A MONMOUTH beautician claims big-name celebrities have been coming to her salon to try a 'breakthrough' face treatment.

Residents of the town are fairly used to seeing well known faces from the world of music on their streets, due to the proximity of Rockfield recording studios, but now a whole new crop of internationally known stars from stage, film and television are said to be heading for appointments at the Designed For Beauty salon.

So new that it is not yet on their website, the treatment, which is being dubbed the Time Machine, combines the use of the Genie – a non surgical facelifting treatment – with a specialised new use of BoTox. But while the latter has received a mixed reaction from some users, due to the fact that it can 'freeze' the patients face, the new approach leaves the facial muscles still operational, while the wrinkles are removed.

Proprietor Erica Hastings told the Review: "There have been quite a few well-known people visiting the salon over recent weeks, who have been coming to take the course of treatments that we've called the Time Machine. Luckily, we have a door to the back of the salon directly off the car park, so that saves them being recognised too much."

On the treatment itself, she refused to give details of the process, since it is 'commercially sensitive', but she revealed that it takes around four appointments for the results to show, and that her clients were 'very appreciative' of the overall outcome.

"We have had some lovely testimonials from clients of the treatment, and word is starting to spread about it. Obviously where someone has to rely on their face for their fame – in television, cinema or stage – then this sort of treatment is essential to maintain their image. But we are also now getting enquiries from the public, which is gratifying for us."

Spotted recently on their way to the salon in Beaufort Shopping Mews in Agincourt Square were a TV chef, a motorsport presenter, several film actors and actresses, plus quite a few musicians, all keen to turn back the hands of time.