Everyone wants smooth, bright, and youthful-looking skin. Instead of spending a fortune on oils, creams, essences, and serums in a multistep skincare routine, you may be able to achieve a natural glow with a facial that some say is rising in popularity.
Proponents of the trendy treatment called the Hydrafacial bill it as a way to pursue and maintain long-term skin health, which makes it more than your typical spa treatment. According to the Hydrafacial website, 3.5 million Hydrafacial treatments are performed each year around the world.
“The Hydrafacial is a multistep facial treatment typically performed with a proprietary machine (Hydrafacial MD) manufactured by Edge Systems,” explains Glen Crawford, MD, chief medical officer for the Schweiger Dermatology Group based in Philadelphia. “In one session, aestheticians can use the Hydrafacial [device] to cleanse, exfoliate, extract, and deliver a variety of rejuvenating serums.”
Sarah Akram, master aesthetician at Sarah Akram Skincare in Alexandria, Virginia, says it’s become an in-demand service because it creates an instant “wow factor” in terms of brightening and firming skin. She adds that people can get the treatment before a big event or regularly to maintain skin health.
How Does a Hydrafacial Work Exactly?
Akram says the Hydrafacial is similar to microdermabrasion, another treatment. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, microdermabrasion uses a “mildly abrasive instrument to gently sand your skin, removing the thicker, uneven outer layer. “
It’s not precisely microdermabrasion; some say it’s far better. “The [Hydrafacial] device uses an exfoliating tip paired with suction to remove dead skin cells from the surface of your face,” says Akram. She says that after the skin is exfoliated, serums are infused into the skin. That last step is the key reason proponents say it’s so effective.
According to the company, the Hydrafacial treatmenthas three steps. There is no downtime—a common word for recovery time in dermatology—and the entire treatment can be done in as little as 30 minutes.
Here are the three steps involved in a Hydrafacial: