That healthy, lit-from-within complexion that seems to be a prerequisite in Hollywood is as much the product of a strict, nutritionist-approved diet and “lots of water” as it is having the world’s best dermatologists on speed dial. A combination of lasers, peels, fillers and, yes, Botox – throughout the year ­– is the secret to achieving stellar skin in the long-term, but for movie-star radiance with next-to-no downtime, a HydraFacial is your best bet. “The Hydrafacial is more of a medical facial as opposed to lots of nice creams and lotions, and you can pretty much see the benefits immediately,” says Dr Maryam Zamani, one of London’s leading aesthetic doctors. “It helps to refine the pores, exfoliate the skin and give hydration, which I like to call the ‘dynamic trio’ in terms of giving you that glow.” Dead skin cells are sloughed off with acids and impurities are extracted with a pain-free suction tool, before the skin is drenched with hydrating ingredients. Expect a slight sheen for the first few hours as all that wonderful moisture is absorbed – and an unbeatable glow by the time you set out in the evening.

Hooking yourself up to an IV drip may sound like modern wellness hokum, but it’s a speedy way to combat sluggishness. “A drip goes directly into the bloodstream, so you’re absorbing 100 per cent of what you’re given,” says Ms Becky Baird, lead nurse at Lanserhof at the Arts Club, the well-heeled clinic on Dover Street in London. Lanserhof offers a menu of eight IV drips all based around the Myers cocktail, an infusion of vitamins pioneered by Dr Myers in the 1960s, including a “jet lag” option that consists of tiredness-busting B12, B complex and taurine. “What makes all of the infusions different is the addition of amino acids and minerals that we add to target to specific things,” explains Baird. “It takes around 24 hours for everything to be fully absorbed by the body, but you can start to feel affects directly after the infusion depending on how depleted you are of the vitamins or minerals. If you’re super jet-lagged, your body will use your B vitamins much quicker, so you’d start to feel the benefits within a couple of hours.”

If you’re looking to combat a puffy, tired complexion in a pinch, then FaceGym is the place for you. Predicated on the idea that the muscles in your face deserve a workout just like the muscles in your body, FaceGym’s treatments are designed to put your sagging skin through its paces. First, your “trainer” will warm up the muscles with some light massage, patting and prodding and swiping from the shoulders up to loosen you – and all those toxins you’re storing – right up. Then they really get in there, kneading, slapping and, depending on your package, deploying microcurrent and cryotherapy tools to amp up the results. Think of it like a deep-tissue massage for your face – because, well, that’s pretty much what it is. Only instead of coming out of there Zen and blissed out (it’s a facial, yes, but not a cucumbers-on-your-eyes, terrycloth-robe facial – the global locations are more gym-like than spa-like), you’ll instantly emerge looking like a tighter, tauter, more chiselled you. It’s perfect pre-event. “We do everyone for award shows because there’s no down time and there’s no redness,” says Ms Lauren Barnett, FaceGym’s head of brand partnerships, events and VIP. “We’re your best friend, wherever you’re going.”

For godlike skin that looks immediately younger and smoother, mesotherapy is a golden ticket. It involves injecting a cocktail of vitamins and antioxidants into the mesoderm (an inner layer of the skin), but the needles are so fine that you’ll barely feel it, says Dr Joney De Souza, who runs his eponymous clinic in London’s Marylebone. “I like to use a high amount of hyaluronic acid to make the skin look super hydrated, so that fine lines and any crepiness of the skin disappear after treatment,” he explains. “It takes about 12 to 20 injections overall, but the needles are super fine, very small and non-invasive.” Payoff is immediate and lasts for three to six months, but for maximum results Dr De Souza advises a course of six to eight sessions – and then maintenance treatments once or twice a year.

These days, around 40 per cent of the clients at Mr James Harknett’s award-winning spray-tanning studio in London’s glitzy W Hotel (or calling in his services at home) are men. “I get a lot of first-timers and there’s trepidation – they don’t want to look orange, they don’t want to look silly, they want to look like them – but holiday them,” he says. “With my tans, I want people to say to them, ‘You look well.’” The secret to a natural finish is part prep – clients are advised to avoid hair removal beforehand and give any dry patches a good scrub. From there, it’s about understanding each person’s unique undertone – Harknett caters to everyone from those with fair, blue-ish skin who want all-over bronzing to darker-skinned guys simply hoping to even things out a little – and then selecting the right product accordingly. More than simply imparting a post-vacation gleam, a spray tan “can make you feel very toned, very svelte, very athletic,” says Harknett. “If you haven’t been to gym for a while, have a tan – it does all the work!” And while it’s ultimately a short-term solution that should last you a good week, swearing off sunbathing is one of the wisest decisions you can make in the long run.