Mens Facials: Are Medical Facials Worth The Hype?

Don’t ever underestimate the importance of a good skincare routine. Using the right products regularly will go a long way to ensuring your skin looks its best for longer. Still, there’s something to be said for good men’s facials, especially if it’s medical facials.

A regular salon-style facial will involve a therapist layering on products you might even have at home. A medical facial, however, will use cutting-edge machines and medical-grade products you couldn’t pick up in a chemist. As a result, the effects can be quite dramatic. A very good thing if you want to combat the effects of premature ageing or simply look your best before a big event.

Here are just three popular medical facials performed in clinics across South Africa. One of them might be just what the doctor orders! 

Men’s facials for when you’re feeling dry

Just got off a long flight that’s robbed your skin of moisture?  Born with a dry skin type? Either way, you’ll benefit from an ultra-hydrating Hydra Touch facial. A great addition as entry-level men’s facials.

A Hydra Touch facial is a brilliant multitasker that combines several different treatments in one. It starts with hydrodermabrasion, an exfoliation session using a jet stream of water. It powerfully yet painlessly sloughs away the dead, dry skin cells that can clog your pores. This is followed by a gentle peel that’ll leave you looking smooth and radiant, not flaking or red.

Next, a transdermal mesotherapy device is run across your face and neck. It emits subtle electrical pulses to comfortably deliver a hydrating serum into the deeper layers of your skin. This way, you can really rehydrate in a way no moisturiser you already own could do.

To finish, your therapist can apply a mask that might also be deeply moisturising or contain ingredients tailored to suit a particular concern. For example, oily skin would benefit more from a pore-cleaning salicylic acid mask than a hydrating one. Either way, you’ll walk out with glowing skin that looks well-rested, is less puffy, and has fewer fine lines.

For when you’re feeling dull

Have one too many big nights out left you looking less than fresh? Has a combination of stress and neglect left you looking drawn? A Mesoglow facial is just the ticket to rejuvenating dull-looking skin that’s starting to show the signs of ageing. It’s a great addition to mid-range men’s facials.

The facial kicks off with a gentle radiance-boosting microdermabrasion session. This involves blowing a jet stream of medical-grade crystals across the surface of your skin. It effectively “sandblasts” the dry, dead cells that create an ashy complexion. (Don’t worry! It doesn’t hurt one bit, and most people will tell you it feels like a gentle tickle.)

Next, your therapist will perform a transdermal mesotherapy treatment. It gently pushes a specially formulated anti-ageing elixir into the deeper layers of your skin. The magic mix typically includes growth factors and peptides proven to stimulate the creation of collagen, the protein that gives your skin its youthful-looking stretch.

What’s great about this treatment is that you’re not left peeling or red. You can walk straight out the door with supple-feeling skin that is so healthy-looking it’ll glow!

For when you really want to rejuvenate

If you have more mature skin or want to delay the ageing process, you’ll want to know about a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) facial, also referred to as a “vampire facial.” This is the number one addition for rejuvenating men’s facials.

Performed by a doctor, it starts with drawing some blood from your arm. This is put into a “spinning machine” that uses centrifugal force to separate your blood into layers. The doctor can then isolate and extract the PRP so they can inject it back into your skin, often via a skin needling procedure. (Don’t worry about any discomfort. A numbing cream will ensure you don’t feel a thing!) Once in the deeper layers of your skin, the PRP dramatically accelerates new collagen growth. The result is firmer-looking skin that’s less lined, has an improved texture and youthful-looking volume!

As this treatment’s key “ingredient” is your own blood, there’s no chance of experiencing an allergic reaction or side effects. It could easily be performed every 3 to 6 weeks. However, your doctor will recommend the required amount, usually 2 to 8, depending on your particular concern.