A facial is a common and widely popular skincare treatment. It is a multi-step manual treatment that generally takes an hour and so to perform. Right from when you walk into the clinic to when you come out with radiant and younger looking skin, you will feel you are in a beauty heaven. It is an amazing and easiest way to do away with a stressful week that seriously affected your skin. If you want to take your skincare game up a notch and want to give it an extra TLC rather than the everyday cleansing toning moisturising, get a facial and turn your dull and dreary skin into flawless and healthy one. It can get you rid of your pesky skin problems and give you a healthy looking skin in just an hour. It is an excellent and proven skincare treatment for achieving glowing skin.

Steps involved in a facial

As we mentioned earlier, a facial is a multi-step treatment that packs a number of skincare activities into one beneficial process. It starts with cleansing your face with a gentle cleanser to get all the dirt, sweat and oil off from face. It involves getting the makeup off, cleaning grime and dirt from face to unlock clean and fresh skin. The next step is steaming which helps moisturise and relax your skin and opens pores for better cleansing. This is followed up with exfoliation with a scrub to remove deep settled oil and dirt, blackheads and whiteheads. Next step is the face massage. Usually done with a facial cream, face massage is the most relaxing part of the facial. It helps uplift your skin, tone it and hydrate it from within. Then you are pampered with 15-20 minutes of face masking session to give that extra boost of hydration and relax your skin. Then, it is toning time. The pores that open during steaming close during toning. It cleans your skin thoroughly and maintains the pH balance. The facial is then wrapped up with a face pack and then a nourishing moisturiser to lock in the moisture and keep skin healthy and hydrated.

Types of facial

There are a lot of facial treatments available in the beauty world for every skin type, occasion and age group. With a new one introducing every other day such as LED facial, salt facial and crystal facial, you will never run out of options. The basic ones include a hydrating fruit facial, brightening facial, cleansing facial and more, while the more advanced ones like paraffin facials, chemical peel facials, de tan facials and collagen facials are specific to skin problems and age.
For example, if you are struggling with breakouts, you can get an anti-acne facial which uses skincare products that help your acne-prone skin. Similarly, an anti-ageing facial will help you curb the visible aging signs such as wrinkles, fine lines, crow’s feet, dark spots, dullness and dark circles. Also, for special occasions like wedding or a glamourous affair, there are facials that give you a glow of a lifetime. You can also opt for a fun and relaxing facial like a chocolate facial or therapeutic facials to wind down and chill after a hectic week.

The results of a facial

Let’s end this comprehensive guide on facials and what you can expect from them by finding out what really is the outcome of these facial treatments. Apart from doing away with your skin issues, facials leave your skin incredibly soft and plump. You notice a visible glow on your skin and a brighter and radiant complexion. Regular facials can keep aging signs at bay and keep your skin from sagging for much longer as face massages during facials work on making skin firmer and younger. It has long lasting results and can help you maintain clear and healthy skin that is well-hydrated and spotless. After getting a facial, you might have to wait for a couple of days for the effects to show on your skin and thus it is recommended to get a facial 2-3 days before any special event. But once you have experienced the pampering beauty treatment, which is also the best way to care for your skin, and seen its excellent results on your face, there’s no going back.

Who can get a facial?

So, now you know what a facial is and what all skincare steps it includes, but what is the right age to get a facial? How early is too early to get a facial and how often should you get it? Although your skin problems start as early as your teenage; it is recommended that you wait until you are at least 20 to get a facial. Until then you can carry out proper cleansing at home yourself and stick to a good skincare regimen that works for your skin type.
If you are between 18-25, you can get a facial for special occasions or once in two months, minimum, to maintain the glowing and youthful skin. Keep it as a once-in-two-months thing and you are good. Anyone beyond 20 years of age benefits most from facials and can actually kick premature ageing signs, hormonal acne, dull skin and blemish in the curb with the help of a regular facial treatment. As it involves facial massage and exfoliating, getting on a monthly basis or once in three weeks can help you retain your glow, eliminate skin woes and get younger looking and flawless skin.

For normal to dry skin, choose a facial that includes deep cleansing, a moisturising massage and steam treatment to remove extra dirt. Opt for a moisturising mask or a hydrating serum to finish off. If your skin is on the dry side, avoid too much exfoliating.

Setting those factors aside, the general recommendation is for a facial every 3-4 weeks or once a month. That’s how long your skin’s life cycle is. After 3 or 4 weeks, your skin cells grow back. Facials help this process and assure your skin always glows.

Many professionals suggest that the time to start taking care of skin with facials is around age 14. That is the time when skin begins to change and when blackheads, bumps, and acne start to appear. While it may be sooner or later for some teens, the beginning of puberty is a good guideline.

Facials help to renew skin cells by circulating the blood flow under the skin, which then can decrease puffiness and fluid build up that comes from our lymphatic system. Good circulation is important in that it brings oxygen, proteins and nutrition to the skin, while ridding our skin of toxins.

A facial is one of the oldest treatments in the world for good reason – the results of this treatment can last for several weeks and enhance the tone, texture, and overall appearance of your skin. Usually, the results of the facial will last for about 4-6 weeks for most skin types.

● Avoid putting on makeup or other facial products for at least 6 hours after your treatment.
● Avoid picking at your skin or use abrasive skincare products like scrubs for at least 72 hours after your treatment.
● Stay away from direct heat for up to 48 hours after your treatment.

Regular facials can prevent common skin issues, erase discoloration and scarring, reverse signs of aging, aid in the absorption of skincare products, remove toxins from your skin, and make you look and feel more youthful and less stressed.

In particular, it is important to wear sunscreen before and after any facial treatment such as a facial, a chemical peel, or another type of treatment.