The question I get most often from new clients: "why do I need a facial if I already cleanse my face at home every day?" It's a fair thing to ask. But the answer is that home cleansing and a professional deep-cleansing facial are two completely different things — they work at different levels with different goals. One does not replace the other. From our salon in Campo Real, 25 minutes from central Madrid, here's what actually happens in the treatment room.
What home cleansing does (and doesn't do)
Your everyday cleanser does a fantastic job: it removes make-up, superficial sebum, pollution and dead cells from the surface. That's exactly what it should do, and it needs to be done twice a day.
What no home cleanser can do, no matter how expensive, is:
- Remove closed comedones (whiteheads) sitting under the surface of the skin
- Extract open comedones (blackheads) from inside the pores without damaging the skin
- Exfoliate in a controlled way to the correct depth for your skin type
- Apply specific actives with the penetration and concentration that professional equipment allows
- Detect and treat problem areas with professional judgement
The full protocol of a professional deep-cleansing facial
A well-done professional deep-cleansing facial takes between 60 and 90 minutes and follows a very specific sequence. Skipping steps or doing them in the wrong order drastically reduces the results.
Extraction: the step most feared beforehand and most appreciated afterwards
Extraction is the part of the treatment that people are most wary of going in and most grateful for coming out. Many clients arrive at their first session nervous ("I've been told it hurts") and leave saying "why didn't I do this sooner?".
The difference between a professional extraction and squeezing a spot at home is enormous:
- The skin is prepared with steam: comedones come out with much less pressure
- The correct technique is used: pressure is applied around and below the pore, not directly on top of it
- Only what is ready to come out gets extracted: forcing an unready comedone causes tissue damage and marks
- Post-extraction antisepsis prevents infection in the treated areas
How often should you have one?
Frequency depends on your skin type and your lifestyle:
- Oily or acne-prone skin: Every 3–4 weeks. Sebum production is high and comedones form quickly.
- Normal or combination skin: Every 4–6 weeks. Maintenance of an optimum skin state.
- Dry or sensitive skin: Every 6–8 weeks. Exfoliation and extraction should be gentler and less frequent.
- Mature skin: Every 4–6 weeks, combined with anti-ageing treatments.
What I always recommend to every client is that a deep-cleansing facial be the foundation of any treatment protocol. Before doing Dermapen, HIFU or any other tech-based treatment, the skin needs to be properly clean to maximise the results.
Perfect combination: deep-cleansing facial + galvanic current in the same session. Galvanic current takes advantage of the clean, open pores to drive actives to a depth and with an effectiveness impossible on untreated skin. The result is visible from the first session.
After your deep-cleansing facial: the first 24–48 hours, the skin is especially sensitive and receptive. Avoid make-up for the first 12 hours, direct sun and irritant actives (retinol, acids). Hydrate well and use SPF. Your skin will thank you.