A Pre and Post Treatment Guide
Facials are one of the most effective ways to achieve a clearer, more youthful-looking complexion; they help to restore elasticity, combat blemishes and rejuvenate your skin. As one of the least invasive treatments, they’re also one of those things that you can book regularly to keep on top of your skincare routine – and why ..
Facials are one of the most effective ways to achieve a clearer, more youthful-looking complexion; they help to restore elasticity, combat blemishes and rejuvenate your skin. As one of the least invasive treatments, they’re also one of those things that you can book regularly to keep on top of your skincare routine – and why not? Everyone knows that facial treatments are great mood-boosters too; after all, who doesn’t love feeling pampered?
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Having said that, the world of facial treatments is a complicated one. With so many options out there, it can be tricky to discern what you should go for. How can you be sure that you’ve booked the right facial for your skin type? And if you’ve got sensitive or acne-prone skin, how do you know what’s going to work for you – or whether you should get a facial at all?
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To clear things up (no pun intended), we’ve come up with a definitive guide to facials.
How Often Should You Get A Facial?
Generally speaking, experts recommend that you book a facial about once a month, though you may benefit from fewer or more treatments depending on your skin type.
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It takes 4 weeks for your skin to complete one full skin cycle. This is the process whereby new skin cells are formed at the deepest layer of the epidermis and work their way up towards the surface of the skin, before maturing and shedding. Ageing slows down our skin cycle, which is why our skin sags and wrinkles as we get older. Getting a facial more regularly helps this process along, so that you’re left with a glowing complexion.
What Should You Do Before A Facial?
Although facials are a standard beauty procedure, there are a few things to remember before getting one:
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Know your at-home products. Your esthetician is likely to ask you about your daily skincare routine. If you’re concerned about your skin, they can give you better-informed advice about what you should be using to tackle the issue; it may be that one or more of your products isn’t the best for your skin type, so it’s worth having a mental checklist of what you use every day.
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Don’t wax or shave (up to 48 hours) before a facial. Hair removal can make your skin feel more sensitive, so you’re likely to experience discomfort (like tingling or stinging) during the treatment if you’ve waxed or shaved beforehand.
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Think about what you’ve got planned. The fact is that your skin may be a little red immediately following any facial treatment – this is totally normal and to be expected. Any redness will clear up within a day, but you might want to pass on date night if you’ve spent all afternoon at the beauty salon!
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Are you taking any medication? If you’re using an oral medication that’s known to thin the skin (such as Roaccutane), it’s recommended that you discontinue use up to 3 months before getting a facial treatment.
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Avoid sun bathing and tanning beds at least one week before your treatment. If you’ve got sunburn, facials are the last thing your skin wants (or needs!). Let any sun damage properly heal before booking a treatment. After a facial, your newly-exfoliated skin will be more sensitive to the sun’s harmful rays too, so stay out of it for a few days. And remember: you should always apply sunscreen (yes, even to your face!) before heading out into the sun.
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Don’t over-exfoliate in the two or three days leading up to it. Since most facials include an exfoliating treatment anyway, it’s important not to let your skin become too sensitive before its properly buffed clean.
What Should You Do Afterwards?
To get the most out of your facial, there are a few key things to remember:
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Don’t pick your skin! Ideally, you shouldn’t do this anyway, but you really need to avoid picking at your skin after getting a facial. It’ll be especially sensitive after all the scrubbing, extractions and pore-opening treatments; messing with it some more can cause irritation – and even scarring.
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Avoid using heavy makeup. After a deep cleanse, your pores will be more open, leaving them more susceptible to bacteria. Whilst it may be tempting to load on your full-coverage foundation if your face is looking a little red, you should allow your skin to settle. Stave off makeup until the following day, and make sure you’ve cleaned your brushes and applicators thoroughly when you do apply it again.
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Sack of the gym (and the sauna!). Whilst it’s always good to work up a sweat, you should reschedule your gym session following a facial; sweat can irritate freshly exfoliated skin. Similarly, saunas are a no-go post-treatment. You’ve already been cleaned and steamed; heating your face up and steaming it some more is likely to irritate your skin or lead to broken capillaries.
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For Advanced Facials, e.g. Skin Needling:
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Your skin will be much more sensitive to the sun for several weeks after your Skin Needling treatment. To prevent adverse effects, you must avoid the sun.
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We will recommend the skin needling aftercare products that have proven results. These products are specifically created to enhance results and reduce the irritation, discolouration and sensitivity you may feel after the procedure.
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The Skin Needling procedure will leave your skin in a highly sensitive state, so we recommend that you avoid all skin care products that contain any kind of ‘active ingredients’ such as retinol, alpha hydroxyl acids and Vitamin C. You can incorporate these products back into your regime 3-5 days after your treatment, or as recommended by your experienced therapist.
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Don’t apply any kind of makeup for at least 24 hours to 48 hours after the procedure as it’s important to allow your skin barrier to heal over. Using make up brushes can irritate the open skin, and if there’s any bacteria on the brushes you run the risk of developing a skin infection.
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A Skin Needling procedure will cause heat in the skin as a natural stage of healing. If you sweat or partake in any activities that make you hot, it will create further unwanted heat in the skin. It may also allow bacteria to penetrate the skin. This can lead to infection, extended redness or an adverse skin reaction.
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Prior to and immediately after Skin Needling procedures you should avoid the use of anti-inflammatory medications, such as Ibuprofen, as they will interfere with the natural inflammatory process that is needed for optimum skin rejuvenation.
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In place of active products a very mild cleanser and barrier cream is recommended to keep your skin clean and soothe any resultant dry skin and flakiness. We can advise on the best kinds of cleansers, moisturisers and healing products to use to avoid irritation.
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You may experience some skin irritation following skin needling, therefore we recommend the use of a cooling face mask to reduce inflammation and redness, and to make your skin feel more comfortable.
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At Allure Aesthetics Clinic we always recommend that you drink plenty of water both before and after the procedure. Keeping well hydrated will assist in faster healing and skin rejuvenation.
There's no question we aren't willing to answer when it comes to helping you treat your skin.
Come in for a complimentary consultation today ..
One of the key things to remember about any treatment, is that there’s no quick fix. Facials – like any other beauty treatment – should be thought of as one part of a wider regimen. If you haven’t got your daily skincare routine down, one facial won’t be that transformative.
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It’s also unlikely that you’ll be leaving the salon with perfectly poreless skin. In fact, you may experience a break out in the days following a treatment. This is because facials pull the impurities deep within your pores to the surface; for some people, the skin gets worse before it gets better.
Ultimately though, facials detox the skin; they can remove years of built-up sebum and dead skin cells from the pores, leaving your face feeling squeaky-clean