I was a bit spotty (leave your ego at the door), the doctor recommended I have a course of pimple-free peels. However, I was all set to get started there and then, so we decided I could go for a one-off Advanced Kaya Facial, which apparently leaves you with a glow that lasts about a week, so it’s a good idea to have one before a special occasion.
The Kaya Skin Clinic’s main weapon in the fight against lush spas with their treatment rooms of tinkling music and scented candles, is its magic microdermabrasion machine. The promise of aluminium oxide crystals effectively sand-blasting off the dead skin cells coating your face, revealing the younger, clearer and more radiant skin below, really sounds like it could make a difference to your visage. This also adds to the non-pampering aspect, however. Not that it’s painful, it’s just a slightly strange sensation – like someone’s rubbing a mini vacuum cleaner over your face (strange that something that’s blowing out particles feels like it’s sucking, but it does).
Then comes the blackhead removal; this is never going to be pleasant, but the pointy tool used brought many a tear to my eye, and I was convinced my nose would be as red and dimply as Ricky Tomlinson’s on my exit (it wasn’t, thankfully). The cooling massage gel soon calmed my thoughts of grabbing the tool and stabbing my therapist with it, however, and a massage ensued. This was as relaxing as it got, but my enjoyment was marred by the amount of gloop smeared on my face and the unattractive squelchy noises it was making.
Also, the once pleasant cooling sensation now just added to my permanent AC-induced goose bumps. The face mask was the last thing to go on, and this was pleasantly soothing. I was then left in the dark for 10 minutes to drift in and out of consciousness, and these moments of peace and quiet are rare and blissful for many a manically-busy Abu Dhabian. After the mask was peeled off and my treatment complete, I popped back in to see the doctor to discuss how it went and she prescribed me with a gel to zap any future spots.
So, did the facial work? Well, any pimples I’d had seemed smaller and my skin did look a bit fresher and felt smoother. To sum up, if you have a particular skin problem, Kaya Skin Clinic is sure to sort you out and offer a solution to your ailment, with a slightly more scientific approach than your average spa.
The staff are friendly, professional and knowledgeable and the treatments, if they do what they say on the tin, could solve many an imperfection. However, if you really want to make your skin radiant, we say splash out on a pair of Louboutin stilettos anyway – after all, no facial can beat that all-natural new-shoes’ glow.
Villa 218/1, Al Karamah Street, near Khalifa hospital (02 445 9923; www.kayaclinic.com). Open Sat-Thu 10am-9pm. Cost of an Advanced Kaya Skin Facial Dhs350 or Dhs1,175 for a package of four. All major credit cards accepted
