DIY facelift zaps wrinkles

We have seen the nicotine patch, the testosterone patch and the HRT patch.

Now make way for the do-it-yourself temporary facelift patch.

An Israeli manufacturer has come up with a disposable electrical moisturising patch which it claims will get rid of wrinkles and other signs of ageing.

It promises to be much kinder on the pocket than similar beauty salon treatments and can be used in the comfort of your own home.

The results are immediate and the aim is to get you through a special evening where you have to look your best.

But, like Cinderella, the wearer would do well to remember that the magic does not last until dawn.

The PowerCosmetics Vitalizer patch was invented by PowerPaper, a company based in Tel Aviv, and is designed to be used once and thrown away.

The patch contains a wafer-thin battery made from ink and paper, impregnated with hydrogel moisturiser. When it comes into contact with the skin, the circuit is complete, creating a tiny electrical current of up to three volts which stimulates the skin and relaxes the pores.

The manufacturer claims that as a result the moisturiser penetrates the skin 100 times more effectively than it would normally do.

Spokesman Daniela Mavor explained: 'It's like a temporary facelift except you do it in the comfort of your own home. It's completely disposable and environment-friendly and there are no side-effects.'

The Vitalizer has already been tested by hundreds of women and could go on sale within a year.

Miss Mavor, who described herself as '50-plus', said she was one of the first people to test the patch and still uses it regularly.

'I use it on my crow's feet and I look ten to 20 years younger,' she claimed. 'The result is very visible.

'Each patch will cost only a few pounds. It's only designed to work for eight hours, but many of the women in our trials say their friends have noticed the effects several days later.

'Unlike a facelift or other surgical treatment, you look rejuvenated but the skin is not actually stretched. It's just feeding from the moisture we are injecting inside.'

She said the firm is also working on another patch, the Enhancer, which uses the same technology but can be used with existing cosmetics to treat skin problems.

'Using the Enhancer, we found the same cosmetics were giving results within weeks or even days, instead of the usual two to three months.'