How to Prepare for a Facial: The Do's and Don'ts

People ask me how to prepare for a facial like it's a colonoscopy. It isn't. You don't need to fast, and you don't need to show up with perfect skin. That's my job.

But there are a handful of things you do in the week before that decide whether I spend the hour improving your skin or calming it down. Here they are.

The do's

• Tell me what you're using. Retinol, tretinoin, acne medication, anything a dermatologist prescribed. If you've taken isotretinoin (Accutane) in the last six months, I need to know before you book, not halfway through. It changes what I can safely do.
• Pause the retinoids. Stop retinol or tretinoin about three to five days before. They thin the outer layer of skin, and exfoliation on top of that is how people end up raw.
• Wear sunscreen the week before. Sunburned skin can't be treated. If you show up pink from a weekend in Palm Springs, we're rescheduling.
• Drink water like a normal person. You don't need a gallon. Dehydrated skin is tighter and more reactive, and it's the easiest thing on this list.
• Fill out the intake form before you arrive. It takes five minutes at home and saves ten minutes of your hour on the table.
• Show up as you are. No need to wash your face in the parking garage. I cleanse twice before anything else happens. Just skip piling on heavy product that morning.

The don'ts

• Don't shave right before. Shave the day before, or don't. Fresh razor burn plus exfoliation feels exactly how you'd imagine.
• Don't exfoliate at home that week. No scrubs, no acid toners, no peel pads. You're paying me to do that part, and doing it twice is not twice as good.
• Don't book it next to waxing, threading, or a laser appointment. Give it a few days on either side. Stacking treatments is how a good facial turns into an irritated one.
• Don't pick at anything. I know. But an open spot means I have to work around it, and I would rather extract it properly than tiptoe around your damage.
• Don't plan a hard workout right after. Skip the gym, sauna, and steam room for about 24 hours. Heat and sweat on freshly treated skin is the most common way guys undo the session the same afternoon.

After you leave

Use what I send you home with and nothing new for a couple of days. Wear sunscreen. If you're not sure whether something in your routine is a problem, text me before you try it, not after.

That's the whole list. If this is your first facial, here's what actually happens once you're on the table. And if you're wondering how often to come back, that one has its own article.