A facial massage that feels more like an annual checkup - assessing hydration, elasticity and epidermal water loss - is an intriguing way to start a spa treatment. Dr. Philippe Allouche of the French skin care line Biologique Recherche has been practicing medical beauty since the early 1990s. His clinical, holistic "Bio-Lift" facial at the Peninsula Spa in New York professes to reshape the face. T spoke to Dr. Allouche about the virtues of electrical currents, the healing power of the hand and his golden rule: never, ever do steam extractions. Your facials are said to actually change the shape of one's face. At the core of my approach is deep stimulation of the skin as well as fluid drainage of the face, skull and neck. The combination of all of these targeted actions resculpts facial structure. At the start of the facial you mentioned measuring hydration and elasticity. What exactly do you assess? I assess superficial hydration, then measure skin elasticity, pigmentation and sebum. The skin is cleansed and exfoliated to minimize pores, then the triple-lift process begins, with two lift treatments - customized serums and masks, using high concentrations of marine, botanical and biotechnical extracts - and bio-electrotherapy to deeply hydrate and resculpt the face. The massage feels good, but then you pull and pinch. It's deep tissue facial stimulation, drainage and muscle stimulation. How often do you need to do this to keep the "lift" up? Even the best techniques need maintenance. My suggestion is to have the first three facials within 15 days. Then you can maintain the results by having the facial every three weeks. I recommend three weeks because it is the length of the epidermal renewing cycle. You were aghast at the suggestion of steam, and steam extractions, or in fact any heat above the neck. Steaming the epidermis with the goal of cleaning clogged sebum - extraction - has been erased from regular salon procedures for a while in Europe. The steam provokes a release of heat shock proteins, signaling heat aggression to the system. Simply put, heat is perceived as a real threat to the skin and will throw its delicate balance. Your facials are pricey. Any tips for D.I.Y. treatments? There are very simple things you can do. For example, anything massaged onto the skin should be done from the neck toward the forehead and from the inner part of the face towards the outer part. This is extremely important. For the upper lip, you can use a Q-tip full of Biologique Recherche lotion P50 and work your lip contour by stimulating the area from the lip towards the nose in vertical movements. May I ask your age? Do you use the massage on yourself? I'm 51, and yes, I am doing the simple massage, every day for three minutes in front of my mirror as I apply my moisturizer. But unfortunately, not so often facials. The facials are what keep us looking really young because they result in healthy, balanced and glowing skin. I look a little puffy because I just arrived from China and the plane always does that. Dr. Philippe Allouche's Bio-Lift facial at the Peninsula Spa, $350; (212) 903-3910; peninsula.com.