Such transformations don’t need to be the preserve of the stars. Once in a while it does all of us good to reinvent ourselves and start afresh. And what more pleasant way to plan your “new look” than by leaving all your troubles and your cares behind at home and treating yourself to a relaxing spa weekend break…

By planning carefully and booking ahead, you can take full advantage of every minute you spend at one of the country’s leading health resorts, benefiting from as many as possible of the exciting range of beauty treatments and activities on offer at today’s state-of-the-art spas.

For a complete face and body makeover and the ultimate new look, you could start your spa break with a body treatment – such as the Decleor Refining Hip and Thigh Contour. Specifically designed to target troublesome areas (thighs, hips, bottom and stomach etc), it draws on the revolutionary cellulite-blitzing properties of the Decleor contour range.

This exclusive cocktail of eight essential oils is clinically proven to help reduce the appearance of orange peel and relieve water retention. It redefines the contours of the body, leaving your skin softer, looking smoother and feeling sculpted.

Next stop, your face! And at the top UK spas, you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to indulgent, nurturing facial treatments – like the Elemis Tri Enzyme Resurfacing Facial. This ground-breaking anti-ageing facial is the stuff that dreams are made of, instantly resurfacing and smoothing your skin, helping it to look younger.

Clinically proven to visibly resurface your skin by up to 70 per cent and increase its smoothness by up to 32 per cent after just one application, this unique treatment targets blemishes, uneven skin tone, fine lines and superficial scarring.

Using pioneering precision layering of three targeted enzyme serums, the treatment safely and effectively removes the thickening layer of the epidermis, leaving skin fabulously smooth and radiant beneath, and bringing a renewed level of evenness and clarity to the complexion. It’ll get your new look off to a flying start.

Now your hands and nails… And a Leighton Denny Luxury Crystal Hand Therapy is just what they need to keeping them looking and feeling fabulous.
You won’t recognise your own hands after this luxury treatment, which helps to combat the signs of premature ageing, improves skin tone and stimulates your circulation. The result: hands and nails that the “new you” can be proud of.

And for those finishing touches? A half-hour make-up application session using either Clarins or Christian Dior products will leave you looking a million dollars. Finally, if you want to really ring the changes during your pampering weekend, you can round off your spa transformation by booking yourself in for weaved highlights and a restyle.

So if you’re in the mood for change, start planning your spa weekend break now and get ready to reinvent yourself… And, of course, once your exciting new look is complete, it’s the perfect opportunity to hold an impromptu party for friends and family so they can admire the fabulous new you!

Sam Cam, as she has been referred to in the latest raft of headlines to grace the British newspapers, would be well advised to ensure that she schedules in some “me time” in the coming weeks – impossible as that may seem.  It’s certainly going to be a frenetic period for her at a time when she may already be tired.

What Sam would no doubt benefit from is an occasional oasis of calm amidst the hubbub of hustings and innumerable encounters with a host of people she may never set eyes on again in her life, yet whose combined vote may be vital in securing her husband his much longed for role at the head of the British government.

Of course, where on earth she might actually find such peace and tranquillity is quite another question…

Fortunately, however, there are rare places where it is still possible to escape from the outside world completely and experience total relaxation – and they’re called spas!

A pamper day can include your choice of treatments and activities, selected from an extensive range that caters to the needs of both body and soul.

If you’ve never been to a spa before, or not been for a while, you’re sure to be astonished by the myriad of different pamper options available at a modern, state-of-the-art health resort.

Whether you want to restore ragged nails to their former glory, rejuvenate tired skin and eyes, bask in the gloriously blue waters of the luxury spa pool or simply rest – and then rest some more … you can do all this and more during a pamper day at your local spa.

And if you’re more than three months into your pregnancy, you can take advantage of the special pampering packages that most leading UK spas offer mums-to-be, to help them de-stress and adjust to the gradual changes in their body and mood.

There are numerous soothing, gentle treatments which lend themselves perfectly to pregnant mums, including relaxing facials and a range of pampering hand and foot therapies.

A pamper day in the hallowed environment of the spa sanctuary offers mums-to-be – and indeed any mother! – the perfect chance for some precious time out, well away from the pressures of work, the demands of toddlers… or stressed, speech-writing husbands.

Meanwhile, another study – this time conducted by scientists at Tel Aviv University – has revealed that happily married men are 64% less likely to suffer a stroke than single or unhappily married men.

The logical – and unsurprising – deduction from the results of both these studies is that happiness is good for your heart.  Just “be happy”, and your chances of living longer will increase.  But is it really that simple?

Staying happy at all times would be no problem if everything in our lives ran smoothly from sunup until sundown, and we were able to spend our days on a permanent spa break, without a care in the world. However, as most of us inhabit planet earth rather than cloud cuckoo land, life doesn’t tend to be all plain sailing.

Most of us confront a multitude of stressful situations over the course of our lives – be they impossible deadlines to meet at work, unexpected family crises,  financial worries, health scares (our own or loved ones).  The list of possible stress-inducing factors seems to be endless…

So how, amidst all the tensions thrown up by modern-day living, can we ensure that our lives are still as happy as they can possibly be?  Well, a good starting point is to take good care of your most important asset(s): yourself and – if you’re lucky enough to be one of those happily married man referred to in the Tel Aviv study – your wife!

This doesn’t mean you need to buy the love of your life a diamond ring every day – she only has ten fingers, after all.  A more realistic – and affordable – alternative would be to surprise the lovely lady in your life with a treat that’s certain to make her happy. And when it comes to treats, a romantic spa break certainly fits the bill.

Spa breaks are fabulously flexible, allowing the two of you to spend as much or as little time in each other’s company as you like by day, before sharing a romantic meal in the evening – the perfect chance to exchange notes on your spa experiences as you dine on the finest, not to mention healthiest, of fare.

Afterwards you may choose to enjoy a gentle evening swim in the candlelit waters of the luxurious aquamarine spa lagoon – or, if it’s summer time, a gentle stroll round the gardens at dusk is always a pleasant way to finish the day.

By booking well in advance, you’ll have plenty of time to do your homework and find out about the cornucopia of opportunities open to you at your spa destination.  You can plan your spa visit down to the finest detail, choosing the beauty treatments and leisure activities that most appeal to each of you.

There are few things more likely to make us happier than spending time with someone we love in calm, serene surroundings of a spa, being pampered and indulged at every turn. This is where a spa break really comes into its own.

Researchers at the Walter Reed Army Institute split a group of volunteers into two sub-groups, then allowed one sub-group to have more sleep than usual for a week, while the other sub-group had the same amount of sleep as they normally did.

During the second week of the study, the whole group were allowed just three hours of sleep a night, and researchers set them various tasks and activities – some more complex than others.

It quickly became apparent that the volunteers who had been allowed to sleep more in the first week were better equipped to face the sleep deprivation, faring noticeably better in the challenges than those who had only had their regular amount of sleep.

In the words of study leader Tracy Rupp, those who had had extra sleep “showed less performance deterioration with regards to reaction time and alertness than the group that had been given the habitual prior sleep.” The study also found that the people who had stored sleep recovered more quickly from the experiment.

With regard to “napping”, Ms Rupp commented: “Although this study didn’t use napping, it has been shown to be very effective, at least improving performance in the short term.”

Of course, it’s all very well dreaming of more sleep, but the reality is that our home and work environments often don’t allow us time for those extra zzzs. And that’s where spa weekends come into their own.

The calm, relaxing ambience of a spa resort, combined with the fact that you can choose how much – or how little – you do during your two or three-day stay, means that you can accumulate sleep stocks in anticipation of an especially busy period ahead.

After a day spent sampling a variety of activities and therapies, ranging from Pilates and meditation to Body Balancing and Reiki , you’ll find that sleep comes naturally – and that you’re in the perfect place to sleep longer and more deeply than at home.

Whether you choose to embark on spa weekends on your own or in the company of a few good friends, you’ll find that the UK’s state-of-the-art spas and health resorts offer an ideal opportunity to build up your reserves, allowing your body the chance to recharge its energies, ready to cope with the most demanding of schedules.

You know just how much you love and adore your mum, and how much you appreciate everything she does for you. But does she know it?

One way of reminding her in no uncertain terms is to organise a mother’s day treat that shows you’ve really thought about her gift.  In other words, that you’ve not just dashed into the local supermarket to grab the first faintly attractive floral tribute that you set eyes on or the first box of chocolates from the shelf closest to the door.

Sound familiar?  If it does, you can make sure that this year is different by planning well ahead and choosing a gift that will leave your mum in absolutely no doubt about how much you appreciate everything she’s done for you over the years – be it mopping grazed knees, baking your favourite cake or simply being there for you.

Gifts don’t come much more thoughtful than spa vouchers, which not only deliver a wonderful surprise on Mother’s Day itself, but also hold the promise of a truly indulgent experience to come. Anticipation of a forthcoming treat can be almost as much fun as the real thing (though, of course, the real thing is even better!).

The other benefit of spa gifts for mums is that your mum can enjoy the excitement of being able to choose treatments and therapies that she may have secretly wanted to try for years.  But, of course – being the selfless person that she is – she would never have dreamt of spending money on herself rather than on her family.

And, with modern-day spas offering an extensive range of indulgent pampering options in a luxurious setting, there’s never been a better time to sample the delights of the spa environment – whether you’re the mum of a toddler, teenager or adult.

Most leading health resorts in the UK offer special Mother’s Day packages, such as the Clarins Mother and Daughter Day, which give mums and their grown-up girls precious “time out” together – a rare commodity in today’s frenetic world.

By treating your mum (or even your mother-in-law…) to a spa voucher for mother’s day, you can say everything that needs to be said about how much they mean to you – without saying a word!

If you’re worried that the credit crunch will take the romance out of Valentine’s Day this year, worry no more – as it doesn’t need to, provided you choose your romantic gift carefully.

Granted, the recent financial squeeze has left everyone watching the pennies in almost every area of their lives…  But there’s still one original gift for Valentine’s Day that won’t break the bank: a present small enough to fit in the envelope with your card – yet big enough to make a real impression on your loved one.

So what is this mystery gift? Well, I won’t keep you in suspense for a moment longer: it’s a spa voucher – a fast ticket to a fabulously slow world of indulgence and relaxation. And a perfect present for anyone you care about.

Pampering knows no bounds in the modern spa world, where every aspect of each spa guest’s comfort is instinctively catered for, with no fuss.

The whole health resort experience is geared to ensuring that visitors are enveloped in a blanket of tranquillity from the moment they arrive until the moment they depart at the end of a perfect day – de-stressed and revitalised.

By giving your beloved Valentine a spa voucher on the 14th, you’ll be gifting them the chance to enjoy some precious “me” time and to feel really special – just as they are really special to you.

Britain’s top health resorts and hydros offer spa vouchers in different denominations, so you can choose the value that you wish and leave it to your lucky recipient to choose the date that suits them. They can also select treatments and activities they’d like to try from an extensive range including facials, massages, saunas and workouts.

A spa voucher couldn’t be simpler to purchase or to use, so it keeps life easy for you while being sure to bring a surprised smile to the face of your delighted loved one on February 14th.

Life is so much less complicated when your Valentine’s Day card is also the gift. No wrapping to wrestle with at the last minute and – more importantly – no worrying about whether your Valentine will like their gift (they will!). Spa vouchers are, quite simply, the epitome of the perfect Valentine’s gift.

Unless you were residing in the most far-flung corner of the UK over the Christmas and New Year period, with only a few rabbits for company and no access to the modern media, it would have been virtually impossible be unaware that the BBC was bidding a festive farewell to one of its most popular Dr Whos.

On 1st January 2010, some 11.5 million viewers tuned in to witness the outgoing – and admittedly rather eye-catching – Doctor, David Tenant, regenerate into an equally attractive new life form to entertain us in the next series.

The whole process looked a bit uncomfortable and stressful, but of course it didn’t need to be like that…

For in real life, regenerating your whole system can actually be a rather pleasant experience.  For example, you could book yourself in for a restorative weekend break at one of the UK’s top spas and leave two days later feeling (almost!) like a new person.

Modern-day spa treatments extend well beyond the traditional standard fare of facial and massage, plus sauna and a swim. The range of pampering opportunities offered by professional therapists at state-of-the-art British spa resorts is long and, dare I say it, even bewildering.

So let’s just take a quick look at a few of the wonderfully relaxing and enhancing treatments on offer at certain UK spas…

Even some of their names inspire ultimate relaxation – such as ILI’TYA The Dreaming. This three-hour, one-on-one spa therapy session harnesses a range of different therapies to banish impurities from your system and restore clarity and balance.

Or perhaps you’d rather try the more traditional sounding Clarins Advanced Face & Body… Billed as “everything a great top-to-toe treatment should be”, this treatment uses intensive concentrates of plant extracts and essential oils to relax and contour your skin.

Two other superb full body treatments are the Crystal Wand Massage and the Elemis Absolute Spa Ritual.

The wands used in the former are smooth crystal ones, made of calming Rose Quartz, with the treatment combining traditional massage techniques, pressure points, crystal therapy and a blend of essential oils to relax tired muscles and clear energy pathways.

In the second treatment, you can choose from one of the unique Elemis Advanced Anti-Ageing Facials and combine it with either a gentle or a more vigorous massage.

Another anti-ageing treatment that is absolutely blissful for tired skin is the Decleor Anti-Ageing Face & Body, which combines invigorating exfoliation with expert Aromatic Massage using 100% pure and natural body care products.

If only the good Doctor had investigated the array of amazing spa treatments on offer, he could have saved himself a lot of – very public – anguish, and instead undergone a more private regeneration process amidst the enviable peace and quiet of a luxury spa.

So it came as no surprise when a team of scientists from Oxford University recently proved that exercising in a group creates higher levels of feel-good endorphin hormones naturally released during physical exercise than working out on your own does.

The scientists carried out tests on 12 rowers who had just completed a demanding workout in a virtual boat. They found that the rowers who trained alone were less resistant to pain – a key measure of endorphins – than the ones who exercised together.

Of course, exercise shouldn’t really be about pain. It should be about finding ways of getting fit that are appropriate for your age and ability and about having fun at the same time – preferably in good company.

One way of achieving all of the above is by getting together three or four like-minded colleagues and friends, and booking one of the many and varied group spa packages that are available from leading spas around the UK.

Packages can be tailored to suit the age, experience and interests of your group, so you can prepare a day or weekend programme that contains an activity and/or spa treatment that everyone can enjoy.

With the possibilities ranging from relaxing facials and guided meditation to invigorating country walks and exercise classes (on land or in the water), spa days are made for sharing with a few close friends and family.

But, of course, if you’d rather be a lone spa-rrow than rub feathers with the flock, there’s ample opportunity to fly solo at a health resort too.

You can take things really leisurely, indulge yourself with an Indian head massage, try an exercise class or two without worrying what anybody you know thinks about your salsa skills (or lack of them!), or simply read a book in silence in the tranquil, inspiring surrounds of your chosen spa. If it all sounds idyllic, that’s because it is!

After a couple of days of indulgent peace and quiet, you’ll feel truly refreshed and rejuvenated from head to toe – and ready to face the madding crowds again.

For anyone not in the know, collagen is the elastic material that helps give your skin its shape. In recent years, it has been much used by plastic and cosmetic surgeons to “fill out” fine lines – and indeed it features in the list of ingredients of many leading anti-wrinkle creams.

A number of health experts remain to be convinced that ingesting collagen offers any tangible beauty benefits, but the product has already been launched in Singapore, and the rave reviews it has generated there would seem to fly in the face of European and American sceptics.

It is probably only a matter of time before collagen-infused coffee is found on UK shelves. But if, like me, you’re not a keen coffee drinker, don’t despair – there is also a bevy of beauty treatments which can give your skin a revitalising boost. Better still, they are likely to take effect a lot faster than collagen coffee.

Modern-day spas offer an extensive range of facials and other beauty treatments that are ideal for the succession of tired, often stress-ravaged, faces that cross the threshold of their treatment rooms.

Depending on your skin type and what you’re hoping to achieve, you can select from treatments that rejoice in names such as  “Oily Skin Rescuer”, “Thirsty Skin Soother”, “Re-vital Eyes” and Li’Tya Mikiri (the latter involving Aboriginal-inspired massage techniques).

Another extremely innovative treatment which is worth trying is the Pro Collagen Quartz Lift Anti-Ageing Facial from Elemis. This luxurious treatment harnesses the power of Padina Pavonica in synergy with Quartz, Tourmaline, Rhodochrosite and Malachite and other minerals to re-energise cell communication.

The result is a firmer, uplifted more youthful appearance – and all in just 70 minutes. I suspect you’d need to drink a cornucopia of cups of collagen coffee in 70 minutes to compete with that…

One family gift that is likely to attract its fair share of attention is the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus, which recently became the first-ever computer game to win approval from the Department of Health, entitling it to carry logos from the Change4Life campaign.

UK citizens are often lambasted in the press because of their “couch potato” mentality. Change4Life aims to motivate people of all ages to take more exercise and eat more healthily. A Department of Health spokeswoman praised the new Wii, saying:

“Active video games, where kids need to jump up and down or dance about as part of the game, are a great way to gets kids moving more.”

Sounds like a perfect Christmas present for the youngsters then.  But what about middle-aged and older members of the family?  It may well take a little more than all-singing, all-dancing computer graphics to motivate them off the couch, leaping around like spring lambs.

If you have a family member who you suspect should be taking more exercise – not to mention more care of their health – one way of introducing them to the benefits of exercising and healthy living is by packing them off to a spa for the weekend.

Short spa breaks make great Christmas gifts, being just long enough to provide a tantalising taste of the healthy lifestyle, and giving spa guests an opportunity to experience the pleasures of exercise – albeit gentle to start with!

Once they’ve spent a couple of days gliding through the balmy blue waters of a spa lagoon, strolling around the health resort’s grounds or mastering energetic aerobics moves, they’ll begin to love the warm feeling of well-being that comes from within if you’re eating, exercising and sleeping well.

So if you’re looking for a gift that’s “good value” – in every sense of the words – why not treat someone you care about to an experience that could change their lives for the better.