How to know your facial has gone horribly wrong
A beauty blogger made Internet infamy when she told the story of her awful post-facial reaction. The images are heart-breaking. Sadly the follow-up care she received from the salon made it even worse.
As an esthetician I have had the privilege of viewing this industry from the inside and was appalled at the flawed and damaging information she was given. So what do you do if your facial goes horribly wrong?
In this two part post we cover what is a normal vs abnormal reaction and then the home care tricks you should follow.
"How do we know if your skin is having an abnormal reaction?"
NORMAL REACTION
1. A couple of small pimples is ok
One or two bumps or pimples can be a normal post-facial response because ALL of your congestion and breakouts in your skin CANNOT be completely removed during your facial.
(At Tuscany Spa we do clear out a great deal but even then not ALL of the breakouts can be safely and effectively removed without leaving the skin traumatized.)
2. A mild redness
Depending on the treatment and acne extractions your recieved, and based on your skins usual red undertones, a post-facial slight redness, either in spots or the entire face is entirely normal. Based on your skins natural sensitivity level it should fade within one hour to 3 hours maximum. Keep the skin cool, out of direct sun exposure and avoid any aggressive or irritating skincare.
3. A mild warmth
Your skin may feel warm to the touch after a facial especially if you got an invigorating facial massage, needed a peel or a lot of acne extractions. It should fade in one hour, naturally sensitive skin may take up to 3 hours.
ABNORMAL REACTIONS
4. A mass of micro pustules is NOT a normal reaction after a facial.
If there are a crop of micro-pustules, the tiny white pus filled bumps, on your entire face then you can assume that there has been either a skin sensitivity or allergic reaction.
(To verify if it is a true allergy you must check with your MD.)
They are NOT regular pimples and popping them will make it worse and possibly leave your skin scarred and pigmented.
IMPORTANT: Do NOT scrub, burst or scratch a mass of micro-pustules.
5. NEON RED
If you face is BRIGHT NEON RED after a facial and you DID NOT receive a strong peel or chemical peel, and it does not fade after an hour, THAT is NOT a normal, expected reaction. Your skin has become sensitized and inflamed.
6. FLAMES OF HEAT
You should not feel like your face is hot enough to fry an egg. A strong heat or warmth after a chemical peel is normal but NOT after a regular facial. Avoid any additional heat, sun or exfoliation. Use cool water to shower, bathe and wash your face.
If you answered YES to questions 4, 5 or 6 your skin has reacted badly. Now you need to care for it properly to speed up the healing process and follow the tips in our next blog.
Have you ever had a bad reaction to a facial, from either at-home facial or salon/spa or medi-spa treatment? What did you do to treat it? How long did it take to calm down?
Check out the next blog for the right steps to start healing your skin when it reacts badly.
Michelle G. Lathe, L.E.
SAVE THE DATE: OCTOBER 17, 2015 3PM TO 5PM for TUSCANY SPA 10 year Anniversary party and Fundraiser supporting Pasadena Ronad McDonald House.
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