Your ultimate guide to facialsHow often should you get a facial? Your top 10 questions answered

Facials are professional skincare treatments performed by aestheticians to improve the condition of your facial skin. A basic facial typically involves three steps: cleansing, blackhead and acne treatment, and post-treatment soothing. The goal is to enhance skin hydration, repair the skin barrier, brighten dullness, treat acne, refine skin texture, slow skin aging, reduce wrinkles, prevent blemishes, and maintain overall skin health.

While aesthetic medicine is popular and highly effective for improving facial skin, facials and aesthetic medicine differ in their invasiveness and purpose of improvement.

Facials primarily focus on daily and intensive skin care, using non-invasive methods and products for cleansing, moisturizing, massage, and blackhead treatment. They require long-term conditioning to stabilize the skin, maintaining it in its best current state. Aesthetic medicine, on the other hand, focuses on deeper treatments and procedures. These are medical procedures, which can be traumatic, invasive, or non-invasive, using medical techniques such as injectables, laser treatments, and micro-sculpting, and must be performed by a qualified physician.

In today's image-conscious society, regular facials are essential. A clean, fresh face significantly boosts your image and contributes to a more youthful, vibrant appearance. Therefore, consistent facial care is necessary for everyone, regardless of gender.

How often you get a facial depends on your individual skin condition, budget, and time. Generally, it's recommended to visit a venue for a facial 1-2 times a month. If you have more acne or blackheads, or if your skin is in an unstable condition, it's advisable to get a facial every two weeks. Once your skin stabilizes, a deep facial once a month should suffice. Even if your budget and time allow, it's not recommended to get facials too frequently, as this can make your skin overly sensitive. For a detailed frequency tailored to your needs, consult a trusted aesthetician based on the common assessment points below.

Facials typically include cleansing, blackhead extraction, exfoliation, massage, and masks, but each venue's process and desired results vary. We recommend checking the venue's social media for details.

For example, there are many methods for blackhead removal, such as instrument suction, painless extraction, manual extraction, and traditional beauty treatments. Generally, methods involving picking and squeezing will achieve a deeper clean but are more prone to side effects like pain or redness, which largely depend on the aesthetician's skill. Therefore, we suggest trying 1-3 different facial venues to objectively understand which technique works best for you!

Skin types vary—oily, dry, combination—and can change with age. Common facial treatments include whitening, hydration, alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) peels, lifting and firming, and even algae needle resurfacing. Here are two popular facial treatment options you'll often find at beauty venues:

When choosing a facial venue, you should consider a variety of factors, including equipment hygiene, service techniques, service attitude, ambiance, professional skill, and a good reputation. Typically, the most basic approach is to search forums or Google Maps reviews. However, because venues now often use small incentives to encourage customers to leave Google Maps reviews, the reliability of these reviews is limited. Beyond that, here are a few tips for newcomers:

Facial prices typically vary based on the services offered, products used, techniques, venue decor, and service quality. Prices range from basic facials at $500 to comprehensive treatments exceeding $2,500. Basic facials usually cost between $500 and $1,000, blackhead extraction between $1,000 and $1,500, and facial exfoliation between $1,000 and $1,500, while comprehensive treatments are priced from $2,500 to $5,000.

However, facial price should not be the sole criterion when choosing a venue. Other factors should be considered, as a cheap facial with poor results or inadequate technique could damage your skin, leading to higher costs for corrective treatments later. Below, we've listed popular facial venues in Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, providing details on their treatment methods and pricing for your reference.

Don't assume you can relax your skincare routine after a professional facial. Post-facial daily care is crucial.

Facial treatments often include pore extraction, which can leave minor wounds or redness. For three days to a week after your facial, avoid irritating products such as alpha hydroxy acids, retinoids, or exfoliants. Opt for gentle, non-irritating, and hydrating products that suit your skin type. And don't forget sun protection — it's essential to maintain the benefits of your facial.

The risk of side effects from a facial is minimized with the correct procedure and a professional aesthetician. However, everyone's skin is different and may react differently to facial treatments or products, with potential issues like redness or inflammation. Therefore, it's always recommended to discuss your skin condition with your aesthetician before a facial, and to inform them in advance of any skincare products or ingredients you should avoid, to prevent adverse reactions.