As self-care practices go, facials check all the boxes. They’re relaxing and require you to power down and leave your phone alone. They’re also practical and help increase the efficacy of your daily skincare routine. Think of it this way: Your car might run fine if you don’t take it to a mechanic, but it could run a lot better if you did. Facials are like letting a professional check under the hood.
Facials tend to get overlooked in male grooming. A lot of guys think of them as fussy and luxurious, and many don’t want to take the time out of their schedules to get one. That’s not an excuse anymore. These days, facials are as easy to get as a haircut. In fact, that’s exactly how you should think of them. Experts say that you should get a facial at least four times a year at the change of the seasons. Seasonal changes can affect your skin in different ways (like a whole summer’s worth of sweat-clogged pores) and getting a facial is a way to push the reset button on your face.
Facials are also valuable learning experiences. They won’t replace your daily skincare routine, but a professional will be able to assess how well it’s working and offer you advice on what to do better. They’re the mechanics in this ongoing analogy.
In terms of self-care, don’t discount the self-esteem bump you get from walking out of a facial with a fresh face. Your face will be brighter and clearer and you won’t be able to resist checking it out in every shiny surface you pass. So what are you waiting for?
To the uninitiated, facials can seem like a lot of effort just for something you can do at home. But you can’t do this at home. A professional can see things you can’t, has solutions to problems that you didn’t even know existed, and can anticipate future issues (and prevent them). Before you sit down for your first facial, here’s how they work.
Your aesthetician will start by cleansing your face, often twice, to make sure they have a clean slate to work with.
Next, they’ll look at your skin under a bright light, assessing the situation and formulating a game plan.
Depending on your needs, they’ll usually use some sort of exfoliation. This could mean an enzyme peel, a facial scrub, or something stronger depending on how sensitive your skin is and how much exfoliation you need.
Even if breakouts aren’t an issue for you, your aesthetician may advise on extractions. This is when they manually (with their fingers or a tool) extract debris and dirt from your pores. An aesthetician is trained in how to pop zits, push out blackheads, and clear your skin safely so it won’t leave long-term marks. Extractions can sometimes hurt, so your aesthetician will sometimes give you the option to opt out.
Following extractions, your skin usually needs to be calmed down. Your aesthetician will usually use a soothing, hydrating serum and a mask to re-moisturize your skin and minimize irritation.
After the mask will come more serums and treatments depending on what your skin’s needs are. There could be additional tools besides products, like oxygen or LED lights.
At the end, the aesthetician will prepare your skin for going back out in the world. This usually means locking everything in with a moisturizer and applying an SPF if you’re getting the facial during daylight hours.