As the lucky winner of our competition, Norma Ellis is being transformed with cosmetic treatments worth £10,000. Women's Editor Sarah Foster finds out more about her prize

IT is a thought most women have: what wouldn't I give to look more youthful?, and in a recent competition we gave one reader just this chance. To mark the launch of Face Clinique, a salon based in central Darlington, we got together with the firm to give away a stunning prize - the opportunity to benefit from procedures worth £10,000.

We asked each entrant to write in explaining why they needed help and it was staff at Face Clinique who had to choose a worthy winner. As salon owner Paul Ambler says, they felt that Norma was ideal.

"She fitted our client profile better than anybody else," he explains. "She was somebody who had reached a certain age and was feeling a bit down about how she looked. Also, there's an ethical consideration, so to select somebody who had been through an emotional mill might not have been ethically correct.

"If somebody is looking for aesthetics as an answer to life's problems, it generally isn't, and if we do go ahead with treatment, generally they're not going to be happy because it hasn't changed their life. It's more about adding that bit of confidence - a spring in your step."

The type of service that's on offer is non-surgical and safe, so clients never need to worry that their treatments might go wrong. The first thing Paul insists on is that they're thoroughly assessed. "On Norma's first visit, we did a full analysis using the Visia skin analysis system," he says. "We started with a set of chemical peels on the face, which rejuvenate the appearance of the skin, and the next stage was Botox therapy to the upper face - the lines around the eyes and the forehead. Next, we're going to do dermafillers for the lower face and upper lip, which are a gel that acts like a sponge to even out creases. We're doing some teeth whitening with Enlighten deep bleaching, which guarantees a good result, and then finally we're going to do a course of Dermalift, a non-surgical facelift."

To go with Norma's youthful looks she'll have her hair done by a stylist based at Darlington's Taylor Wood and will choose a new outfit from The Tailor in the town.

The lucky winner, who's 57 and a mum-of-two from Darlington, says she'd only ever dreamed of being pampered in this way. "I've always watched these programmes on TV and one of the things I did look at was teeth whitening, but of course it's very expensive," says Norma. "That was just one of the possible prizes in this makeover and I thought 'gosh, it would be lovely', so I just entered. I'm not one of those people who goes to hairdressers and wears make-up so I thought it would be lovely to be pampered'."

As Norma readily admits, she left the treatments up to Paul, not knowing which would suit her best and bring the optimum results. Although she was a little nervous, she says he put her mind at rest. "To be honest I've heard horror stories so when I came to Paul I was a bit dubious, but he was so professional and I just put myself in his hands," says Norma.

Now mid-way through her transformation, there is a difference to her skin. She says the lustre has returned - and she could not be more delighted. "Everyone in the office and my friends have been watching and they've noticed the texture and colour come back," says Norma, who works for Darlington Borough Council. "Every step has been quite exciting - it's like a lizard shedding its skin and starting again. I would certainly recommend it. I know two of my friends are now going to come."

* Face Clinique, 16 Woodlands Road, Darlington DL3 7PL, 01325-381888.

* Norma's stunning new look will be revealed on the Echo Woman page when she has finished all her treatments.