How to Get More Out of Your Facial

The facials people rave about afterward tend to be the ones where the esthetician knew exactly what the client wanted, because the client said so.

This week I’m turning the treatment bed around, because the person lying on it has more say in how that hour goes than most people realize.

I’ve seen this from both sides, through years around a student clinic floor and plenty of hours as the client. The facials people rave about afterward tend to be the ones where the esthetician knew exactly what the client wanted, because the client said so.

You can be that client, and none of it costs extra.

Decide what you want from the hour

Some people book a facial to rest. Some book because their face has been breaking out since August. Both are good reasons, and they lead to two different appointments.

If you want quiet, say so. Nobody will be offended. If you want answers, say that, and your esthetician can spend less of the hour on massage and more of it on your skin. “A bit of both” is a fine answer too. The one that doesn’t help is “whatever you think,” because then they have to guess.

Tell the truth on the form

The intake form is not a test, and nobody is grading your routine. If you wash your face with whatever is in the shower and fall asleep in wearing your makeup twice a week, write that down. Your esthetician has heard it before and would much rather work with the real picture.

A few things matter more than people expect:

•     Prescriptions and retinoids, including the tube from the dermatologist that you only use “sometimes”

•     Anything done to your face lately: waxing, injectables, a peel, laser

•     Allergies and sensitivities, nut allergies included, since some products contain nut oils

•     Pregnancy or nursing

Every one of these changes which products and steps are safe for you that day. Leave one off, and you risk going home red and irritated.

Bring your shelf with you

You don’t need to carry in a bag of bottles. Take a photo of the products you use, with the labels facing out. It takes thirty seconds, and it answers the question clients struggle with most: “What are you using at home?” Most of us can describe the bottle. Very few of us can say what’s in it.

You're allowed to speak up during your treatment. Say it as it happens - if the temperature is too warm, you feel stinging or the pressure isn't right.

Speak up while you’re on the bed

You’re allowed to. Too much pressure, steam that’s too warm, a mask that has gone from tingling to stinging - say it as it happens. A good esthetician checks in, but they can’t feel what you feel, and they would rather adjust than have you grit your teeth for ten minutes to be polite.

The same goes for conversation. If you’d like to know what each step is doing, ask. If you’d like silence, ask for that.

Ask three questions before you leave

This is where last week’s “next step” comes in. If your esthetician doesn’t offer one, ask for it.

1.    What did you notice about my skin today?

2.    If I changed one thing at home, what should it be?

3.    When would you like to see me again, and what for?

Notice that the second question asks for one thing. You’re far more likely to stick with a single change than with five, and you’ll be able to tell whether it helped. If a product comes up, it’s fair to ask what it would replace in your routine.

Go gently for a couple of days

Your skin has just been cleansed, exfoliated and thoroughly worked on. For the next 48 hours, keep things simple: a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer and sunscreen. Hold off on scrubs, acids and retinol until your esthetician says to start again. Skip the hot yoga class and the sauna that day, and keep your hands off your face, however tempting.

Try not to judge the facial by the next morning, either. If you had extractions, a little redness or a spot or two coming up is not unusual. Give it a few days before you decide what you think. If something worries you, such as burning or irritation that isn’t settling, call and tell them. They’ll want to know.

**A note for the estheticians and students reading

Everything above is a list of things clients may not know they’re allowed to do. You can do every bit of it for them. Ask what they want from the hour. Ask what they’re using at home. Tell them it’s fine to speak up. And give them one next step before they get off the bed.

I’ve put all of this on one page, Before Your Facial, with room to write down what you use, what you want to ask, and what your esthetician tells you.