Your face is the very first thing the world sees, and it’s the only outfit you can’t change. While a solid daily skincare routine is a fantastic foundation, there comes a time when professional help is needed.
Dr Victoria Scott-Lang, dermatologist at Cornerstone Clinic, provides professional help in decoding the pore-fect guide to facials. Consider this your ultimate, no-nonsense guide to everything that happens before, during, and after the aesthetician’s chair.
A facial is a multi-step, clinical skin treatment delivered by a licensed aesthetician. Unlike your nightly wash-and-moisturise routine, a professional treatment uses medical-grade products and specialised techniques to deeply cleanse, repair, and rejuvenate your skin barrier.
According to dermatologist Dr Victoria Scott-Lang, facials generally fall into two main categories:
Traditional Hands-On Treatments: These focus on classic techniques involving thorough cleansing, extractions, manual massage, and hydrating masks
Technology-Based Facials: These incorporate advanced devices to enhance your results. Examples include HydraFacials—which use suction technology to clear dead skin cells and impurities before infusing the skin with hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, and peptides—as well as treatments utilising LED light therapy, ultrasound, or radiofrequency technologies.
Facials can provide a temporary improvement in skin appearance, help remove stubborn comedones, improve hydration and leave the skin looking fresher and more radiant. Facial massage may also improve circulation and reduce puffiness. Because there is little to no downtime, facials can be a good option for patients seeking a quick boost before an event. However, they are generally less effective than medical treatments at stimulating collagen production or producing long-term structural changes in the skin.
Most facials are considered non-invasive because they work on the skin’s surface and do not involve injections or significant disruption of the skin barrier. More invasive treatments, such as microneedling, injectable skin boosters or laser resurfacing, are generally classified as medical procedures and are subject to different regulations regarding who can perform them.
Regular appointments offer long-term benefits such as:
Professional-Grade Exfoliation: with the use of ingredients and tools that are far more potent and effective than over-the-counter products
Anti-Ageing & Cellular Turnover: Regular treatments boost collagen and speed up cell renewal, smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles
Stress Relief: dedicating some time to yourself and taking care of your skin can be really beneficial by lowering your cortisol (stress hormone) levels, which directly correlates to fewer hormonal breakouts and less inflammation
Expert Guidance: Your dermatologist or licensed aesthetician can improve your current routine and tell you exactly what your skin needs, depending on your necessities
It depends entirely on your skin type, your unique concerns, and what you are trying to achieve, but a dermatologist or qualified aesthetician can advise on the best treatment options or combination to target your concerns.
Targeted Goals: A person looking purely for hydration will require a vastly different treatment than someone dealing with active acne, pigmentation, or signs of aging.
The Expert Advantage: You don’t have to guess. A qualified dermatologist or experienced therapist will thoroughly assess your skin under a magnifying lamp to guide you toward a treatment that is both safe and effective for your specific goals.
If you would like to book a consultation, contact us at +971 50 494 6377 and arrange an appointment with our Dermatologist, Dr Victoria Scott-Lang.
Dr. Victoria Scott-Lang is an experienced British Consultant Dermatologist with over 20 years of international experience across the UK, New Zealand and the UAE. Dr. Victoria Scott-Lang treats the full spectrum of skin conditions, with particular expertise in acne, hair loss, skin cancer, autoimmune diseases, aesthetic dermatology, and laser treatments. She cares for patients of all ages, from infants and children to teenagers and adults.
