Facial Acupuncture at Home House
It was on the shortest day of the year that I went to get facial acupuncture. Not only was I recovering from a particularly gruelling weekend, the snow was spinning down threatening skies, slowing the buses, making me late for my appointment at Home House.
Annee de Mamiel was upbeat though. She had chosen winter solstice to launch her new treatment oil with exotic ingredients such as New Zealand high altitude lavender which would form part of the facial.
Down in the snug basement of this private members’ club was a candle-lit treatment room in which de Mamiel proceeded to quiz me. Did I sip or gulp water? Was I a hot or a cold person? Then she stuck tiny acupuncture needles into my shins and wrists to stimulate the energy channels to my face. Some of them hurt.
De Mamiel said she was tapping my spleen to bring moisture to my face – if I get any more technical I will do her three years’ study of Chinese medicine a disservice. Her fingers variously crimped my eye sockets or kneaded my chin and soon I had floated to a most relaxing plane although my mind remained alert.
At one point I noticed Annee trailing vibrating tuning forks along my torso which felt both thrilling and bizarre. Then she applied ice cold jade rollers on my cheeks. ‘Jade is really important in Chinese medicine because it brings out the yin and your femininity’, she told me later. I also ‘really needed’ the tuning forks, she said.
I admit, I hadn’t been too happy to hear I had a ‘damp constitution’ and a weak, deep pulse. Nor that I was ‘quite lymphatic’. But the acupressure and lymphatic drainage that Annee applied felt surprisingly lovely and had taken me to a calm place I had needed to occupy. The results? My eyes were much brighter and my skin did indeed look fresher. I also felt more energetic. The hour of deep relaxation seemed to propel me forwards.
On my way out I took a wrong turning and went into Home House private members’ club. Well-heeled American men in their 60s muttered to each other along tinsel-wrapped bannisters. Muscular blond punters twinned with Adonis personal trainers peeked from basement gyms. I, in my orange snow jacket, stood out like a cherry on cream, relaxed, bright as a winter sun.
20 Portman Square
Marylebone
W1H 6LW
Tel: 020 7670 2000
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My skepticism about the procedure, facial acupuncture, comes from the fact that is all needles and not many of the skin care creams that accompany a facial. Usually they are part and parcel of the treatment.
I’m looking forward to trying it though.