HydraFacials: Do they work?
A HydraFacial is a skin treatment that has been patented and is offered at medical spas and dermatologist offices. It’s also sometimes called “hydradermabrasion” because it uses exfoliating serums and a process that’s similar to microdermabrasion to remove dead skin.
The HydraFacial for acne is known for the three steps it takes to deep clean, exfoliate, and hydrate your skin. This professional procedure may help treat acne, dry skin, and wrinkles, among other skin problems.
The noninvasive procedure is similar to getting a regular spa facial, but the results are said to be more visible.This is done by using a machined wand on your skin to deeply clean and exfoliate while putting on serums that are made for your skin type.
If you want to know if a HydraFacial for acne is worth all the hype, keep reading to find out more about its possible benefits, side effects, and how it compares to other treatments.
Try Combination Therapy: HydraFacial + Blue Light Treatment
HydraFacial opens up hair follicles and pores that are clogged
Manual exfoliation with a rough cloth, an abrasive scrub, or a cleansing pad can make acne symptoms worse in adults. Physical exfoliation that is too rough can cause inflammation and “micro-tears” in the skin, which makes it easier for P. acnes bacteria to grow. This type of exfoliation also breaks the protective lipid barrier of the skin without doing anything to fix it after cleansing. Lastly, if you don’t use a clean, fresh exfoliant every time, you risk adding more harmful bacteria to your skin.
Exfoliating at home is dangerous and doesn’t give you much in return. Exfoliants you make at home can temporarily clear out clogged pores, but they can’t get dirt out of hair follicles. Physical exfoliation doesn’t work as well because most pustules and pimples start in hair follicles.
The HydraFacial for acne is different in many ways. By combining light manual abrasion with chemical exfoliation, the VortexFusion system dissolves and loosens oil and dirt stuck deep in hair follicles while also opening pores. Then, during the extraction phase, suction is used to pull out even the most stubborn, pore-clogging gunk.
When cleansing, adding mild acids can reduce how much physical exfoliation is needed to clear pores. Light manual abrasion makes it possible to use chemical exfoliants that are gentle and won’t irritate the skin. So, the HydraFacial for acne doesn’t cause the inflammation that comes with intense dermabrasion and strong chemical peels. At the same time, it gives you the best exfoliation for fighting acne. After treatment, antioxidant-rich serums are used to rebuild the protective lipid barrier of the skin, which helps it heal and get back to normal.
The blue light kills the bacteria that causes acne, and the HydraFacial helps the skin heal
Damaged skin is acne’s best friend. UV radiation, environmental toxins, harsh weather, artificial fragrances and preservatives, and certain lifestyle choices, like smoking, can make acne worse by breaking down collagen, which helps the skin heal and slowing the turnover of skin cells. These damaging processes let dead skin cells build up and block pores. They also slow the healing of wounds, which is perfect for P. acnes.
When we use blue light and HydraFacial together, we kill P. acnes both above and below the skin’s surface and make the skin less likely to get infected again. After killing harmful bacteria with blue light, we put on a hydrating HydraFacial serum with peptides, antioxidants, and hyaluronic acid (HA). HA, which is the main ingredient in most dermal fillers, is a powerful collagen catalyst. It wakes up dormant fibroblasts in the skin and tells them to repair damage while making new collagen and elastin to firm the skin’s outer layer. Because of this natural healing process, the skin gets stronger and is less likely to get infected by bacteria.
By reducing dryness, the HydraFacial helps stop breakouts from coming back
Dry skin is a real worry with many acne-fighting topicals. Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, which are common ingredients in acne creams, do reduce the amount of acne-causing bacteria on the skin, but they also dry out the skin. If you use these products every day, they can cause your skin to crack and flake, which can lead to tiny tears. The skin becomes dry and damaged, which makes it easy for bacteria to quickly get into the epidermis and make the person’s acne worse.
We often use salicylic acid in HydraFacials to treat acne, but we can keep patients from getting new breakouts by moisturizing the skin after applying SA. In the “fusion” step of our HydraFacial system, an intense, non-comedogenic moisturizer protects the skin from drying out. We use hyaluronic acid because it draws water molecules to the surface of the skin, where they can be incorporated into new collagen. This helps the skin retain more moisture.
HydraFacial can reduce the appearance of acne scars
If you have acne that comes back often, you know that dimpled, pitted scars can stay even after the acne is gone. These scars can take away from the natural beauty of your skin and remind you of your skin condition, so we make sure that our acne treatment plans include skin resurfacing. During HydraFacial for acne exfoliation, we use mild acids to dissolve the thickened collagen in scar tissue. This makes scars less noticeable over time.
To get this result, you’ll need at least four to six months of monthly HydraFacials. For the acne treatment plan to work, the patient must be consistent. It lets us keep a close eye on our progress and make sure that any extractions that need to be done are done on a regular basis. The treatment takes between 30 and 60 minutes, which makes it easy for our busy clients to fit in the HydraFacial.
If the HydraFacial for acne can’t get rid of your acne scars on its own, our doctors can use other treatments, like the IPL Photofacial, to help smooth out your skin. Since intense pulsed light is less painful than a regular laser peel, it can be used on many people with sensitive skin or skin that gets acne. IPL also reduces the amount of P. acnes bacteria on the skin, which is a bonus.
How to Keep Your Skin Healthy After a HydraFacial
We call the HydraFacial for acne a “zero-downtime” treatment because it won’t make your skin red, swell, or peel. Use a gentle cleanser no more than twice a day and don’t exfoliate your skin by hand after getting a HydraFacial. This will keep your skin glowing and free of spots. We can also help you find sunscreens, cosmetics, and skin care products that are right for your skin and will improve the results of your treatment plan.
6 Combination Therapy Steps
Like any other facial, the HydraFacial for acne starts with the therapist taking off your makeup and giving your skin a deep cleaning. A special machine with a spiral tip and “vortex technology,” or an “extracting and delivering” motion, pulls out dirt and blackheads and puts brightening ingredients into the skin. The whole facial takes a little less than an hour.
1. Massage the lymph nodes to get rid of fluid buildup.
You can choose to get mechanical lymphatic drainage in addition to the regular HydraFacial. First, the machine is used to give a gentle but stimulating massage that helps the lymph nodes drain fluid that has built up there. The claim is that this increases the flow of oxygen to the cells and speeds up the skin’s natural way of getting rid of toxins. This, in turn, gives the skin a clearer look and better color and tone. It feels soft and kind of calming.
2. Remove dirt and grime by washing and scrubbing
The next step is to clean and exfoliate at the same time. Dead skin cells are buffed away while lactic acid and glucosamine are pushed into pores to help with exfoliation and boost hydration deep down.
3. Apply an acid peel
In the third step, a strong mixture of glycolic and salicylic acids is used to help loosen and dissolve any leftover debris and brighten the skin.
If this step makes you nervous, keep in mind that it’s so mild that you won’t peel any more after the facial.
4. Unclog blocked pores
Now comes the most important step, which is called “extraction.” Here is where the spiral tip spins, pulling blackheads and other dirt out of the pores. It seems less harsh than manually exfoliating, so I wasn’t sure if it would work as well. But a cup is attached to the end of the suction mechanism, so you can see what’s being pulled out, which I thought was a very good feature.
5. Hydrate and plump
After this, a customized mix of hyaluronic acid, peptides, and antioxidants is pumped into the pores to plump, hydrate, and repair the skin, and even temporarily fill in fine lines. The hydrating effects of a HydraFacial for acne are supposed to last for up to a week.
6. LED light treatment
In the last (optional) part of the facial, blue LED light kills acne-causing bacteria, and red LED light reduces any remaining redness and helps collagen production. Your specialist will figure out what needs to be done after treatment.
HydraFacial For Acne FAQs
Who is a good candidate?
This treatment is for people of all ages and skin types, but it works best for those with very oily skin or who have acne or pimples. This includes both teens and adults. Even people with sensitive skin can use it because it is gentle and soothing.
How long does it take to do a HydraFacial for acne?
The treatment works fast and well. Most HydraFacials take about thirty minutes to finish. Your tone and texture will be better, and you won’t have any peeling or irritation left over.
Is it painful? Is there downtime?
HydraFacial for acne is soothing, easy, and doesn’t hurt. In fact, it is often said that it feels like a light massage. There is no downtime, and after a treatment, many people put on makeup right away.