The benefits of facials are endless – particularly during the cold winter months. Facials increase blood circulation in the face, giving the skin a healthy glow. Facials also exfoliate dry skin to stimulate cell turnover and collagen development.

“Facials are a process that aestheticians usually do, in which they steam and massage the face,” says Candance Kimbrough-Green, M.D., a dermatologist at Piedmont. “Serums can be incorporated to stimulate circulation and relaxation for the patient. Facials are performed in spa settings as well as within medical facilities.”  

There are many different types of facials, but choosing the right one can be confusing. Here are five tips to make your facial more successful:

1. Assess the health of your skin.

Before scheduling your facial, it’s important to consult a dermatologist to assess the health of your skin.

“You want to make sure it’s safe for you to have a facial,” says Dr. Kimbrough- Green. “Make sure you have specific recommendations from the physician. For instance, with my eczema patients, I may recommend a different type of facial.  Or if a patient has a lot of allergies or is highly sensitive, I won’t recommend that they use certain serums.”

2. Have confidence in the spa or medical facility you choose.

“Generally speaking facials are pretty safe,” says Dr. Kimbrough-Green. “But you always have to safeguard against infection. Schedule your facial in a setting where you have confidence that the equipment being used is sterile.”

If you are receiving a facial in a spa setting, you also want to make sure that your aesthetician has been properly licensed and trained.

“Overaggressive extraction of the pores can cause secondary problems – not only infection, but hyperpigmentation or darkening of the skin,” says Dr. Kimbrough-Green. “It can also cause prolonged bruising and redness of the skin. So you want to make sure the person doing the facial is doing so responsibly and as gently as they should be.”

3. Set goals for your facial.

Talk to your aesthetician and determine the goals of your visit. Is your primary goal to relax? Or are you getting a facial to help reduce acne?

It is important for your aesthetician to understand what you would like to get out of the visit because they may recommend additional procedures like microdermabrasion to diminish dark marks or collagen treatments to diminish wrinkles.

4. Apply sunscreen.

“After the skin has been exfoliated, it’s always important to apply sunscreen,” says Dr. Kimbrough-Green.

After a facial, the skin is often very sensitive, and sun exposure can be damaging. So it’s important to avoid unnecessary sun exposure.

5. See a doctor immediately if you have an allergic reaction.

It’s very important to go see your doctor if you have an allergic reaction after getting a facial. Allergic reactions include redness, swelling, or itching.

“It’s always good to take an antihistamine if it’s not prohibited by the other medications you are on prior to seeing that doctor,” explains Dr. Kimbrough-Green. “And try to seek help within 24 hours so topical steroids and other anti-inflammatories can be provided.”

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