Advances in technology have revamped facials—here’s what you need to know

Everything you need to know before booking your next facial appointment 

Picking the right facial can be confusing. As if the terminology, technology and tools weren’t overwhelming enough, each facial comes with its own list of promises that ultimately lead to one goal—healthy, glowing, rejuvenated skin, no matter what your skin type or age. This is the kind of skin you could possibly achieve with an eight-hour sleep routine paired with an antioxidant-rich diet, protection from pollution and external aggressors, a daily workout, and following other holistic practices. But nobody is perfect, and neither is our skin. Giving up on the idea that it needs to be perfect, is perhaps the first step to getting close to skin that makes you happy, followed by a little extra care every once in a while. A facial at the hands of a certified facialist is a great way to do that.

“A classic facial includes a cleanse, exfoliation, extraction, scalp massage, and moisturiser,” says Donna Scott, celebrity facialist and founder of Lucce Bee Skincare Products. The process helps detoxify and improve blood flow, making one feel renewed and refreshed. A good facial should essentially cover these steps: “Exfoliation—eliminate dead skin cells to promote new cell turnover; brighten—treat hyperpigmentation and improve overall skin tone and texture, boost collagen, and hydrate; and penetrate—allowing the ingredients to absorb deeper into the skin barrier,” says Dr Batul Patel, dermatologist and founder of The Bombay Skin Clinic. While most of this seems pretty straightforward, we also live in a time when technology can turn our thoughts into words and print 3D implants for surgeons.

HI-TECH SOLUTIONS

Amidst the variety of facials available today, medifacials or dermafacials give the classic one a futuristic spin—think an intense beam of light energy or heat generated through an electromagnetic device for a temporary facelift or blasting your face with pure and ionised oxygen to activate cells and promote blood circulation. Here, the downtime is almost close to zero and most often, painless. For every teenage scar or bane of adulthood, there’s a facial that promises better skin. “Medifcials performed in a dermatologist’s clinic are not only relaxing but also include laser technology that can give longer lasting results,” says Patel. 

“They contain more active ingredients so it’s advisable to simplify your skincare before and after the treatment so that the skin is not sensitive,” adds Dr Nishita Ranka, dermatologist and founder of Dr Nishita'a Clinic for Skin, Hair & Aesthetics. The foundation of a facial remains the same—boosting collagen, exfoliating, moisturising—the techniques used have transformed. At Dr Madhuri Agarwal’s clinic Yavana Aesthetics, devices that utilise radiofrequency or dermalinfusion are used to stimulate the skin and help with lymphatic drainage, microdermabrasion and vacuum pressure to exfoliate, and jet peel to reduce skin from clogging. “Infusions are done with electroporation, dermalinfusion and oxygeneo devices to massage in the customised nutrition, following which a relaxing mask is added,” she says. Medifacials are, in general, suitable for everyone but people with skin disorders, infections, allergies, keloids or sensitive skin need to be careful. A consultation should always precede the procedure. 

It’s also important to know where to set your expectations, and not seek perfection or reversible effects. “Though troubled skin is possible to improve, signs of ageing are harder to reverse,” says Dr Geetika Mittal Gupta, aesthetic physician and founder of ISAAC Luxe, so it’s best to prevent than try to cure. The good thing is, dermatologists have now created custom solutions to suit specific skin needs—give acne-ridden skin a glow without causing breakouts, evening out the skin tone on dry skin but with a dose of moisture, and boosting collagen and elastin non-invasively.

SEEKING SOLUTIONS 

To tackle acne-prone problems, look for medifacials that have anti-acne ingredients in lesser concentrations like salicylic acid, charcoal extracts, says Ranka. “The aim is to completely clean up the skin while being gentle, and also even out its texture.” The facial should work to let your active skincare that you use after get absorbed better. She recommends going for a Hydrafacial, a three-step treatment in her clinic which clears out gunk, infuses antioxidants to the skin, and reduces oiliness using an an active ingredient called glysal, comprising willow bark extract, and is a precursor to acne's arch-nemesis—salicylic acid. 

If you’re looking to bring life back into your skin—add some glow or lend a moisture boost—Mittal Gupta advises choosing a holistic approach to facial aesthetics that takes care of your primary skin concerns as well as achieve a well-rested, rejuvenated face. She recommends her clinic’s Fresh Facial, a trio of photofacial, pink ageing treatment, and an ice facial that involves light therapy to target deeper layers of the skin to reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation to infusing your skin with 56 active ingredients and an ice-cool end to tighten pores and soothe. “Getting a facial is not only relaxing and rejuvenating for the face, but the mind too.” she adds.

If you’re looking for anti-ageing benefits from your facial, begin by ensuring the products used are for your skin type, explains Patel. Look for ingredients like collagen peptides to kickstart collagen production and hyaluronic acid to rejuvenate and hydrate, and facials that use techniques and tools like LED, lymphatic massage, microcurrent, high-intensity ultrasound and enzyme peels. Technology plays a key role here. To improve the skin’s laxity and firmness, she recommends the HIFU facial that uses high-intensity ultrasound waves to penetrate deeper and stimulate the collagen, “which no hand massages can deliver.”

To address dryness, senior facialist at The White Door India, Chitra Babu Kotagudsha recommends a plumping and deeply hydrating facial, like their Biologique Recherche Soin Restructurant Et Lissant. It uses nourishing products with ingredients like omega 3, hyaluronic acid, royal jelly, amino acids and silk proteins to retain moisture and transfer nutrients. 

THE FACIAL VOCAB

Familiarise yourself with these terms that are most likely going to be a part of your next facial decision.

LED: The extraterrestrial-looking face masks you’ve often seen on social media are part of a treatment that involves different wavelengths of light, using Light Emitting Diode, to target skin conditions like acne, fine lines, psoriasis and eczema among others. The colour of the light depends on the issue at hand. Most commonly used are red LEDs to improve scarring and signs of ageing, and blue LEDs to purify skin, kill acne-causing bacteria and stabilise sebum production. 

Microdermabrasion: This is a soothing solution to your extraction nightmares. A diamond-tip handpiece is designed to gently exfoliate dead cells and suction them off. “It exfoliates dead skin and stimulates collagen production, decreases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and improves the overall texture of the skin when done in a series,” says Scott. 

Radiofrequency: This is essentially done to keep your skin feeling lifted and soften fine lines using energy to heat skin and boost collagen. “It shrinks fat cells,” says Scott, “imagine a grape getting shrunk to a raisin. This can tighten the skin and increase collagen when coupled with LED light.”

Cryotherapy: Besides having vagal nerve benefits for deeper relaxation, the use of extreme cold has many benefits, like “increasing blood flow to the face and shrinking pore size, tightening and brightening the skin,” says Scott.

Dermaplaning: “Dermaplaning treatment essentially shaves the top layer of skin that enhances collagen production,” explains Scott. While at it, it also removes unwanted hair and helps with acne-scarring.

Microcurrent: This is a low-grade electrical treatment that educates the skin to lift and tighten. “The facelift effect is not permanent but it does work over time and is more of a skin ‘exercise,’ commanding results over time and continual use,” explains Scott.

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