Japanese pure gold facials offer a dazzling promise

They say Cleopatra maintained her youth by wearing a face mask of pure gold to bed. Now in luxury-obsessed Japan, you too can gild your features and feel like a modern-day queen. A Japanese firm showcased this week a "pure gold skin treatment" which investors say rejuvenates the skin and helps remove wrinkles and blemishes.

Gold leaf is placed on the face to accelerate cell growth in the basal layer of the skin, Umo Inc. said. "The effects of gold include anti-ageing. It can also remove wrinkles and blemishes that women often worry about," said a spokesman for the company which developed the therapy last year. The luxurious treatment is available at some 30 salons and spas across Japan and one session, which lasts between one and two hours, starts at 20,000 yen ($170). "My face started feeling warm when they finished applying gold. It feels luxurious and I feel spoilt," said Satomi Ogura, 32, who tried the treatment at the Beautyworld Japan 2007, the country's biggest beauty expo.