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Are Facials Worth It? Here’s What You Need to Know
Did you hear the one about the worst facial in the world? Recently, Buzzfeed reported on Singaporean beauty blogger Juli of Bun Bun Makeup Tips, who went through a horrific skin reaction mere days after having a facial. You can see the images here.
Juli did share that she has sensitive, acne-prone skin. I'm not sure what products they used in the treatment, or how much manipulation was done, but let's just assume it was your stock-standard facial. Cleansing, exfoliation, steaming, extractions, mask, moisturizer, done.
Things seemed fine right afterward, but within 24 hours, she started breaking out. So she went back to the same facial spa and had the pus extracted. Quote: "The facial therapist simply said I have sensitive skin and extraction of the pus would solve everything."
Riiiight.
That didn't go so well. Shocka! By day four, she was dealing with an outbreak that looked like little barnacles. So she went back to the spa yet again for a second round of extractions. But alas, things just continued to get worse. The next day, the pustules started to merge.
Finally, on day six, she got help from a dermatologist, who told her it was an allergic reaction and that the extractions had made it worse, not better. She was given a steroid and antihistamines to treat the allergy.
Legal action is now pending against the spa... and Juli is now dealing with the aftermath of post-inflammatory pigmentation.
Insane, right? But I wanted to share this story with you because it helps me explain an opinion I've long held but never really revealed. And that is...
Facials aren’t really worth it.
You heard me. I know it's kind of a radical statement because beauty editors usually LOVE them, but I don't—and never have. In fact, long before I was a beauty editor, my mother instilled in me that they weren't such a good idea... and despite having tried, oh, 50 or more of them as freebies over the past few years, I still believe that she was right!
Here’s why.
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Facials Can Sometimes Make Skin Worse, Not Better
Um, HELLO, poor Juli. I bow down to the woman for sharing her story with such graphic photos, because there's no way I'd be brave enough to do that.
Anyway, nobody wants to be a Juli. And the thing is, it's so easy for that to happen, especially if you've got sensitive skin. Apparently, this means a whopping 60% of us!
Even if you go into the spa saying you have sensitivity, the fact is that most facials are not that well customized to individual skin types, and many aestheticians just don't have the in-depth understanding of skin types and ingredients. There's always the danger that introducing a new ingredient (and massaging it into the skin) could backfire.
According to Juli's dermatologist, the most common sources of skin reactions are herb and plant extracts, but really, it could be anything—and I know this from when I had a similar reaction to the Oil Cleansing Method. My dermatologist told me that even just ONE exposure to something your skin doesn't like can set off this kind of horrible reaction. Thankfully, mine wasn't anywhere near as bad as Juli's, but it's certainly not a fun time when you're doing stuff for your skin that's supposed to make it look better, not worse.
If you've found a facial treatment that works for you, then great. But if you have any sort of sensitivity—especially if you're prone to acne, rosacea or eczema—then I would exercise extreme caution with trying new treatments. It's so risky!
Benefits Are Only Temporary
Can anyone say what long-term benefits you get from a facial? I don't know of any. Sure, you get a glow, but at best it lasts for just a few days.
I've always thought that the main benefit (which is still a valid one) is the forced relaxation. I mean, think about it. Your life is so busy, you're rushing around from one place to the next from morning 'til night... is it any wonder you look better after going into the spa in the middle of the day and snoozing on a spa table for an hour? Your body gets to let go and relax for a bit, so of course you're going to look better coming out, no matter what products they put on you.
The other thing is the massage. That alone can plump up your skin temporarily and get your blood circulating... so again, it might not be the products.
But seriously, speaking of products, a spa facial may use "professional-strength" exfoliators and such, but they're never going to be comparable to something you'd get under the care of a medical doctor.
(NOTE: Oxygen facials might be an exception to all of this. They're not at all like traditional facials—instead, a stream of pressurized oxygen pushes a hyaluronic acid-based serum into the deeper layers of your skin. I don't have an unlimited budget, so I can't say for sure, but apparently this mechanism does help with wrinkles and acne when you get them on a regular basis. At least, that's what Madonna's makeup artist, Gina Brooke, told me last month—more on her soon!)
Dermatologist Treatments Are More Effective
A monthly facial is not going to improve your wrinkles. Or get rid of your acne. The extractions might help, but they could just as easily make things worse.
Frankly, if you're getting facials for anything other than a short-term glow and relaxation, you're better off going to a dermatologist. These days, you can do your own mini-facial at home with an exfoliation and masking routine, using some very decent products.
But for results-oriented exfoliation or wrinkle correction, a derm is a better bet. Would you rather get a $100 facial that lasts four days, or put that towards $400 worth of Botox that lasts four MONTHS?
Now, I'm not advocating Botox either way, but in the right hands it can make a dramatic, long-lasting difference. Same with fillers, chemical peels, microderm, antibiotics or spironolactone (for acne) and laser treatments. I don't think anybody needs to go crazy with this stuff, but if you do have a skin concern, a professional opinion might be money better spent versus a temporary fix. However, the key is that you need a doctor you trust, who won't overdo it. (Not an easy task for sure!) Also, I'm a huge believer in beauty from the inside out—so at the same time, it's a good idea to work on internal things like your diet, sleep habits and stress levels.
Now I'm ready to get jumped on by all the aestheticians out there. Ready... GO! But before you do, know that what I'm saying doesn't apply to all of you. Just that there is some very valid risk in the wrong hands with the wrong type of ingredients. And y'all are expensive!
I also want to say that I think aestheticians play a VERY essential role in helping educate people about good skincare at home, including the importance of sunscreen. Dermatologists rarely take the time to tell you what to use (and they usually aren't too familiar with all the zillions of products out there). I know, because I'm always interviewing them.
Now, a couple more things to know if you DO get a reaction to a facial—or anything else you've done to your skin:
It Doesn’t Have to Get Worse Before It Gets Better
LIES! I can't stand when people bring this up as if it's perfectly normal to suffer for months with horrible, scarring breakouts while you "purge" and your skin "adjusts." Who the heck wants to live that way? At the very least, you'll have to deal with the hyperpigmentation (which can take forever to get rid of, especially if you have darker skin). And worse, if you're prone to pitted scarring, then you could cause permanent damage.
I think if you're experiencing anything unusual and severe after doing something to your skin—whether acne or a rash or dry patches—then it's a sign that your face is crying for help. Get help; don't make it suffer.
If in Doubt, See a Derm
Don't go back to the facialist that did you wrong. In Juli's case, the double round of extractions made her skin freak out even more.
And don't just wait it out. When I had the reaction to the Oil Cleansing Method, it came upon me very gradually, over several weeks. First as unusual dryness, then a rash, and then the breakouts (which got worse and worse). I should've gone to a derm right away when I noticed the change in my skin, instead of waiting until it was a full-blown infection.
You may have to shop around for the right doctor. The first one I went to wasn't even a dermatologist, I later found out. (In Canada, you can still put yourself out there as a "skin doctor" and even open your own clinic without having the qualification of dermatologist. Who knew?! You've been warned.) Doc #1 just didn't have the breadth of knowledge I needed to diagnose and treat my condition. Thankfully, I hot-footed it to a dermatologist when things weren't improving, and he immediately knew what to do. Apparently some antibiotics are more effective than others, and with sensitive skin you have to be careful about drying topicals. He ended up giving me a better oral antibiotic and told me to stop using the topical (which didn't do anything anyway), and once things quickly calmed down in a week or two, did laser on the redness.
You May Need an Oral Medication
Okay, not a doctor here, so this is not medical advice! All I want to say is that sometimes there's no "natural" way to solve a skin reaction like the one Juli had, and like I had two years ago. I'm the biggest beauty hippie, so I'm all about the natural route—but that's what probably stopped me from seeking help sooner. Unfortunately, the infection I got was so deep that it could very well have taken months and months for my body to fight it on its own. A six-week course of antibiotics was so much easier and less stressful than having to deal with it on my own.
Same thing with Juli, but in her case she needed anti-allergy meds instead of antibiotics. (I'm still a bit unclear on how a doctor could tell the difference, since it sounds like we both reacted to ingredients and my situation cleared up just fine with antibiotics. Anyone care to venture a guess?)
Anyway, I've babbled enough here. This is basically my long-winded way of saying that I'll be sticking with home routine and not facials, thankyouverymuch!
