Are Facials Worth the Cost?

The trend in Aesthetic Medicine seems to be moving away from 'fluffy' treatments such as facials and microdermabrasion and moving towards more results oriented treatments such as medical grade Chemical Peels and Intense Pulsed Light laser treatments. Facials may make you feel relaxed and your skin may feel clean afterwards, but the jury is out as to whether these often times expensive treatments are really worthwhile? Much of a facial is cleansing, massage and possible extractions (which can lead to scarring!). Medical grade peels on the other hand gently exfoliate the top layers of dead skin and reveal fresh, new skin. They help to control excess oil production and minimize bacteria. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) laser treatments also help to brighten the skin, reduce redness from broken facial capillaries and reduce and possibly eliminate brown spots/sun damage. Chemical Peels and IPL treatments range between $125-$300 per treatment, which is comparable to a facial - but you get more bang for your buck!