What is a medical-grade facial? HydraFacial, Dermadrop and LED compared

What does "medical-grade facial" mean?

There is no single definition, and the phrase on its own tells you little. Three better questions: what exactly does the facial do, for which skin, and who looked at your skin before planning it? A facial can only work on the surface of the skin. It cannot lift, fill or relax a muscle, and it does not treat a rash, a mole or acne that needs prescription medicine, which are a doctor's questions first.

The three facials side by side

• HydraFacial: a spiral vortex of water and vacuum; one channel lifts away dead skin, oil and debris while the other floods the skin with serums; cleanse and peel, extract and hydrate, fuse and protect. Thirty minutes for the essential version, up to an hour with boosters. Usually no downtime.
• Dermadrop: a needle-free infusion; actives are atomised into fine droplets and propelled onto the skin on a stream of filtered oxygen, with a liposomal carrier. Twenty to forty minutes, contactless, usually no downtime.
• Heleo4 LED: light across nine modes, from antibacterial blue to deep-repair near-infrared, applied after a chlorella-based complex. Twenty to forty minutes of comfortable warm light; no UV and no heat damage.

Which facial for which skin?

• Congested, dull or oily skin, blackheads: HydraFacial, which lifts oil and debris out.
• Dehydrated, dry or sensitive skin that reacts to acids: Dermadrop, which mists actives without touching the skin.
• Red, reactive or acne-prone skin: Heleo4 LED, which calms inflammation; for active breakouts it is part of a plan, alongside a deep cleanse.
• Uneven tone, rough texture or scars: these need a different treatment, not a facial.

HydraFacial vs oxygen facial: what is the difference?

A HydraFacial removes: water and suction lift dead skin, oil and debris out of the pores while serums go in. Dermadrop delivers: actives travel on oxygen onto the skin with no contact and no suction. So the first suits skin that needs clearing, the second skin that needs hydrating and calming. Many people alternate them, and a plan matches each to the skin of the day.

Is an LED facial worth it?

For the right skin, as part of a plan. Light works cumulatively: a course of five to ten sessions, one or two a week, and eight to ten for acne and rosacea-prone skin, then maintenance every three to six weeks. Skin is usually calmer after the first session and the visible change arrives over three to five. It is calming and supportive, not a replacement for medical treatment when acne is moderate to severe.

How often, and what about downtime?

HydraFacial: about once a month, with congested or marked skin sometimes starting every two weeks; before an event, three to seven days ahead. Dermadrop: a course of five to ten sessions, one or two a week, then a top-up every two to four weeks; as a one-off before an event, a day or two ahead. LED: as above. Downtime is usually none for all three: perhaps pinkness for an hour or so, sunscreen every day, and no harsh exfoliants for a day or two.

Who should wait

All three wait during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Other reasons to wait include sunburn or a fresh tan, a cold sore, isotretinoin in the last six months for HydraFacial, and medicines or supplements that make skin sensitive to light for LED; tell us everything you take. Our cosmetology team is led by Kateryna Petliuk, Head of Non-Invasive Cosmetology.