Facial Reflexology with Pierpaolo Lai at Neville Hair & Beauty

TV presenter and businesswoman, Kate McIntyre reviews a reflexology treatment … on her face

Call me old fashioned, but I thought that reflexology was something that happened to your feet, all to do with pressure points, which are connected to other parts of your body.  Apparently, a relaxing and restorative treatment, but to be honest not something I’ve ever really fancied.  Then I heard about Facial Reflexology carried out by Pierpaolo Lai at Neville Hair & Beauty in Belgravia.  Now, Neville’s hair team keep my hair in check for my TV and Corporate work, but I hadn’t realised that their beauty menu had this rather interesting treatment on the list.  So intrigued and thinking that my face could do with a bit of a lift I decided to give it a go.

With my socks still firmly attached to my feet, I sunk into Paolo’s treatment bed, closed my eyes and breathed in the wonderful aromatherapy oils, which the maestro was about to use.  Over the next 45 minutes my face was treated to a mix of soothing circular massages and firmer strokes concentrating on certain pressure points.  With a similar principal to Foot Reflexology certain nerve points and meridians on the face relate to different parts of the body.  As you can imagine your feet are at the furthest point away from your brain, but your face on the other hand is on its doorstep, providing a hotline to the inner you.  At the end of my treatment I certainly felt incredibly relaxed and hopeful in the fact that my energy blockages in various organs must have been released, or at the very least given a nudge in the right direction.  Aside from any positive internal effects, my skin was glowing and I could see how further treatments would certainly improve skin texture and tone.

Paolo explained how a course of treatments could help with a variety of health issues including stress, insomnia and hormonal imbalances – all of which I have experienced in some degree over the years, and so I found this particularly interesting and encouraging.

Now I can honestly say that I am a reflexology convert and will certainly be booking in again.  I’m actually considering splitting a session with half foot reflexology and half facial reflexology.  Partly to experience the latter for the first time, but I also like the idea of healing my body from both ends… or maybe I should say head to toe!