A facial for men gives the glow of youth

Several spas in the UAE are now offering treatments exclusively for men. A new non-surgical facial with micro-currents is being offered to take off years from a man's face.

The spa treatment room at Jumeirah at Etihad Towers. Courtesy Jumeirah at Etihad Towers

The UAE has hardly been backwards in coming forward when it comes to men’s spa treatments, and the options specifically aimed at gents are reaching something of an apex right now.

Case in point: the non-surgical, non-intrusive Aroma Powerlift Facial at Talise Spa, exclusively for men. This involves having your face prodded with a small array of hand-held metal implements. Here’s the science part: electrical impulses and micro-currents are fed through your epidermis, aiming to tone muscles, dispatch fine lines and plump up the skin.

When I previously visited the Talise Spa a couple of years ago, not long after the Jumeirah hotel had opened, the well-appointed facilities were let down by the relaxation-ruining strains of construction work in adjacent towers. Happily, that’s not a problem anymore. I could almost hear the cogs of my own brain slowing to a sleepy crawl.

Although that could have meant that the entire spa would hear me scream, The term non-surgical in spa blurbs normally has me thinking: “So in what other weird and/or wonderful way is this going to hurt?” But I needn’t have worried, as a series of sweet-smelling natural serums, oils and creams were applied and the electrical element got underway.

The sensations vary depending on the implements, which differed in tip size, from barely perceptible to vaguely uncomfortable tingling, but never breach any pain thresholds. With the concept of time largely eliminated beneath an eye mask, the hour-and-a-half disappeared in a flash, completed by a head and shoulder massage. For a few days at least, it did take a couple of years off me.

A 90-minute Aroma Powerlift at Talise Spa, Jumeirah at Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi, costs Dh900 (or 60 minutes, for Dh750), including taxes. Call 02 811 5858