Beauty maybe skin deep but beauty treatments are meant for those with deep pockets. Walking into a Sephora store and buying over the counter cosmetics and creams is no longer cool. For the well-heeled, it is more about flying into an uber cool destination that specialises in ‘by appointment only’ beauty treatments.
If you have no qualms about spending like water, (pun intended) then you can indulge in an Evian bath that costs $5,000 per dip. You will have to fly half way across the globe, head to the Hotel Victor in Miami for this bath. And if you are a Serena Williams fan, you may well wanna try out this treatment. “There is an underground treatment in Switzerland which costs £1 million, which is done in Swtizerland but it is not talked about because it is part of this elite referral guest list. So only someone who has undergone this treatment can recommend your name. There is a six-year waiting period and normally people book this by the time they turn 35. It is called ‘Refit’ where they cultivate your germ cells, grow out tissues and collagen and then give you a full body enhancement. The entire process takes 30 days and you have to stay there,” says Bengaluru-based cosmetic dermatologist, Dr Chytra Anand.
In India, rich teenagers in the 16-18 age group are opting for the “glamoursation” therapy or what is known as glow fillers. “This product is used at the right angles to make the skin shine and costs Rs 60,000 per session,” adds Chytra
Wardha Nadiadwala, producer and director Sajid Nadiadwala’s wife, enjoys heading to the spa every time she travels with her hubby. “I have opted for the Platelet Rich Plasma or the PRP treatment, when I was in London. It is basically a composition of your blood which is injected into areas that you wish to plump up. It gives your face an amazing glow,” she says. In London, PRP treatment starts at £3,750. “My husband and I love to check into spas, so when we were in Dubai recently, I had the most amazing revitalising massage at the Armani Hotel spa,” she adds.
Internationally, Hollywood stars like Mila Kunis spend around $7,000 on the most sought-after Ruby and diamond facial. The treatment, created by Scott-Vincent Borb, uses the precious stones to exfoliate the skin.
Dr Rashmi Shetty, a Mumbai-based expert in non-surgical aesthetic medicine offers the colloquial version of the PRP treatment, which is known as the Dracula facial. “It costs anywhere between Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per sitting. But one of the most expensive treatments that we offer is the skin tightening and contouring treatment with thermage. A single sitting costs Rs 1.50 lakh. This treatment is offered to any woman above 30 and not older than 60. The purpose is not so much to make a woman look younger, but fresh and beautiful,” she adds.
Concurs Chytra, “This is very popular with our elite ladies and we normally recommend two to three sessions of thermage for the right effect.”
Now, the beauty conscious Indian woman doesn’t necessarily need to travel abroad. “Unless she is a huge celeb looking for some privacy, it makes sense for Indians to get treated here. We under understand the desi skin tone and sensibilities better and offer customised treatments too. Also, Indian experts are constantly invited to prestigious seminars across the world,” adds Rashmi.
