What is an Anti-Acne Facial?
Reduces Acne Blemishes with Relaxation
Basically, an anti-acne facial is a treatment particularly catered to people dealing with issues associated with acne such as pimples, clogged pores, blackheads, whiteheads, inflammation as well as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
It is usually an hour-long procedure that normally includes consultation, cleansing, exfoliation, steaming, extraction, topical treatment, and facial mask.
Benefits
An anti-acne facial can deep-cleanse your face via exfoliation of dead skin cells along with the extraction of blackheads and whiteheads. You will be leaving your spa feeling confident about your appearance with clearer and even-toned skin.
Common Procedures
Before the treatment starts, your esthetician will determine your skin type and condition in order to decide the proper steps and products for producing the best outcome.
Below are 8 common procedures that you should expect during a treatment session.
Cleansing
You face will be cleaned with a gentle soap or cleanser that is tailored to your skin type and condition without causing irritation.
Exfoliation
After cleansing, your esthetician will perform a gentle exfoliation on your face with a facial scrub or chemical peel in order to remove dead skin cells and other impurities.
Glycolic acid and salicylic acid are 2 common ingredients for chemical peels to treat acne due to their abilities to break down dead skin cells and unclog blocked pores.
If requested, your esthetician can carry out exfoliation by spraying super-fine crystals on your skin via a microdermabrasion machine. Unlike a facial scrub and chemical peel, the microdermabrasion process is similar to sandblasting.
Steam Cleansing
Your esthetician will use a steamer machine to open your pores and stimulate circulation, thereby boosting the absorption of topical skincare products. This particular procedure can also loosen up blackheads, whiteheads and impurities for easy extraction.
Extraction
During this process, unsightly blackheads, whiteheads and impurities are removed from your pores via a comedone extractor. Please note that an aggressive extraction can actually damage your skin, and therefore should be performed by an esthetician with extensive experience.
Facial Mask
Your esthetician will determine the appropriate facial mask to reduce inflammation, remove excess oil and prevent future breakouts. It will then apply on your face for approximately 30 to 60 minutes.
2 commonly used facial masks are sulfur mask and clay mask. A sulfur mask is used if you have active acne due to its abilities to absorb oil and reduce acne-causing bacteria. On the other hand, a clay mask is used if you have very oily skin.
LED Light Therapy
LED light therapy is usually an optional treatment. The treatment utilizes lights with various colors in order to reduce inflammation, boost the healing process and eliminate acne-causing bacteria.
During this procedure, your esthetician will apply the proper colored light to treat your condition. The treatment usually lasts about an hour. Red light and blue light are normally used for treating acne.
Red light is mainly used for reducing inflammation, stimulating collagen production and boosting the healing process.
Blue light is known for controlling acne breakouts by killing acne-causing bacteria.
Microneedling treatment
Microneedling is also another very popular optional treatment. It works by creating 1000s of micro-punctures or micro-channels on your skin via a device called a dermaroller or derma stamp pen. Topical skincare products can then bypass the epidermis and easily penetrate into your skin via the micro-channels, thereby greatly improving their efficacies.
Microneedling can also stimulate collagen production and boost the healing process. This is beneficial for the remodelling of indented acne scars.
Normally your esthetician will apply a powerful treatment product on your skin immediately after the needling procedure. Your skin will then absorb the product like a sponge via the micro-channels, thereby getting its full beneficial effects.
Topical treatment
Your esthetician will apply the proper topical products such as toner, cream, moisturizer and sunscreen on your face to best suit your situation.
These products are meant to nourish and protect your skin while reducing irritation and inflammation as well as removing excess oil. Also, they are non-comedogenic and therefore won’t clog your pores.
How Often to Get an Anti-Acne Facial?
You should have 2 reatments per month if you have oily skin. However, depending on the severity of your skin condition, skin sensitivity, and your budget, it is best to design a suitable treatment cycle with your esthetician.
Conclusion
An anti-acne facial is definitely a luxurious treatment that will definitely improve your appearance. However, an esthetician with extensive experience will produce the best results.