We all want to look as young, healthy, and beautiful on the outside as we feel on the inside. Unfortunately, sun exposure, secondhand smoke, and genetics can leave us looking a little worse for wear. If you wish you could rejuvenate your face and feel more confident without expensive cosmetics, you may be a good candidate for a HydraFacial at Radiant Reflections Weight Loss Clinic & Medspa in Hattiesburg, MS. Here’s what you need to know about the treatment.
What Is a HydraFacial Treatment?
A HydraFacial is an aesthetic treatment that took the concept of dermabrasion and improved upon it drastically. Traditional dermabrasion involves physically exfoliating the skin using a rotating, abrasive instrument. It is great for treating fine lines, sun damage, rough skin, and acne scars but it isn’t comfortable and it isn’t safe for all skin types.
In contrast, the HydraFacial, also known as hydradermabrasion, is safe for any skin type. It is also gentle enough for individuals with rosacea and actually improves the worst symptoms of the condition, including enlarged pores, bumps, and severe redness. Does this treatment sound like something you could benefit from? Take a look at what to expect during treatment.
What Can I Expect During Treatment?
During the first phase of treatment, a wand is used to remove dirt and oils from your pores. This vortex wand essentially suctions out all of the contaminants that are clogging your pores. This provides several benefits, including making your pores look smaller and making topical medications more effective as they can penetrate deeper into the skin. This vortex also includes oxygenated, micronutrient-infused water to cleanse and hydrate your skin.
Once your pores have been unclogged, serums are infused into your skin. The serums we use will depend on your specific aesthetic goals. For example, we can infuse anti-aging serums into your skin if you are concerned about age spots, lines, and wrinkles. If you have dry skin, we can infuse serums designed specifically to keep your skin looking hydrated for weeks at a time.
How Long Does a Treatment Session Take?
How long your treatment session takes depends on the extent of your treatment. If your pores aren’t too clogged, we can unclog your pores through water and suction quickly. If your skin is well-hydrated and fairly smooth, we won’t need to inject too many healing, restorative serums into your skin. We can give you a better idea of how long you can expect your session to last during your initial consultation but sessions usually last around half of an hour.
Your treatment session may take 45 minutes or more if you are treating a larger area, like your face and neck or your chest. Despite the name of the device, the hydradermabrasion system can be used to treat moderate wrinkles, sun spots, and age spots on your neck, chest, back, arms and hands. However, we must note that this treatment is not appropriate for treating bags under your eyes despite being safe and effective for the treatment of most wrinkles.
How Many Sessions Will I Need To Achieve My Ideal Results?
How many sessions you will need to achieve your ideal results also depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you’re just looking to stop your acne breakouts for a month without having to apply medicine daily, you will only need one session. If you want to shrink your pores for several weeks, again, you will see your ideal results after your first session. However, it is important to note that as your pores clog with irritants they will enlarge once again.
You will only need multiple sessions to achieve your ideal results if you have age spots, moderate-to-severe wrinkles, or other significant skin concerns. When you come in for your initial evaluation, we will assess the severity of your skin concerns and create a convenient treatment plan. The good news is that if you treat pigmentation concerns, like rosacea, sun spots, or age spots, they will not return unless there is a trigger, like prolonged, unprotected sun exposure.
Will This Treatment Tighten My Skin?
Yes. This treatment doesn’t just smooth away wrinkles by adding volume to the parts of your skin suffering from severe collagen loss. It also tightens your skin without the need to undergo intubation for general anesthesia. In fact, the treatment is so comfortable that no anesthetic is used at all. Hydradermabrasion tightens your skin thanks to the deep exfoliation that occurs during the session.
This deep exfoliation encourages cellular turnover through extra collagen production. Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body, providing most of the structure to your connective tissues that keep your skin tight. In fact, since collagen and cellular turnover go hand-in-hand, nearly any skin imperfection you can imagine can be resolved by boosting the amount of collagen in your skin.
What Do I Need To Do To Prepare?
In the six months leading up to your treatment, do not use any products, such as Accutane, that contain isotretinoin. If you use such a product and think a HydraFacial would benefit you, speak with your dermatologist or primary care physician today about effective alternatives you can take safely. In the two weeks preceding your treatment, do not receive any laser treatments, medium chemical peels or deep chemical peels.
Do not schedule facial Botox injections within seven days of your appointment. You may receive facial Botox injections after your hydradermabrasion session is over. Five days before your scheduled session, start a hydropeptide skincare regimen and minimize your risk of sun damage by wearing sunscreen and staying indoors between 10 AM and 4 PM. Do not wax within 48 hours of your appointment and do not shave within four hours of your session.
How Should I Care for My Skin After Treatment?
Avoid heat during the first 24 hours following your session. Take a lukewarm bath after your session instead of a steaming hot bath. Don’t indulge in a steaming bowl of your favorite soup or unwind in a sauna or steam room. Don’t engage in strenuous exercise. If you need to get a workout in, go for a walk at a moderate pace or take a leisurely bicycle ride around your neighborhood.
In the first 48 hours following your treatment, you should avoid any exfoliating treatments or peels containing glycolic acid. In fact, you really shouldn’t get any type of chemical peel during this time and medium and deep peels should be avoided for two weeks. You should also refrain from taking OTC acne medication containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Furthermore, avoid applying makeup and other cosmetics until the morning after your session.
How Often Should I Get Treatment?
How often you should come in for maintenance treatments depends on your unique aesthetic goals and how healthy your skin was to begin with. For the best results, come in every other week for a follow-up session. The benefits of hydrafacial treatment are derived, primarily, from the removal of dead skin cells. Unfortunately, skin cells only live for two to three weeks.
Therefore, roughly 14 to 21 days after your session, you may once again experience enlarged pores, acne, non-inflammatory acne, and other skin concerns. If you are seeking treatment because you want to make your skin look smoother and more hydrated, if you stay on top of your moisturizing routine, you may not need a maintenance session for several months. Fine lines and moderate wrinkles don’t reappear in just a couple of weeks.
Who Is a Good Candidate for This Type of Aesthetic Treatment?
Since this hydrafacial treatment is so gentle, nearly everyone is a good candidate. Since there are no lasers, it is safe for any skin tone or type. Whether this treatment is appropriate for you really comes down to the aesthetic goals you are trying to achieve. If you are worried about acne, this device will unclog your pores, allowing acne treatments to penetrate your skin deeper and work better.
If you are worried about blackheads, this treatment may be incredibly beneficial to you. Blackheads are caused by dead skin cells and this treatment removes dead skin cells. Moreover, you may be an ideal candidate for treatment if you are worried about papulopustular rosacea. This is particularly exciting because few treatments are gentle enough for people with rosacea and effective for the treatment of the condition.
Can I Get This Treatment if I’m Pregnant?
Speak with your OBGYN if you are pregnant and want to receive this treatment. There have not been enough clinical studies to confirm the safety of this aesthetic treatment on pregnant women. Since it is not approved by the FDA for pregnant women, we recommend that you hold off on treatment until you have given birth and stopped breastfeeding.
Who Shouldn’t Get This Treatment?
You should not get a hydradermabrasion treatment if you have a cold sore at the time of your hydrafacial treatment. If you have a history of cold sores, we strongly recommend that you take an antiviral two weeks before your scheduled appointment. You should also not receive this treatment if you are sick at the time of treatment, have an autoimmune disease, or have a history of keloid scarring, an indication that your skin heals poorly.
Furthermore, you should hold off on this treatment if you have an open wound or an unidentifiable skin growth or mark on your face. You should also not receive this treatment if you have an active acne outbreak. We understand it is difficult to avoid an acne outbreak without taking an isotretinoin-based medication for six months but there are safe alternatives you can take that may be effective. Finally, avoid this treatment if you are allergic to any ingredients.
Take the First Step in Rejuvenating Your Skin Today
We all see opportunities to improve our appearance. If you are concerned about acne, enlarged pores, hyperpigmented skin, or wrinkles, a HydraFacial alternative may be the appropriate aesthetic treatment for you. The innovative device suctions irritants, like dirt and oil, out of your pores gently and painlessly. Then, healing, moisturizing serums are injected to make your skin smooth, hydrated, and flawlessly beautiful.
Contact us at Radiant Reflections Weight Loss Clinic & Medspa in Hattiesburg, MS to schedule an appointment and discover if this innovative treatment will help you achieve your goals. If you can’t stop taking medications that include isotretinoin for six months, we offer several safe, effective rejuvenating alternatives. Regardless of your skin concerns, we have a treatment that is appropriate for you.
