By Xeng Zulueta
You know the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? Well, that does not necessarily apply to matters regarding your skin. There’s such a thing as preventive skincare wherein it pays to, for example, use sunblock at an early age rather than throw money at expensive anti-aging skincare when you’re older. Facials, when done right, work the same way although I will make this disclaimer: these are not mandatory if you already have beautiful or flawless skin. Then and only then does that saying really apply. When done wrong, facials may ruin your skin and cost you a lot of money.
So, to facial or not to facial and how often? Well, it depends—depends on your skin type, concern, age and, most of all, your budget. The benefits of getting a facial are:
- Thoroughly cleansed skin
- Extraction of black heads, white heads, comedones & milia
- Relieved dehydrated skin by using rich moisturizers and emollient masks which bring skin back to normal moisture levels
- Smoothed out wrinkles by plumping skin temporarily
- Even skin tone with fruit acids that lighten scars and pigmentation
Now that you know the benefits, how often must one get a facial? For normal, dry or combination skin, once a month is fine. For people with oily or problem skin, please consult with your facialist or dermatologist for the frequency of visits to get your skin to flawless levels again. The younger you are, the fewer facials you will need and the more mature you are, the more you do. Is there such a thing as overdoing it, though? Yes! The skin turns over in about 28-30 days and sometimes the more facials you get will result in skin that’s desensitized or immune to the process. Once a month sessions are, at best, the most ideal.
