Chris Golds goes to Vanity Lab London to discover whether a modern glow up can boost both his skin and mindset with some simple skin treatments for men.
I hadn’t been feeling my best for a little while. Nothing dramatic and probably not even that noticeable to anyone else, but I could feel the difference. The 4am alarms, long days and constantly being on the go were starting to catch up with me. I felt more tired than usual and, if I’m honest, I think it was beginning to show in my face too. When I looked in the mirror, I could see a lack of care staring back at me. And while there are obviously bigger problems in the world, I do think how you feel about yourself matters.
So it couldn’t have been better when Vanity Lab London invited me for a skin consultation and possibly, if I needed them, some tweaks (spoiler: I needed them). I couldn’t wait to find out the perfect skin treatments for men.
I was a bit nervous before my arrival as, short of a facial, I have never really done anything like this to my skin or my face. Yes, it probably shows. First up, the lovely Cheryl talked to me about my skin and my routines, what I was happy with, and what I could change if she could wave a wand over my face. I think my answer, “everything and look like Henry Cavill”, was possibly out of the realms of her ability – as magic as she is.
Next up was the skin scanner. It looks scarier than it is. All you do is pop your face under a hood and stare ahead. The scanner takes a series of pictures in HD to show what is going on the surface of the skin and beneath the skin. It is quick and painless. The more painful bit is looking at your skin up close. All the photos taken by the skin scanner appear on a very clear iPad, all in glorious HD (!!) I joke, but actually it is really, really good to see your face in a different way and it enables you to think about what you need to be doing to look after it. Of course, the skin scanner doesn’t lie and neither does Cheryl. Cheryl took me through what I probably already suspected but hadn’t fully admitted. Dry skin. Some hereditary rosacea. A bit of sun damage. Fine lines and wrinkles creeping in. Oh, and I am dehydrated, which feels like a universal diagnosis at this point.
It was oddly reassuring seeing it all laid out clearly. Cheryl talked me through everything in a way that felt calm and considered, not salesy or overwhelming. The plan was simple. Start with a deep clean and build from there.First up was microdermabrasion exfoliation and cleanse. It’s essentially a very thorough exfoliation that leaves your skin feeling properly clean. Cheryl dug deep and got rid of lots of congestion and my skin already felt smoother. Easily one of the best skin treatments for men.
Next up was Microneedling. 14 tiny, sterile needles create very small punctures (micro-injuries) in the skin. These controlled injuries trigger your body’s natural healing process, which helps improve the skin’s texture and appearance. That is the science. What is it like? Well, I have a really low pain threshold and during this I wasn’t uncomfortable at all. It felt like someone holding an electric toothbrush to your face. Cheryl told me that I was going to be a bit red for the rest of the day but that it would calm down and I would be fine to go to a party the next day. True to her word, I had no problem at all. I went to a friend’s gathering and I had so many compliments. So yes, there are tiny needles involved, but it’s controlled, precise and very manageable. The idea is to encourage your skin to repair itself, boosting collagen and improving texture over time. Perfect.
Then came the part I’d been slightly unsure about. Botox. Baby’s first Botox. I was really nervous. Lord knows why. These days it’s no different to getting a haircut. Lucy was brilliant. She talked me through it all and said she wanted to give me just a little to smooth out areas but not lose my smile or reactions. She could not have been more reassuring. I had just a small amount, nothing dramatic. There’s always that fear of looking frozen or unlike yourself.
As I said, the day after I thought it looked great. Fresh, a bit smoother, a bit more awake. I was actually getting compliments. Friends mentioning things in passing or even spotting things while on a Zoom call. About a week and a half in, I had a wobble. I started overanalysing. Is that how it’s meant to look? Has something changed too much? It’s a strange in-between phase where everything is still settling and your brain is catching up with your reflection. I would say just be aware that might happen.
But then, at around the three-week mark, it all clicked into place. That’s when I actually saw it. Not a different face, just a better version of the one I already had, if I do say so myself. Smoother skin, a more even tone, a bit of brightness that hadn’t been there before. An actual glow. And more importantly, I felt better. More put together. More like myself again.
That’s the thing about a glow up. It’s not really about chasing perfection. It’s about closing the gap between how you feel and how you present yourself to the world. Sometimes that’s as simple as taking a bit of time, getting the right advice and trusting the process. I couldn’t have been happier with the girls at Vanity Lab. Cheryl, Lucy and all the girls were amazing. They know what they are doing when it comes to skin treatments for men.
I went in feeling slightly off and came out three weeks later feeling like I’d reset something. Not just my skin, but my confidence as well. And honestly, that’s worth far more than any quick fix.
One thing that I am really excited about is continuing to find out more about what is best for my skin and how I can continue to keep it looking its best and healthy. Men don’t talk much about their skin care or how they should be keep it looking its best and I want to change that.
Vanity Lab is in Beckenham & Harley street
