IWAS warned before setting foot in this smart beauty parlour that it wasn’t going to be a relaxing treatment.

The idea behind this system is that your body is wrapped in bandages soaked in a warm mineral-rich sea clay solution and that solution — containing minerals such as zinc and magnesium — is great for clearing the system of all the nasties we accumulate.

It also rejuvenates a dull skin tone, promotes healthy circulation and the big plus is you lose inches.

The bandages are left on for an hour and act like a giant poultice drawing out all the trapped toxins.

The only downside is the measuring.

Seeing your waist and hip measurements on paper is a real eye-opener particularly if, like me, you’ve been avoiding the scales and those skinny jeans for longer than you care to remember.

The therapist measures several points on arms, legs and body and you are then measured again after the treatment to see how many inches you have lost.

This is a fairly lengthy procedure as is the bandage wrapping which has to be done standing up.

There’s nothing glamorous about the procedure and you do have to be prepared to bare almost all, but with the promise of losing inches then it’s worth any amount of standing around.

There is no pain involved, no discomfort and the therapists make you feel perfectly at ease.

By the time you are finished you resemble an Egyptian mummy and need help to step into a silver suit that keeps the heat in.

The best bit — by far — is lying on the heated bed and falling asleep to relaxing music for an hour as the clay works its magic.

There was an option of reading, but to be honest that was just too much effort. Once the hour was up the therapist removed the bandages and re-measured me and to my delight I’d lost a total of 6.6 inches, which included a whole inch from my stomach.

Apparently some people get an even better result, and so much so that many brides opt for a wrap before their wedding.

My skin felt soft as velvet and dry areas on my legs were now refreshed and revived.

There was very little residual clay and that was easily wiped away.

What the treatment helped to do was start me on my way to a healthier eating regime.

I went straight out and bought lots of vegetables and fruit and have continued to eat as sensibly as possible since then.

You have to avoid caffeine and fatty food — there are other no-go foods and drink — for a few days after the treatment but, to be honest, I didn’t want to ruin what had been achieved and was happy not to eat chocolate or drink coffee.

The treatment costs £50 for a full body wrap but you can have a partial wrap — targeting problem areas like tums and thighs — for £35.