How often have you been to a hairdresser’s and had access to your emails? Well, New York is ideal if you’re an e-mail addict (see below blog). Here I am writing this blog from the comfort of my seat in the exclusive Rodolfo Valentin salon on Madison Avenue while my roots are being seen to by Mayer from Colombia. Rodolfo, the great man himself, has promised me some of his famous hair infusions as a welcome present.
“I am not responsible for any sexual abuse,” he tells me very seriously in his husky Argentinian accent. “If they grab you in the street afterwards, it’s your problem.”
Another hard day at the office.
I am here to research the anti-ageing book. My new best friend is the top cosmetic dermatologist Steven Victor, conveniently also located on Madison Avenue. He is known as Dr LookGood and his clients include Fergie, Jasper Conran, Jane Seymour, Sharon Osborne and soon-to-be moi. On Saturday I am going back to him for a procedure I can’t disclose now but which doesn’t involve any scalpels. I’ll keep you posted on progress. This is a man who revels in making women look good. He loves his job and is always coming up with new and less painful procedures.
While I am there I meet a sprightly 72-year-old who has just had one of his new lunch-time face-lifts. That’s not actually what he calls it, he has yet to name it, but it takes about an hour and involves small incisions in front of and behind the ear that lift the face and the neck. The patient is awake throughout and this particular one is off to a party tomorrow night. She is thrilled.
“You have to see the neck,” she says, from behind a white elasticated bandage. “it’s incredible.” Nora Ephron take note.
I ask Dr Steven who women are doing all this stuff for.
“They do it for other women,” he tells me. “It’s just like a man buying a new car and showing it off to his friends.”
Tomorrow I am off to see a New York University professor who is going to tell me how to keep my brain young. I’ve a feeling the lunch-time face-lift might be a lot easier. It’s certainly a lot quicker.
Copyright: Helena Frith Powell 2007
Cutting one’s self for beauty scares me! Besides that though, I’ll be excited to read your book when it comes out.
i’ve inspected your photo closely, and i feel you’re very ill-suited for this kind of work. you should have asked me – i’m extremely wrinkly …
What I want to know is, do you have any sexual abuse to report?
Peggy, that was so funny, I laughed out loud! LOL! Well, Helena – did you?!!
And when you find out how to krep your brain young, I am willing to bribe you with cash money to share the secret! I am too keep losing my specs five times a day, and I have been known to put my car keys in the fridge.
None yet, but am working on it…..
Hx
Well, Spymum, I figured someone had to pop that question! BTW, I solved the specs problem by throwing my specs away. Everyone looks so smooth and benevolent to me now, it’s wonderful.
looking forward to the book!
ps make sure they don’t turn you into a cling film girl, the stuff only looks good round last night’s leftovers!
pps do you know a good chemical peel dermatologist in Montpellier? I’m no good at home kits!!
Helena, I walked past the Village Bookstore (Dulwich not Greenwich I’m afraid!). I saw the Nora Ephron book sitting proudly in the centre of the window, thought of your blog and laughed out loud!
It is expensive the “hair infusion” by Rodolfo Valentin!. I really want to get them asap!
Hello Susy, I think it is quite expensive but darling Rodolfo (and he is a dream) gave me mine as I am writing about him, both in the book and an article. The initial cost is quite a lot (I’m not sure but I think about $1800) but then you can have the hair taken out and put back in next time for a lot less (around $500). Give them a call on 212 327 4227.
Hx