How Long Does a Facial Take?

Whether you stick to a minimal skin care or a 10+ step ritual –thanks to the ‘glass skin’ trend of recent years, it’s undoubtedly valuable not to forget your daily selfcare.

But if you’re expecting these skincare routines alone to stand up to the stress and pollution your skin is exposed to with every passing moment, or age-related conditions like decrease in collagen production, think again. Because, as expressed by many beauty experts, no at-home skincare can replace a professional treatment.

What Is a Facial Spa Treatment

Referred to as “facial(s)” in the spa world, this treatment may simply be defined as a spa experience performed by facialists to help you obtain a clearer, healthier and more radiant skin. It may be applied with varying products, techniques and devices based on your skin type and personal needs, from acne treatment to anti-aging, from pigmentation to facial thinning. Not only does it bring an instant vitality to your face, but it also promises long-lasting and healthy solutions towards your goal. What’s also good about facials is that you may experience this pampering and rejuvenating treatment either within a day or as part of in-stay spa programs.

How Long Does It Take?

The average time required for an effective facial is usually sixty minutes. Some spas offer more comprehensive facials of around ninety minutes, or express facials of thirty or forty-five minutes to suit your time constraints. However, to receive a holistic facial, the ideal duration to experience this treatment is at least sixty minutes.

What Does A Facial Spa Include?

Before getting into it, we should first note that types and steps of facials can vary depending on the Spa’s concept, your skin type and the ingredients of the products used. That’s why a classic facial may consist of the following steps, but it’s not a must. Besides, one of the most important and valuable elements of facial spa treatments is that they can be customized and adapted to personal states and needs in every aspect, including their contents, techniques and phases.

Nonetheless, here are the steps you might experience during a facial to give you a basic idea:

Consultation

Before starting your treatment, you will discuss with your therapist your health condition, skin type and your skin needs and targets to achieve with the facial.

Cleansing

It involves gently massaging your face and décolleté with cleansing products and then rinsing with a face sponge or cotton pad.

Skin Analysis

Your therapist will examine your skin more closely with technological devices like a skin scanner to determine the condition and requirements of your dermis in more depth.

Exfoliation

Your therapist will exfoliate your skin to clear your clogged pores. At this step, a facial steamer or facial vaporizer may be applied to your face to encourage the pores to loosen and removal of dead skin cells.

Extraction

Using extraction tools like ultrasonic skin scrubbers, the therapist will then remove whiteheads -those “peachy” textures on the skin, along with blackheads. Then your face will be cleansed again.

Massage

Bearing in mind the type and purpose of the treatment, your therapist will massage your face and possibly your neck and shoulders to promote skin elasticity, blood circulation and lymphatic drainage and to invite in your sense of calm. If your procedure includes peels like microdermabrasion, you may also receive refreshing massages with tools such as ice rollers.

Mask

Your therapist will subsequently apply a mask suitable for your skin type and requirements. You can get a clay-based mask if you’re suffering from excess sebum or a mask with intense moisturizer if your skin is overly dry. At this step, while receiving a mask massage -if any- or just resting until the mask is cleansed, you might indulge in the pampering and returning to the moment.

Serum and Other Products

Serums, moisturizers, sunscreen, eye cream, lip care and neck care creams, which are selectively personalized as per your state, will be applied.

Final Consultation

At this point, your therapist’s become pretty familiar with your skin... So it’s very likely that he or she will give you additional advice on how to protect your skin following your treatment and how to care for your skin in the long term.

What Are the Types of Facials?

Facials can be received in varied types depending on your needs and their benefits. Some of the most popular facial treatments can be listed as follows:

Classic Facial: It aims to renew the top layer of your face as well as to protect the healthy dermis.

Lymphatic Drainage Facial: This treatment, often preferred after long exhaustive journeys and stressful work schedules, is perfect for reducing facial swelling by stimulating blood flow and lymphatic circulation.

Galvanic Facial: With non-invasive facelift massages and treatments, this treatment aims to repair your facial muscles and remove the signs of premature aging.

Microdermabrasion: As another hit facial of today, it encourages the regeneration of your cells by supporting elastin and collagen production.

LED Facial: Using multifarious light wavelengths, this treatment may help cure your skin problems including acne and pigmentation. 

HydraFacial: With this procedure applied with Vortex technology –a suction and delivery system that helps remove impurities from the skin, your face might instantly gain a brighter glow.

Chemical Peeling: It supports cell renewal with chemicals such as AHA, BHA, TCA and aids in erasing the appearance of sunspots.

Oxygen Facial: With the help of oxygen, it can purify your skin from toxins down to the bottom layer.

Micro Needling: Similar to microdermabrasion, it uses tiny needles to trigger collagen production and skin repair.

Acupuncture Facial: Inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine, this treatment triggers collagen production with the support of acupuncture needles, helping you repair problems such as scars and blemishes on your skin faster.

Having said that, the foregoing are just a few of the facial treatments you may find at Spas. Cause the more we become conscious of the value of self-care, the more advanced treatments like CBD facials, dermaplaning and laser carbon peels are becoming available all around the world.

How To Prepare For a Facial?

Firstly, it would be advisable to set aside coffee and alcohol and instead switch to healthy smoothies and herbal teas at least 24 hours before your facial, as it would help balance your blood circulation and allow you to relax and enjoy the pampering treatment fully. 

You should naturally keep following your daily skincare routine before your facial. However, considering the intensity of the treatment you will receive at the Spa, you may want to avoid exfoliation at home a few days in advance as it may cause irritations on your skin. 

Also, going to your facial without makeup will give your therapist the time and better chance to observe and analyze your skin and optimize your facial care process.

If you’re to receive other treatments with a facial, it would be beneficial to prioritize your massage. It just might not be a good idea to contact your repaired and sensitive face with the massage table. Should you for instance be planning to receive a steam therapy, experiencing such therapy before your facial may contribute to opening up your pores and your facial care bring out a deeper effect.

How About After a Facial?

Your therapist will probably remind this to you as well, but try to double the amount of water you normally drink after your facial to support detoxification and maintain your skin’s restored radiance. 

Since your skin will become much more sensitive after the treatment, it’d also be favorable to hide away from the sun for at least 12-24 hours afterwards. Therefore, if time permits, it may be a better choice to get a facial treatment in the early morning or evening when the sun is not highly active, so that you can avoid the negative effects of the sun right after. Let us also remind you of, regardless of your facial, the significance of using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with clean ingredients as much as possible every day, even when you’re not exposed to the sun.

Hot therapies including sauna, jacuzzi and hot baths can also aggravate your skin’s condition and slow down your blood circulation. Therefore, it’d be best to refrain from these therapies for a day or two after the treatment. Likewise, experts do not recommend getting facials before and after intense exercise days, as your skin’s blood circulation and moisture balance will be affected.

Try avoiding makeup for 6-8 hours after your facial, including at night. Otherwise, the chemicals of the makeup can re-clog your unclogged and cleansed pores which would obstruct you from getting the optimum benefits from products used in your facial. Hence, we suggest you make an appointment a few days in advance, instead of getting a facial treatment on the days you will attend a special event.

Avoid perfumed and exfoliating facials for 48 hours, as your skin’s natural repair and regeneration process continues after the treatment. We’re not saying you should stop your daily at home self-care. On the contrary, remembering to cleanse and moisturize with products suitable for sensitive skin -your spa therapist may also recommend these products- and protect it with sunscreen will help you experience the long-term effects of your facial more visibly. Optimizing your diet by focusing on fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and antioxidants, and drinking plenty of water - and spa water if possible - is also very valuable for optimizing your care.

How Often Should We Get a Facial?

Most dermatologists and facialists recommend waiting at least three to four weeks -depending on your skin needs- before receiving a new facial treatment. The reason is that the sensitivity and self-repair process of your skin, especially after intensive and exfoliating treatments, will continue for a few weeks thereafter.

How Long Does It Take To Gain Results

Frankly, it’s highly possible to get a visible glow right upon your facial. But it may take 2 to 3 days to see the true first effects of the blood circulation and cell renewal stimulated by your treatment. You can even experience long-term benefits -with follow-up treatments if necessary- from the third week onwards. Thus, it might be pretty helpful to get a professional facial at least every 4 to 6 weeks, of course without forgetting your daily skin care, to keep your skin free of acne, signs of premature aging, blemishes, etc., and to maintain the healthy glow your skin’s regained. By the way, if you’re suffering from blemishes, take a look at this article on the products we recommend for helping you maintain the effects of your spa treatment more efficiently at home.

Hoping to meet you again at other rejuvenating spa treatments that can bring serenity to your skin, spirit and mind...