Latest news with #AliceHenshaw
The Sun
10 hours ago
- Health
- The Sun
My skin smelt like burnt bacon during £2k celeb laser treatment – I'm glowing but there was stomach-churning side effect
THANKS to the wonders of Instagram, 'The Cloud' and Facebook, I am constantly reminded how wonderful life was back when I had collagen. And how (relatively) wonderful I looked when I had collagen: banks and banks of the stuff giving my young, happy little face that unmistakable glow of youth. 8 8 Thanks to two decades of sunbathing (and a few sunbeds), that collagen has depleted quicker than you can say 'pigmentation' – which I also had a lot of. And this despite a recent facelift which, while undoubtedly brilliant at successfully halting the tide of ageing disintegration, did not address the actual texture or quality of my skin. Enough was enough. So, like all good millennials, I took to Dr Google... and promptly booked in for a CO2 laser, a treatment popular with celebs including Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Aniston and Gwyneth Paltrow. In LA, the home of good skincare, facelifts and CO2 facelifts are synonymous – surgeons regularly book their clients for laser treatments as part of the aftercare package, such is the possible transformation. Some of the results looked mildly terrifying – people with peeling faces, scabs oozing pus and flaking skin. Unwilling to leave my skin to fate, or the hands of a dentist-turned- Botoxer, I booked in at London 's exclusive Harley Street Injectables. Clinic boss Alice Henshaw – who actually works with the surgeon who did my face, Dr Paul Tulley in London's Harley Street – had contacted me previously after reading about my op. (Yep, tweakments aren't my first rodeo). She is a highly rated aesthetician to many celebs and a whole raft of influencers, who regularly live Instagram from her clinic. Walking into the uber-plush clinic – it felt more Soho Farmhouse than an aesthetic practice (although both serve little pricks) – I was greeted by Stevie, an aesthetic nurse, who would be CO2-ing me. Clemmie Moodie Facelift Journey After being numbed for 30 minutes with anaesthetic cream – quite simply, the pain would be intolerable without it – she goes through my skin concerns. 'This is genuinely one of the best treatments out there,' Stevie reassures me. 'It's amazing for acne scarring, sun damage and for boosting collagen production to give the skin a plumper, more youthful glow. You're going to really see a difference. 'It's an ablative laser which causes controlled damage to the upper layers of the skin, stimulating the skin's natural healing process and helping produce new collagen. 'We're going to go for quite an aggressive setting today to maximise results.' Next thing I know I'm horizontal, with a machine blasting a burst of hot pulsing light on my skin. Seconds later, there's a waft of burning. 8 8 'What's that smell?' I ask, my thoughts briefly turning to what I'll have for dinner. 'Oh yes, that's your skin,' Stevie replies, casually, as I inhale a whiff of bacon. Having never had a laser treatment before, I really don't know what to expect. The following day I look like I've swallowed a football, and my face is beetroot red It feels like an elastic band is being pulled taut and then snapped on my face, hard, and repeatedly. It's fine on my forehead, but REALLY hurts on my upper lip. My eyes start watering and I'm trying – and failing – to look sanguine as cameraman Ben blithely zooms in on my increasingly red face. The sensitive neck area also smarts a bit – a solid 7.2/10 for pain (10 being 'give me a gun now', 0 being a nice massage at Soho Farmhouse) – but Stevie counts down throughout, reassuring me I'm doing 'great'. (TBH all I'm doing is lying still, but it's sweet and I am determined not to swear.) 'F***!!!' I promptly scream as she goes in beneath my eyes. For this, I am given two in-eye lenses to prevent any radiation from getting through. Ben is also given dark glasses to stop any radiation 'bounce', too. 'Not for the faint-hearted' Thankfully, within 20 minutes, it's all over. I'm red, but won't scare small children on the Tube home. Alice packs me off with a bespoke aftercare kit – an ice pack, her own range of Factor 100 sun cream, 5DHA hyaluronic acid serum, a lux moisturiser and some Skincycles bio-cellulose sheet face masks to help with hydration. I am told to avoid all sunshine for the next couple of weeks, which comes in handy for the start of the spring heatwave the following day. I look certifiably insane walking the dog in a polo neck, sunglasses and a Ted Lasso visor – the only hat I could find – in the blazing sunshine. The following day I look like I've swallowed a football, and my face is beetroot red. I cancel lunch with friends. Happily, my skin doesn't blister and there are no signs of pus. (Google Love Island 's Alexandra Crane 's CO2 experience if you're not eating.) From here, the redness begins to fade and I am just left with weird-looking 'grids' across my face. My skin feels like sandpaper. Day by day though, I start to see results. After three weeks, people start complimenting me on my 'glow' One week later, my pigmentation is significantly reduced – with the full effects seen in 12 weeks time – and my skin looks so, so much softer, plumper and, well, like it used to in my iPad memories circa 2017. There are fewer fine lines around my eyes and I am thrilled. After three weeks, people start complimenting me on my 'glow' and I even get away with not wearing any make-up to work. It's a joy. This non-invasive treatment, costing £2,000, isn't for the faint-hearted. But, well, it works. For more information visit 8 8 8
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Skin expert and top London aesthetic practitioner demands an end to sunscreen VAT and shares top anti-ageing tips to keep skin looking young and healthy
A skin expert is calling for the government to scrap the 20 per cent VAT on sunscreen, describing it as a 'tax on health'. Alice Henshaw, a leading aesthetic nurse and founder of skincare brand Skincycles, says it's absurd that sunscreen is taxed like a luxury item in the UK, in the same category as designer handbags and expensive perfumes. Speaking from her Harley Street Injectables clinic, Alice said, 'This is a public health issue hiding in plain sight. The NHS spends hundreds of millions treating skin cancer, yet we penalise people financially for using a proven form of prevention.' According to data from Melanoma Focus, scrapping VAT on SPF 30+ sunscreens could prevent up to 3,200 cases of melanoma each year, saving the NHS more than £128 million in treatment costs. Alice's campaign is personal. As a clinical nurse and skincare innovator, she has seen firsthand the damage the sun can cause and the significant difference prevention can make. 'It was only three years ago that the government recognised the absurdity of classifying tampons as luxury products and removed VAT,' she says. 'Sunscreen deserves the same consideration.' Countries like Australia and New Zealand, where Alice is from, have long recognised sunscreen as a public health necessity. They offer subsidies and tax breaks to make it accessible to all. 'By making sunscreen affordable and encouraging daily use, these countries have changed public perception. People treat SPF as an essential, not just something for the beach,' she explains. When asked why she believes the VAT must go, Alice is clear: sunscreen is not a cosmetic luxury, it's a fundamental health product that prevents skin cancer, sun damage, and pigmentation disorders. She believes governments have the power to reframe sun protection from a beauty choice to a medical requirement by removing VAT, offering subsidies, and including SPF in public health initiatives. Her anti-ageing advice is rooted in science, not hype or viral must-haves. Daily sunscreen is her number one recommendation, regardless of weather or season. She also advises using an antioxidant serum, such as Vitamin C, in the morning, retinoids at night to boost cell turnover, a ceramide-rich moisturiser to support the skin barrier, and a gentle cleanser. A balanced diet and stress management round out her holistic approach. Among the most common skincare myths she encounters are the beliefs that sunscreen is only needed in summer or that expensive products are inherently better. 'The myth that sunscreen is only for sunny days,' she says. 'UVA rays penetrate clouds and windows! Also, expensive doesn't equal effective, and over-layering actives can damage rather than help.' Sunscreen should be applied every morning as the last step in your skincare routine and reapplied every two hours if you're outdoors or after sweating or swimming. Reapplication, Henshaw stresses, is crucial. For visible anti-ageing results, she highlights retinoids, antioxidants like Vitamin C, peptides, and growth factors, though she notes that 'none of these are effective without daily SPF to prevent further damage'. Moisturisers, she adds, help protect the skin by preventing water loss and reinforcing the skin barrier - look for those with hyaluronic acid, squalane, and ceramides. For those feeling overwhelmed by the avalanche of skincare advice online, Henshaw's guidance is simple: stick to the essentials - cleanser, SPF, retinoid, and moisturiser and consult a professional rather than following social media trends. Last month, Henshaw joined MPs and industry experts in Parliament for the launch of a new inquiry into UV safety, which will examine the current VAT on sunscreen, the impact of sunbeds, and more. A full report is expected next spring. 'It's time to stop taxing people for protecting themselves from cancer,' she says. 'We're not talking about highlighters or lipsticks. Sunscreen is not a beauty product it's healthcare.' She's also calling for unity in the industry, saying that her push to remove VAT isn't about driving sales for Skincycles. 'If people buy sunscreen at Boots instead of Skincycles because of this change, I'd still call that a win for public health,' she says. 'This isn't a competitive issue. The entire industry must promote health-first thinking.' Alice believes the UK has a chance to lead on this issue, and she's urging politicians to act quickly. 'Sunscreen isn't a luxury – it's a medical necessity that protects against cancer and keeps your skin young,' Alice emphasises. 'If we remove this tax, we'll save lives. It's not complicated. It's common sense. And the time to act is now.' To find out more and support the campaign to remove VAT from sunscreen, visit
