If you find the effects of aging on your skin stressful, you’re not alone. In society’s eyes, the discoloration, loosening, and wrinkling of skin over time marks the end of youth, beauty, and vitality. Like it or not, that’s how we see things, and we all want to look our best in our own and others’ eyes. That’s why the global market for facials was $24.6 billion USD in 2022 and is expected to grow to $44.5 billion USD by 2030.
What Makes Our Facial Skin Age?
It’s important to understand why our skin changes with age if we want to slow down or reverse the process. Skin aging may be caused by intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors. Some of these aging factors can be addressed with professional facials.
Intrinsic Factors
Intrinsic factors are due to the breakdown of our skin’s ability to renew itself with the passage of time. It also loses much of its ability to produce the healthy fats that keep it hydrated, elastic, and protected. Skin also loses its ability to make the collagen fibers that give it shape and elasticity. The skin becomes thinner, looser, and marked with fine lines.
Extrinsic Factors
Extrinsic aging factors are all those things that you are exposed to in your environment in day-to-day life. The two most damaging extrinsic factors are cigarette smoke and ultraviolet (UV) light. Cigarette smoke is damaging because of its sheer toxicity to body tissues, including the skin.
UV light causes the breakdown of collagen because it produces free radicals in the skin. Free radicals are highly reactive, unstable chemicals that destroy body tissue. They are neutralized by chemicals known as antioxidants, such as vitamins A and C. Because many foods are rich in antioxidants, a healthy diet may help prevent the effects of UV radiation on the skin.
Other common extrinsic skin aging factors include:
- Air pollution
- Physical stress
- Emotional stress
- Poor nutrition
- Alcohol use
What Kinds of Facials Help Rejuvenate the Skin?
Facials are topical treatments applied to the surface of the skin. They don’t include injections (such as botulinum toxin, or dermal fillers) or surgery (such as a facelift or facial implants). Facials may be self-applied, done at a cosmetology spa, or medical.
Self-Applied Facials
This is when you buy your own facial products and apply them at home. Most can be used daily and may form part of your daily facial routine. Most products will contain one or more of the following components:
- Acids, such as retinoids (vitamin A derivatives), glycolic acid, and other alpha-hydroxy acids. These are microdermabrasion agents — they strip away dead skin cells, dirt, and other debris to stimulate new skin cell growth
- Sunscreens
- Moisturizers
- Lipids. These are fats that help the skin regain lost healthy fats
- Collagen
Spa Facials
These are a cut above do-it-yourself facials, because of:
- The expertise of the cosmetologists
- The quality of the products used
- The availability of complementary treatments, such as intense pulsed light (IPL) and microneedling
Medical Facials
These are chemical peels using acids and other agents at much higher concentrations than are available over the counter or at a spa. The result is a much deeper exfoliation effect and more intense skin renewal. The most commonly used agents are glycolic acid, trichloroacetic acid (TCA), salicylic acid, and vitamin C.
How Often Should You Get a Professional Facial?
At-home facials can often be applied daily, depending on the products used. They are a good way to maintain skin health between professional facials.
Spa facials should generally be 4 to 6 weeks apart so that the skin has a chance to regenerate and heal between treatments. The spacing may depend upon your age, skin type, type of treatment, and skin type.
Medical chemical peels remove a much deeper layer of skin and may result in redness, swelling, and discomfort in the treated area. The skin needs time to regenerate, so these peels are used less often:
- Light peel: 2 to 5 weeks apart
- Medium peel: 3 to 4 months apart
- Deep peel: 2 to 3 years apart
Take-Home Message
Most professional facials use chemicals to remove the outermost skin layers to stimulate new skin growth. Because of this, the skin needs time to regenerate and heal between treatments. Recovery time depends on your own body’s needs and the intensity of the treatment. Your cosmetologist or medical practitioner will specify the time needed between treatments.
