What To Expect from Your First Facial
There’s no need to suffer from pre-appointment jitters.
by Dianna Mazzone, TEEN VOGUE
So, you’ve taken the plunge and booked yourself a one-way ticket to radiant skin by way of a facial. But if you’ve never had one before, the feeling of impending bliss often comes with some nervousness, too. Will your aesthetician tell you what’s she’s doing before she does it? And mostly importantly, will it hurt?
To answer these questions and more, we turned to Joanna Kwiatkowska, aesthetician at NYC’s Spa Nalai. With years of experience under her belt, she’s a pro when it comes to the ins and outs of facials. She shared exactly what first-timers can expect from a facial.
Your aesthetician will ask you some pretty personal questions.
No, she’s not just being nosy! In order for your aesthetician to determine what’s best for your skin, she’ll more than likely ask about your concerns (think blackheads or dryness), along with things like diet and lifestyle. This will give her a picture of not only the state of your skin, but the possible root of your concerns, too. “We thoroughly analyze the skin in order to choose the right course of treatment,” says Kwiatkowska. “Communication is key.”
Since this consultation time is all about sharing information, it’s the perfect opportunity to let your aesthetician know you’ve never had a facial before. “You should let them know it’s your first time,” says Kwiatkowska. “We’ll then use a little bit of a different approach. We don’t go as extreme—there are certain steps we might omit.” So, for the sake of your skin, be totally open about being a newbie.
Related: 4 Things You Need to Know Before Getting a Facial
Treatment will vary depending on your skin type.
After the initial consultation, your aesthetician will determine the proper course of action for you and your skin type while also accounting for your goals post-facial. “If you’re just looking for a soft glow and you have no major issues, we’ll do a gentle hydrating facial,” says Kwiatkowska. On the flip side, if you’ve got acne (and made it clear to your aesthetician you’d like her to treat that concern in particular), you can expect a slightly more intensive process that focuses on reducing inflammation. If you’re prone to breakouts, consult with your aesthetician to make sure she doesn’t use steam, as it can “aggravate acne,” according to Kwiatkowska.
It’s normal for it to hurt a little bit. (But if you’re in serious pain, say something!)
So, extractions (also known as zit-popping): Yep, that part can hurt. After thoroughly cleansing, exfoliating, and treating the skin, your aesthetician may manually get the gunk out of whiteheads and blackheads (icky, we know) by way of this process. It doesn’t feel as painful as it does completely foreign—if you’ve never had a facial before, it’s just plain strange to have another person essentially popping your pimples. “If it’s someone’s first time, I explain what extractions are,” says Kwiatkowska. “I tell them that if they feel discomfort to let me know so we can stop or scale it back.”
It’s normal to feel slight pain upon completion of your facial, too. After all, your skin has been subjected to a lot in a short period of time. Be sure to communicate any continued discomfort to your expert—a skilled aesthetician can tell you what products to use at home to continue to calm down your skin.
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Your complexion may not look picture-perfect immediately after your appointment.
It’s a common misconception that your skin will look practically poreless immediately following a facial. In fact, the opposite is often true. Because the service is pulling the impurities deep within your pores to the surface, you might even break out in the hours and days following treatment. Nope, that doesn’t mean your facial was a flop and you need to make another visit—it actually means it worked.
With this in mind, if you’ve got a big event on the horizon, be sure to schedule your facial accordingly. “If your event is a week from today, I wouldn’t recommend having an intensive facial with deep exfoliation or cleansing,” warns Kwiatkowska. But a gentler version two to three days before an outing is not only okay, but encouraged—your complexion will be in full-on glow mode for the big event.
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photo: Courtesy CNP Montrose
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