By: Kelsie Matthews, L.E
One of the most common misconceptions I run into when a new client comes in for a facial treatment is that Hydrafacials are the same thing as traditional facials you get at day spas. Most common facial treatments consist of cleansing, exfoliating, hot towels, lots of moisturizers or serums, and typically some type of mask. These facials are great for relaxing, as well as giving your skin a little rejuvenation, but they typically don’t come with many long term benefits. My favorite part of the Hydrafacial is that it genuinely makes a difference in your skin as soon as the treatment is over, and can improve the overall health of your skin for months afterwards.
What is a Hydrafacial?
A Hydrafacial is a 4 step facial with a machine that deep cleanses the skin, exfoliates, extracts, and hydrates. The machine that is used has a handpiece with vacuum suction and serum infusion. So not only does it suck all the impurities out of the pores, it leaves you all nice and glowy as well.
Step 1: Cleanse- the vortex tip exfoliates the top layer of skin as well as cleansing and oil, dirt, or buildup or the surface
Step 2: Exfoliate- a chemical exfoliant us applied to the skin (glycolic + salicylic acid) which reduces oil production and smoothes the surface of the skin
Step 3: Extract- a smaller tip is used to target areas like the nose and T-zone to extract blackheads and debris from each pore
Step 4: Hydrate- a hyaluronic acid + antioxidant serum is infused in the skin to replenish moisture and hydrate the skin cells
How is this different from regular facials?
Traditional facials are all manual, meaning the Esthetician does the facial with their hands or sometimes using massaging or extraction tools. Since the Hydrafacial uses a machine, the treatment and products can go a lot deeper than others, making it a more effective facial. Another perk to Hydrafacials is the extraction feature. In regular facials, extractions are typically done manually, which is pretty uncomfortable and can be a lengthy process. With the vacuum suction used in the Hydrafacial, extractions are a breeze.