Can A Facial Change Your Life?

There are facials that leave you glowing, others that help reduce acne scars. There’re some with plush rooms and pretty pinks, and the decadence for a true pamper. But once in a while you will come across a facial, or facialist, that will drastically change the course of your life. 

I was lucky to find this in Daiva. The Daiva Beauty House is located in the heart of Kensington, London, offering a non surgical answer to face lifts with a deep tissue sculptural massage. The ‘Yoga Facial’ is an anti-gravity method designed to lift the face, strengthen your muscles and reduce unnecessary sagging of the skin, and when I say it changed my life, well, It’s a big understatement. It changed the entire outlook of my life, and here is why.

For the past ten years I have suffered from acute facial palsy, drawing my bottom lip down from one side. Though there is vanity for vanity’s sake, the weakened lip and face have had a profound affect on how i view myself, and working as a beauty editor and fashion editor for the past five years didn’t help the matter at all. 

There are the small everyday things i do to make it easier; a bit of contouring of the lip there, drawing lines inside the lip line to make it appear smaller and more asymmetrical, wearing bright and bold lipsticks. Call it superficial, but anything to get through the day and to bolster my confidence is a win win situation, and I don’t need anymore added guilt.

But there are other things that have slowly become a bit more difficult. Drinking a hot cup of coffee from a take away cup and drooling down from one side; the pronunciation changes because of how my lip forms letters; drinking through a straw - everyday things that we take for granted became a mountain to climb. Over a few months it became more apparent that I needed to step in and do something. Whether that be ignoring it and getting on with life, or actually trying to find a solution.

Being a true Sagittarius, there was only one answer for me: I had to find something that could  alleviate some of the more problematic symptoms. I knew from the start that I didn’t want to go under the knife. Luck would have it that I have had my fair share of non-elective surgery, and if I didn’t need surgery as a life or death situation, then I wouldn’t go down that route. 

And i’m not the only one. Recent statistics suggest that more woman are opting for non invasive treatments over surgical intervention. The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons revealed a delving trend, with number of female facelifts declining by as much as a whopping 44% and brow lifts drooping by 31% in 2017 alone. 

Davia at The Davia Beauty House, Kensington.

Daiva is undeniably committed to helping enhance and boost the self-esteem and confidence of her clients. Like most award winning facialists, Daiva was welcoming and engaging, providing the space for me to discuss in depth the kind of problems I was facing and the kind of results I was looking for. 

It was apparent that she is passionate about treating both the inner and outer, combining her skin and makeup treatments with her holistic approach to beauty, by her sheer ability to put her clients at ease. 

A combination of experience and study had taught her this unique approach to skincare. “I entered the beauty industry to understand how to deal with the causes of skin and beauty problems and not just to cover them up. My treatments are designed to help women who want to learn how to look after themselves, treat and care for their skin in a healthy way and boost both their inner and outer beauty.” explains Daiva.

The treatment itself was an experience unto itself.

The Yoga Facial works with the 3 sculptural lines of the face:

1. Sculptural jaw line (lifts sagging cheeks, aligns the chin area, achieves straight

lines).

2. Sculptural cheekbone lines (lifts facial contours, highlights and accentuates the

cheekbones for more defined cheekbones).

3. Sculptural eyebrow lines (helps to combat the signs of sagging eyelids)

During the sculptural phase, the muscles of the face are manipulated from above, and during the deep tissue phase, this is done from the within through the oral cavity. Daiva had warned me that this would be painful, and despite the fact this was true, it was also as comforting and relaxing just like a deep tissue massage of an intense knot in your shoulder.

This technique is aimed to connect the client to his/her face with their psycho emotional state as well as eliminate blockages, stress and anxiety. And the result were absolutely drastic. Where my lip was once sagging, it was now closed perfectly, my jawline more refined and the stress, tension and puffiness of my face reduced tenfold.

Would I recommend Daiva? Without a doubt. I have already booked myself in for another appointment, completely trusting Daiva and her expertise.

Words by Sofia Khan

The Yoga Facial takes 1 hour (1.5hour with an additional mask) and is £120 without mask, £150 with the mask. To book your appointment, visit daivabeautyhouse.com