Last week, we were talking about some of the strangest and somewhat most disturbing ingredients scientists have mixed into our face creams, in the hope that one (or all) of them will finally put a stop to aging and effectively fight off any other type of skin damage. However, despite the fact that we're putting everything from viper venom to snail slime on our faces, we're still looking for the magical anti-aging solution. This may sound a little like the quest for the Fountain of Youth - or the Philosophers' Stone, that mythical substance said to turn everything into gold. The real surprise is that as far as gold is concerned, we may be in for a little surprise, as the precious metal may turn out to be a blessing for our faces.

Gold has long been known for its many beneficial properties, particularly its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Everyone from the ancient Egyptians to Romans used it both for purely medicinal purposes and for beauty treatments. Nowadays, modern scientists are once again using gold to turn back the time on our skin and make it look younger and healthier. There are few concrete scientific studies that support this theory, although gold has many faithful advocates who praise its legendary powers of healing and rejuvenation.

"Gold appears to slow down collagen depletion and the breakdown of elastin to prevent sagging skin", claims Kathryn Danzey, who has decided to make a living out of importing a gold facial treatment initially developed in Japan into Western countries. "It stimulates cellular growth of the deepest layer of the skin to regenerate healthy, firm skin cells and provide a tightening effect. Its anti-inflammatory properties are also thought to decrease skin inflammation and seem to slow down melanin secretion and thus reduce age spots. The skin looks wonderful afterwards", she says.

And if you're not happy with simply putting gold onto your skin, you can opt for a bolder procedure called Gold Thread Lift skin rejuvenation treatment. This means that under local anesthetic, gold filaments are "threaded" within the skin to create a net-like structure under its surface. One of the few cosmetic surgeons in Europe to provide this treatment explains the underlying principle. "This network provides a mechanical support to the overlaying skin and triggers production of collagen and elastin fibres around the thread", says Dr Alexandra Chambers. "New blood vessels appear in the area, skin becomes firmer and thicker with a better blood supply. It can be effective for up to ten years", she adds referring to the procedure that can be used on the face, neck, décolletage, arms, legs and abdomen.