Botox with your bedding? Now you can get tweakments at John Lewis

There’s no greater sign that tweakments, which take in everything non-surgical from injectables, Hydrafacials  to fat loss lasers , radiofrequency  and ultrasound for skin tightening , have hit the mainstream, than their arrival in the sceptered  aisles of John Lewis today.

Superdrug started the high-street tweakment trend in 2018, offering anti-wrinkle injections such as Botox and fillers. Then, there was a hoo-ha because the move was seen by some as playing into the popularity of injectables among the Love Island generation. However, with lockdown introducing us to ‘ Zoom face ’ and those terrible laptop camera angles made us aware of  our never-before-noticed jowls,  the tweakment landscape has changed. Demand is soaring.

John Lewis is by no means the first department store to offer aesthetic treatments: Harrods has its extensive Wellness Clinic   (I’ve had laser and injectables there with the brilliant Dr Marwa Ali ) and Harvey Nichols has  Beyond Medispa , with everything from nutrition consultations to dermal fillers and  a cryotherapy chamber.  But JLP, with its 'safe' image, is possibly the most surprising.

For this venture, they have partnered with another venerable institution, The Cavendish Clinic,  whose Sloane Square HQ is a just stone’s throw from Peter Jones. This is the branch of John Lewis offering tweakments to Londoners and it was chosen host to the nationwide launch this morning.

It comes after a series of under-the-radar pilot Cavendish Clinics in John Lewis branches in Edinburgh, Milton Keynes, Southampton, Kingston and Cambridge throughout 2021.  From today, these become permanent fixtures with more to follow in 2022.

We had to ask - why?  And what's different? “Our research showed that many of our customers are interested in advanced beauty treatments, including filler and anti-wrinkle treatments,” a spokesperson for the retailer told us. “While these are available in other high street retailers, The Cavendish Clinic is medically-led and uses only skilled doctors to administer these treatments.”

There's also a lower age limit for injectables. Customers have to be 25 and you can't have a spur-of-the-moment treatment. You have to have a (free) consultation first and come back for treatment later.

With consumer trust running through John Lewis and Partners like a PDO thread, this may open up the world of aesthetic treatments to previously nervous customers.

Overall, is it a good thing?  “I think so," says Alice Hart-Davis, founder of The Tweakments Guide . "The Cavendish Clinic employs only highly trained aesthetic practitioners – doctors for the injectables, aestheticians for the facials and body contouring treatments – and they are adhering scrupulously to the highest standards. They’ll only offer injectable treatments to people over 25 years old, who must have a full consultation first, followed by a one-week cooling-off period, before treatment.”

What treatments can you get at John Lewis?

Here are some of the things you can expect (varying depending on location)

●      Advanced ‘cosmeceutical’ skincare by Skinceuticals, Heliocare, Dr Levy

●      HydraFacial skin treatments for face, body and scalp

●      Coolsculpting (fat freezing) and Emsculpt (electromagnetic body contouring)

●      Consultations for dermal filler and anti-wrinkle treatments (over 25s only and administered by doctors)

●      Laser facial sand hair removal

●      Skin peels

●      Celluma LED light therapy

●      Profhilo and Viscoderm injectables

Why these? John Lewis first asked its customers and the public whether they wanted treatments like this and if so what kind.  “This research showed that many customers are interested in advanced beauty treatments, ranging from laser hair removal to fat freezing and body sculpting and including anti-wrinkle injections. Of those interested in anti-wrinkle injections, the vast majority said they would consider John Lewis as a place to receive the treatment," John Lewis told us.

With prices starting from £85 for a 30-minute facial and £195 for one area of anti-wrinkle injections, the cost seems competitive. While they may well be 'undersold' by unlicensed practitioners (remember anyone can administer filler) this is one area where putting yourself in the hands of a trusted professional is paramount. And you can buy a great set of curtains while you're at it.

Find your John Lewis Cavendish Clinic near me .

Follow Victoria  @victoriawoodhall