Hydrafacial

There is genuinely very little to do for this one.

Three to five days before

• Stop retinoids. Tretinoin, retinol, retinaldehyde. They raise sensitivity and make the treatment more irritating than it needs to be.
• Stop high-strength exfoliating acids. Strong AHAs and BHAs. Gentle toners are fine to continue.

Tell us before your appointment

• Any active inflammatory acne, open wound, rash or skin infection on the area. A Hydrafacial cannot be performed over broken skin or significant inflammation.
• Any laser, peel or microneedling in the last two weeks.
• Any allergy or sensitivity, particularly to salicylic acid, which is used in the clarifying step.
• If you are pregnant. Some boosters are not used during pregnancy and the protocol is adjusted.
• Any active rosacea flare. Settings are adjusted and a calming booster is used.

The day itself

• Arrive with a clean face. No makeup, no heavy moisturizer, no SPF.
• Nothing else.

1. Cleanse and exfoliate

A vortex tip lifts surface dead cells and sebum, using a mild glycolic and salicylic blend that is far gentler than a standalone peel. Most people feel a light tingle or nothing.

2. Extract

Vacuum suction clears congestion, blackheads and debris from the pores. This is the step you feel, a pulling sensation strongest around the nose. It is not painful.

3. Hydrate

Hyaluronic acid, peptides and antioxidants are infused under light pressure into skin that has just been cleared, which is when it absorbs best.

4. Boost

A targeted booster chosen for your skin. Brightening where pigmentation is a concern, or calming peptides and growth factors for reactive skin and rosacea.

Your pores have just been cleared. The aim for the rest of the day is to keep them that way.

• No heavy makeup. Mineral makeup is fine if you need something.
• No vigorous exercise. Sweat over freshly cleared pores is a reliable way to cause breakouts.
• Avoid heat. Saunas, steam rooms and very hot showers.
• SPF 50 if you are going outside, which applies always but particularly now.
• This is the best window of the month for a good serum. Skin absorbs more right after treatment than at any other time.

• Back to your normal routine from the next morning. Cleanser, moisturizer, SPF.
• If you stopped retinoids before the appointment, restart them after three days.
• SPF 50 every morning.
• A mild purge is common. Small breakouts in the days after extraction are congestion coming to the surface. It is temporary and resolves on its own within about a week.
• As maintenance, sessions every four to six weeks hold the result.