The Style Glossy: Beauty Counter
By Laurie Drake for The Style Glossy –
While many of us are pretty religious about making hair appointments, we tend to let things slide when it comes to facials. All that coddling with lotions and potions seems so indulgent, it’s easy to pooh-pooh the results of a facial. “A facial will keep your skin healthy and hydrated and also protect it from the environment,” says dermatologist Howard Murad, M.D., associate clinical professor of medicine at UCLA. “And if you have specific problems, like uneven pigmentation or breakouts, the appropriate facial can really make a difference.”
What to Expect During Your Facial
A thorough facial typically consists of seven steps:
What a Facial Does Best
When to Schedule a Facial
Book your facial a few days or even a week before a big event to allow any irritation to subside. A good facial shouldn’t irritate your skin to the point where it triggers inflammation, but there’s always the chance of residual redness from extractions or light peels.
The few days before the start of the menstrual cycle can be a tender time for some women. If you find your nerve endings are more sensitive to pain or discomfort at this time of the month, it’s best to reschedule a facial or ask your aesthetician to lay off the extractions.
Thin-skinned? Proceed With Caution
Because sensitive skin is by definition finely textured, with a thin epidermis and blood vessels that are close to the surface, an experienced facialist will follow what Cox calls the “less heat, less time, less product” rule. That translates into not over-steaming the face, using lukewarm instead of hot towels, exfoliating with gentle enzymes instead of a strong glycolic acid, performing fewer extractions and using a hydrating mask.
Laurie Drake is a former Vogue staffer who has written about beauty, health and fitness for Allure, Glamour, Self, Prevention and InStyle magazines. She was won three Gold Triangle Awards for print journalism from the American Academy of Dermatology.