Let's face it

IF only there were something that made fat melt away. If only cellulite could be rolled flat and smooth again. If only, if only, if only...

The path to beauty is paved with countless 'if onlys'. But this is not a phrase that is greeted with enthusiasm by Sharon Moore.

As the owner of York's newest beauty clinic - face etc... - which opened in Bootham last week, she prefers to deal with reality rather than dreams.

"Some people are naturally beautiful," she said, looking particularly good herself for her 46 years. "But most of us need a bit of help."

Her clinic specialises in all the latest hi-tech treatments enjoyed by the rich and famous in London.

Among the "aesthetics enhancing" therapies her team is now offering the beautiful people of York for the first time is Lipodissolve (see sidebar), the non-surgical alternative to liposuction, which has been tried, tested and given a svelte thumbs up by the likes of the Daily Mail and Richard & Judy in recent weeks.

"Women are much more daring than they used to be," said Sharon, a specialist aesthetics nurse from Tollerton, near Easingwold. "We're willing to give anything a try if it makes us look younger and feel better."

Lipodissolve is not the only cutting edge treatment on the menu. Sitting snugly alongside all the usual suspects - waxing, massage, facials - you will find medical strength facial peels, £150; Crystal Clear microdermabrasion (skin resurfacing), £35; line freezing (Botox), from £150; Omnilux skin rejuvenation and acne treatment (using red and blue lights to tone the skin in a natural, non-invasive way), from £55; and Endermologie cellulite treatment (literally rolls orange peel skin away in ten sessions), £50 per session.

If all this sounds scary, don't worry because you will be in good hands. Sharon has been a nurse for 28 years. She started out as a psychiatric nurse, specialising in substance abuse and eating disorders.

She tried oncology for a year, but it wasn't for her, before moving to A&E at St James's - the famous Jimmy's hospital in Leeds.

"I absolutely loved it," she said. "But after seven years I was completely burned out.

"It all came to a head over the festive season five years ago. I had been working virtually continuous nights, there was a major crisis with the on-call doctors, the ambulances couldn't cope and the nurses were so busy we just couldn't do our job properly.

"It was absolutely soul destroying. Unfortunately, this isn't an uncommon situation, but it was the final straw for me."

Sharon took up a job with a Harley Street cosmetic surgery firm, travelling round the North East carrying out clinics to inject Botox, collagen and so forth.

Eventually she decided to go it alone and became a freelance injector, with a room in a friend's beauty salon in Easingwold and her own touring clinic.

"Clients have to completely trust you," she said. "You don't get anywhere more public than your face. If something goes wrong, it's very obvious.

"I loved my work though. Yes, I was doing it to earn a living, but I also felt I was doing some good. I was hooked."

Her new venture, a state-of-the-art clinic full of cutting edge gadgetry in the shadow of York's ancient walls, already has a healthy, and varied, client list.

"I do have some rich clients," said Sharon, "but you don't have to be loaded to look good. One of my favourite clients is a woman who works in a take-away. She saves up and treats herself. She always makes the most of the time she has with us, and her obvious enjoyment is catching."

Most of her clients are women, and the men who make up the rest of her list tend to be gay.

"They have money to spend and want to look great," said Sharon. "It's that simple."

This doesn't mean, however, that the face etc... team will treat anyone with a healthy bank balance. They also have to have a healthy attitude.

"If someone is too young or simply doesn't need any work, we'll turn them away," said Sharon, who has three children aged 19 to 24 and remarried last month. "I have worked on a 19-year-old girl who had virtually no upper lip at all. But that wasn't simple aesthetics. Her looks were making her life unbearable."

She also practices what she preaches, having had Botox in her forehead and filler around her mouth.

"I don't just jump on the beauty bandwagon," said Sharon. "I only choose products and treatments that have proven medical research to back up their claims.

"I believe that beauty is a gift, but maintenance is science.

The next big thing...

Botox schmotox - we've been there, done that and got the T-shirt. Lipodissolve is new, and already taking the beauty industry by storm.

- What is it? It is derived from phosphatidylcholine (try saying that after a couple of shandies) which is the chief component of soy lecithin. Lecithin is said to break down or emulsify fat. It has been taken orally for many years to lower cholesterol. The new Lipodissolve process involves injecting the enzyme into fat, which then dissolves safely, effectively and permanently within two to four sessions.

- Is it painful? No sedation or local anaesthetic is required. Most patients experience a slight burning sensation after the injections, but this usually subsides within a couple of hours.

- Are there any side effects? Most patients experience temporary side effects which usually end within three days. These include redness, swelling, discomfort and bruising. Less common side effects include nausea, mild diarrhoea, increased saliva-tion and slight menstrual disturbances.

- How many treatments are needed? This varies, depending on the density of fat in the area being treated. As a general rule, two to four treatments at six to eight week intervals are recommended.

- How much does it cost? It depends how many areas are being treated, and how many sessions are needed. Generally, it costs around £300 for the first treatment with a doctor present, and £250 for subsequent treatments.

Updated: 09:10 Tuesday, November 02, 2004