LOOKING FOR THAT HEALTHY GLOW

Do regular facials actually improve your skin?

- ERICA SWEENEY

Smoother skin, smaller pores, better hydration - these are just a few of the many benefits facials can offer. And who isn't relaxed after being horizontal for an hour while someone massages your face and tends to your pores?

Glowing skin is a major and immediate benefit of getting a facial. But that perk tends to fade after a few days or weeks. And aestheticians will often say that if you want longer-term improvements, such as fewer wrinkles, less acne or an even skin tone, you'll need to get facials regularly.

Is that true? We asked three dermatologists to weigh in.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

Facials come in many forms, said Dr Susan Massick, a dermatologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in the US.

Standard ones incorporate some type of deep cleansing, exfoliating, moisturising, massaging and sometimes "extraction", or squeezing the gunk out of your pores, she said. They're also often tailored to address specific skin issues such as acne, dullness or discoloration, she added. You can get facials at medical spas or salons, and at dermatology offices.

When your skin is cleansed, massaged and exfoliated, dead skin cells are removed from the outermost layer of your skin called the epidermis, said Dr Helen He, an assistant professor of dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. This speeds up the skin's cell turnover rate, which may help brighten your complexion, smooth its texture and shrink your pores, she said.