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It’s been a month since our wedding, and only now am I able to catch up on blogging and take a breather from entertaining guests and family who flew in for the holiday season. My skin, however, is taking much longer to adjust: After several weeks of sleeping late and waking up at dawn, unhealthy eating, and stress, my skin finally succumbed to blemishes and dryness. It’s now a total wreck, and I’m scrambling to find a cure, what with most of my skincare stash still back home in Manila, along with my trusted aesthetic clinics.

How I looked on my big day (photo by Love Train Studios Photography)

I’m definitely due for a proper facial, and I remember that one of the best facials I got in preparation for the big day was HydraFacial, an invigorating treatment that can be done in as fast as 30 minutes.

HydraFacial treatment merges soothing and invigorating spa therapies with advanced medical technology to achieve instant, lasting results. It can be tailored to meet the specific needs of all skin types, with no downtime or irritation. The treatment is meant to remove dead skin cells and extract impurities while simultaneously bathing the new skin with cleansing, hydrating, and moisturizing serums.

I’m desperate to get back healthy, radiant skin, and I’m sure this is every woman’s goal each year, whether or not she’s a bride. So, read on for the details of this must-try facial, and ask your trusted beauty clinic or dermatologist about it.

Customizable facial

Your dermatologist or the skincare professional in your trusted beauty clinic could choose specific treatment serums and/or customize the HydraFacial treatment for your unique skin condition and needs. Make sure each session starts with a consultation that will allow an expert to evaluate your skin and conduct a sensitivity test.

Each treatment uses a series of patented HydroPeel tips—each one with multiple abrasive edges that exfoliate skin several times each pass to get better, more even results. The unique spiral design creates a vortex effect to easily dislodge and remove impurities while simultaneously introducing hydrating skin solutions and potent antioxidants. It’s like wet dermabrasion and they simultaneously infuse serums customized for your skin type and concern.

How my skin looked immediately after the facial

The process

The facial starts with the use of a suction (vacuum) to drain excess water from your face so serums will be absorbed better.

Step 1: Cleansing and Exfoliation. Dead skin cells are removed to reveal healthy new skin. They tested this on my neck first to see how I react to it. It feels like a cool suction as a serum is introduced. There’s a slight sting because of the abrasive edges for exfoliation. They do this step twice for thorough cleansing.

Step 2: Acid Peel. This gentle peel helps loosen dirt and debris from pores without irritation, in preparation for extraction. In my case, since they noted I had good skin (yay), it was applied only on my T-zone (chin, nose, and forehead). They used a combination of glycolic & salicylic acid, which are good for exfoliation.

Step 3: Extractions. Painless, automated extractions use Vortex suction to clean out pores. There’s no need for pricking in this step. Blackheads are sucked out and drained from my T-zone—they even showed me the container where all my facial impurities went after being suctioned out, and the visual of all that dirt pulled out from my skin gave me such satisfaction.

Steph 4: Hydration. Antioxidants and Hyaluronic Acid are Vortex-Fused to nourish and protect skin. Antioxidants counteract the damage from the sun’s rays, pollution, and stress (free radicals) by trapping and containing them, preventing further damage to skin cells. This step starts with depositing serum on the treatment area (T-zone), then to other areas that have blemishes (like my cheeks).

Results

The treatment is definitely refreshing and effective. I noticed that my complexion became visibly refined and looked even and radiant after just one treatment. I loved the way my skin looked and felt smooth and soft immediately after the treatment!

How my skin looked 10-11 days after the facial (with makeup, of course)

My skin glowed, and this lasted for days. My skin also felt hydrated and clean. My husband noticed my glow and how my skin looked so healthy. My pores also seemed minimized; people actually complimented me for it, days after I had the treatment done. I also noticed that my skin was no longer oily. The smooth results and hydrated feel of skin were really meant to last for five to seven days or even longer.

You may put on makeup and return to your regular activities right after the treatment, since there is no downtime or even any discomfort on skin. However, I didn’t feel the need to cover my skin with makeup after because it looked and felt so good! It’s even recommended that you don’t wash your face until the following day after getting the facial done (so try to get this facial at night).

One treatment per month is recommended for improving the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and oily and congested skin. It helps fade blemishes, undo sun damage, and soothe redness. It will take several sessions to reduce laugh lines, dark spots, and wrinkles, but I only had one session, so I can’t vouch for this. However, I am happy with the immediate results, and it’s definitely a must for brides-to-be. Just make sure to ask your derma about it first, and try it months before your big day so you’ll know if it’s worth having again a week or two before the wedding.

Make it a habit to check the machines used by your derma or aesthetic clinics, and ask for the best and latest technology. Ask your trusted aesthetic clinic if they offer HydraFacial. I remember trying a facial, the Atelier Designer Facial, that used the machine at DR. CRB, located at 1608 The Trade & Financial Tower 32nd St. corner 7th Ave. Bonifacio Global City, Taguig (02-9552375), as well as 2F of The Northwing at SM City Cebu, 6000 Cebu (02-2314907).

HydraFacial is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by SpectruMed, which markets and promotes high-end technologies and equipment for all aesthetic procedures from non-invasive skin tightening, face and body contouring, pigmentation, hair and scar removal; to vaginal rejuvenation, dental aesthetics, and orthopaedic treatments. Their product line consists of beauty brands renowned worldwide. They provide only the best systems and devices that are US-FDA approved to ensure user and patient safety with proven clinical results. Visit spectrumed.com.ph for more information.

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