Amira El-Naqeeb thinks perfect skin "It tickles," I squealed. A transparent tube as thick as a pen was giving my face light bursts of air -- my first oxygen treatment session. According to Suzanne Salem, dermatologist and fellow of Minneapolis in the United States, "oxygen treatment is one of the latest trends in helping rejuvenate the skin. Oxygen helps activate the collagen underneath the surface and thus lends the skin greater elasticity." Treatment starts, following close examination of the face, with a cleansing facial mask. "I like to start on a clean face," Salem explained. Each session consists of oxygen exposure, followed by diamond peel. The first stage is carried out through a machine called oxy-touch. "The machine mixes atoms of oxygen with saline under pressure, which helps the oxygen penetrate the skin, through a plastic thick tube called oxy-gun." Increasingly oxygen is used as an anti-oxidant, Salem explains, and is even sold in the form of drops to be used on water. It stimulates brain cells and revitalises circulation. "It is something from nature; it can never do any harm." Perry Youssef, 52, feels her skin became smoother and healthier for a week after her first oxygen session. For its part, diamond peel is a process of super-facial peeling; it works on the external layer of the skin, which has been overexposed to the sun, pollution or stress. The diamond peeler is a metal tube etched in a particular way, and designed to remove dead skin, allowing the skin to breathe properly. "My God," Salem frowned, "what have you done to your skin, young lady?" For the first time I felt ashamed of my tan -- rather of the way I acquired it. "I do a lot of tanning," I smiled sheepishly. Very carefully, she worked on my face -- a sensitive process requiring caution. "It should be done by a qualified dermatologist," she explained with some sternness, "not a beautician." The entire session takes some 30 minutes; it ranges depending on the condition of the skin. It costs some LE500. According to Salem, there are external and internal factors that contribute to the ageing, sagging and wrinkling of the skin. The sun is one such factor, particularly with whole in the ozone layer. Stress is another, with its consumption of the fatty layer leading to sagging and dark circles around the eyes. Gravity, for its part, affects the cheeks: "After a certain age, with the calcium moving from the bones into the blood, the cheekbones, and the skin on them, are affected." The use of natural resources is making its way into mainstream medicine, with mesotherapy and microdermabrasion among the latest trends in skin and hair treatments. Among its many applications, mesotherapy can be used to eliminate cellulite, promote weight loss, provide anti-ageing benefits as well as eliminate localised fat deposits. Through skin injection, mesotherapy, as Rehab Sobhi, lecturer of dermatology at Cairo University, explains has a direct rejuvenating impact. " It is used in a process known as cellulift which bestows a natural toning and firming effect without surgical intervention." Tiny medicinal bullets are delivered directly into the mesoderm -- the middle layer of skin -- by a mesogun or mesotherapy needle, Sobhi adds. "These injections could be vitamins to help retain follicles, enzymes to dissolve fats and fight cellulite or nutritional supplements." Amal Abu Bakr, 45, had four sessions of vitamin injections for the face. "I had rosy cheeks after just one session." Mesotherapy is also used in treating localised fat deposits by injecting Phosphatidylcholine and L-Carnitine. "This process can replace liposuction as it dissolves the accumulated fat in the body," Sobhi said. "It takes at least four sessions to see the results, with absolutely no side effects." However, this process is not an alternative to diets, she said, adding that it is a sheer complementary to dieting and exercising. The cost of this session starts at LE500. As for microdermabrasion, it is a technique by which aluminum oxide crystals are used in superficially surfacing to achieve partial skin abrasion. In addition, the exfoliating and massaging action of the machine activates circulation and collagen. It is used to decrease fats on the skin, like acne and post-acne scars. "Treating acne should take from five to seven sessions. The patient may suffer from mild erythema as a transient side effect," Sobhi states. On her part, Abu Bakr said that microdermabrasion worked beautifully with many of her friends who had been through the acne cleansing sessions. Sobhi clarifies that microdermabrasion is an adequate treatment depending on how far the acne or the scars are deep. "it is also safe because it doesn't go to the deep layers of the skin." A session of microdermabrasion would cost LE300 to LE400. Using simple, effective techniques can help cleanse and rejuvenate the body. According to Salem, indeed, "every woman's kitchen can be her own lab; with simple ingredients, you can make your own spa at home." Tips and Tricks: * Cleansing facial mask: Mix yeast and talcum powder with some water then spread evenly on face and throat. * Facial scrub: Mix 3 tbsp honey with 2 tbsp lupine. Apply evenly over face. Leave for 10 minutes, and then rinse with lukewarm water. * Deep hair conditioning: Blend a cup of marrow with 1/2 a cup of olive oil. Add 10 drops of an essential oil like lavender, rosemary or jojoba and stir over a flame. Apply to damp hair. * For dandruff: scoop a cactus heart and add vinegar. Massage mixture gently into scalp, comb with narrow comb to shake dandruff off. * For healthy nails: Crème with panthinol. Vitamin B is very important, and all foods rich in iron.
