How often should you get a facial? Your skin needs TLC and it won’t pamper itself. But can it become too much of a good thing?

May 11

To fully enjoy glowing skin, it’s important to give your skin the care it needs. One facial in your lifetime isn’t enough to keep your skin happy. The best way to ensure your skin is healthy and clean is to have routine facials coupled with a good at home skin care regimen.

To maximize the results of a facial and reap its benefits, set up a routine that works best for you and your skin. So how often should you get a facial? Unfortunately, there’s no specific answer. There are several factors to consider when you gauge the length of time between facials. What works well for a friend might not work for you.

Factors to Consider

People schedule facials for many reasons. Some want to preserve youthful looks, while others seek to clear up acne-prone skin. Decide what your skin care goals are and what you hope to achieve. Before you schedule an Esthetician and put together a skin care routine, you should know your type of skin, your skin concerns and skin goals.

Skin Care Goals

The best way to set up a skin care plan is to work with an Esthetician from an early age. But that’s not always possible. However long you’ve been together, your Esthetician will help you find products that work best with your skin and then dig deeper to solve other concerns.

As you and your skin age, your skin care regimen will need to change. For instance, sun damage, smoking and other factors affect your skin. Your Esthetician will know how to address such changes.

Your Skin Type

A major consideration to how frequent to schedule facials is your skin type. If you have facials because your skin is oily or acne prone, you’ll schedule them more often. Skin with clogged pores, blackheads and acne benefit from monthly visits. As you see improvement, you can put your skin on a less-frequent schedule to control such breakouts.

But monthly visits aren’t just for acne. Those with clear skin can schedule monthly appointments as well. If you suffer from sensitive skin, you may limit your facials to once every two months or whatever works best.

Specific treatments

Depending on your skin issues, your Esthetician might actually increase your treatment frequency. For example, say you’d benefit from peels or eye enhancements. Such treatments are normally done in a series and would mean more frequent appointments with your Esthetician until the process is complete.

Rejuvenation Speed

The younger you are, the less often you’ll need a facial. That’s because younger skin rejuvenates quicker than older skin. But if you have skin problems, it’s often beneficial to get more facials even if you’re young. But as you begin to age, you’ll need to have your Esthetician redesign your skincare routine.

General Recommendations

Setting those factors aside, the general recommendation is for a facial every three to four weeks or once a month. That’s how long your skin’s life cycle is. After three or four weeks, your skin cells grow back.

Facials help this process and assure your skin always glows.

Acne-Prone Skin

If you have acne-prone skin, it’s good to come in every two weeks during acne breakouts. Once your skin clears, you can wait longer periods between visits.

Occasional Facials

If life prevents you from a monthly facial, at least schedule one every season. The warmer seasons cause acne or sun damage while the colder seasons cause dry skin. Scheduling a facial for each season assures your skin isn’t hurt by the weather changes.

Frequent Facials

Unless you follow a skin care routine created by your Esthetician, you don’t want facials too frequently. More than once every two weeks might do more harm than good. That’s why it’s important to work with a professional.

DIY vs. Professional

Although there are at-home facials you might enjoy, they don’t compare to professional facials in terms of getting the job done. But there are some DIY things to keep your skin healthy between professional facials.

For example, always clean any makeup off your face. Clean your face well either in the morning or before bed. Jade rollers and dermarollers are great tools to use at home.