First Facial - Bad Experience
April 26th, 2006 @ 1:44 pm by Mrs. Ant
Last Wednesday, I had my first facial treatment at a well regarded spa in NYC. I was pretty excited about my appointment since they are famous for their deep-pore cleansing facial.
The experience started off very comfortably with a great face/ neck/ shoulder massage and steaming to open up my pores. But that’s where the comfort ended. The lady proceeded to perform some very painful “extractions,” which is just a high-falutin’ word for “pimple popping.” She would prick my skin before squeezing at what I assume were pimples - pimples that I never even knew existed! Afterwards, she applied some calming masks and zapped me with a high-frequency device.
I wasn’t sure what kind of results to expect. But I would have liked my skin to be better afterwards than it was originally. Unfortunately, that’s not what I saw…
BEFORE - closeup of forehead (no makeup or retouching in any of these photos)
AFTER - 12 Hours Later
AFTER - 1 Week Later
According to other blogging brides, redness and swelling is normal right after a facial. For most other women, the skin’s reaction goes away within two or so days. But my skin seems to be particularly sensitive to the poking and prodding, so its reaction was pretty intense. Plus, I know from cuts and scrapes that my skin is slow to heal.
As you can see, I basically shelled out lots of money for worse skin. Extractions are NOT right for my skin and I am never going to get a deep-pore treatment ever again!
More complaints:
Product Pushing - The lady kept shaking her head, stressing that I have problematic pores, and convinced me to buy some of their products. They were so much more expensive than my usual soap + water routine! Ugh, I am such a sucker. 
False Assurances - I’ve seen the Sex & the City episode where Samantha’s skin looks frightening after a chemical peel. So I shared my worries, explained that it was my first facial, and wanted to make sure that my skin would be okay for my upcoming vacation. She assured me that my skin would look fine. Again, I am such a sucker! 
Rushed Service - I have no basis for comparison, but I really felt that the lady wasn’t careful with my skin. She didn’t even wipe off the mask properly - there were still patches of residue when I got to class that afternoon.
If you would like to know the specific Spa where I had my bad experience, just leave me your email.
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16 Responses to “First Facial - Bad Experience”
man, i’m so sorry! where did you get the facial?
I sympathize with you. I have eczema and have been to spas that applied harsh products making my eczema flare up and leaving me blotchy for weeks.
I recently had a facial at Jurlique and was pleasantly surprised. The facialist recognizing that I have sensitive skin told me my skin was not ready for deep pore cleansing and needs a hydrating treatment instead. So, it’s really hit or miss at these spas.
You know I had the same exact problem.
I went to probably the best spa in the area from reviews (BellaPelle in SF) and this supposedly awesome aesthetician didn’t wipe off all the gunk after every mask she applied. It was really uncomfortable for me to walk around with my face feeling sticky. Especially since I have somewhat obsessive compulsive tendencies and I can’t stand feeling residues on my face.
My face also had more redness where she had poked around even though admittedly, the rest of my skin was nicer, days after my facial. And I paid 150 dollars for it to after tip. =/
I’m definitely going to stay away from facials also. That was my first one so she supposedly made customized mixes for me too. It wasn’t that bad, just nothing that I saw worth paying so much for.
The extractions were also a bit scary. Don’t they stick a really thin needle into your pores to “open it up” and then just squeeze? ACK.
Personally I love extractions. I had my first facial about two months ago when this monstrosity appeared on my sensitive forehead. It was so awful that my bestfriend and boyfriend avoided me because it was so hideous it was ridiculously funny. Anyways, the girl took care of it wonderfully!
So I went back, but she wasn’t there and her assistand did it. Now I have blotches on my face from the peel. I’ve decided I will only like my original facial woman take care of me!
omg that’s terrible!! but i really do think it’s normal because the same kind of thing happened to me before when i got a facial awhile ago. my skin looked even worse after i walked out of the salon. trust me, after a few days, it’ll subside.
I’ve two facials at two different places. one place didnt do the extractions, second place did lightly. they asked me about my skin history and any issues i might have, plus explained what they were goign to give me to improve my skin.both places i did not leave with residue on my face or reddness of any kind, and i was happy with my service. think you went to place that aimed to make as much money as possible vs. give you what’s best for your personal skin =/
my facial lady also goes to combat on my face and i end up w/ all the bumps, redness and little breakouts popping up as well right after. it usually goes away in a week or two..
Oh no! I have an appt tomorrow to get a deep pore cleansing facial and it’s my first time ever getting a facial. Please tell me the place is not called Finesse in nyc.
I love extractions, I feel like they’re really cleaning out my skin. But my skin does usually look pretty bad immediately after (and for a couple of days). To be safe, I’m getting a facial now, so that my skin has more than ample time to recover for the wedding.
Btw, I usually go to Mario Bedescu. Its not the cushy-est place, but I like their work .
i have a facial this weekend… please let me know which spa you went to!
I’m curious too… which spa is this? I’ve gotten facials at Bliss, Greenhouse and Fresh where they’ve done extractions, but NEVER used a needle of any sort (only squeezing). I went to Finesse for a facial a few weeks ago (sorry, Amy!) and they used a needle… it HURT. 
The person who did the ginger and mango vichy scrub on me wasn’t very good either.
omgosh. they made your skin so red!!! horrible! please le me know what spa this is so i do not go there!
I’m sorry to hear you had a bad experience, especially when it was your very first time getting facial :-(!. I hope your reaction is really just temporary and will go away soon. The very first facial I had was of pretty similar “technique”…. a LOT of squeezing, poking, popping, “extracting”. It hurt like a biaaaatch! My eyes kept tearing up the entire process. And I was so upset by how I looked afterward… for a few days my face was also red like you, plus I got A LOT of little scars where the extractions were applied. Oh was I freakin’ mad! I thought she had ruined my skin! But then after all the redness and scars gone away, I did notice that my face had become A LOT smoother than before… because all the little pimples, and white/black heads (even the ones I didn’t know existed) were gone. And I remembered very clearly, (maybe it was a pure coincidence), that seemed to mark the end of my “bad skin years” and the beginning of better skin. But everyone’s skin is different. Especially for someone with the sensitive type, she should’ve recommended a different type of facial that’s more gentle, more appropriate for you. I think you should call the spa and make a formal compliant. Speak to a manager or someone higher up. Tell them it was your very first facial experience and you thought you had picked the right place and trusted your first time in their hands. And that you were very disappointed and would expect a lot more from a “reputable” place like them. Tell them you’ll spread the word about what happened to you. They might offer some kind of compensation like a good product (you probably wouldn’t want to go back for a service). It doesn’t hurt to try.
I have facials every month, and I always leave looking like hell, normally my skin looks some and blemish free, but after a facial it has so many red dots! looks like chicken pocks! plus the extractions hurt! I always ask my gal Why do we always have to do the extractions? she said I have oliy skin and are prone to get them! I swear my skin feels better when I just do my at home treatments! Light exfolations and daily/nightly cleanings and moisturizing! However, I go to that salon to get my hair done, and they ask me when am I coming in for my next facial? Plus they are so dammed expensive! Part of me wants to say the hell with them, unless someone can give me a reason to let my more sensitive skin me tortured! btw I go to Moda hair cafe and Day spa in Edmonds, wa
hey let me know how is ur skeen doingbecause i have the same problem vanessa and i just want to know will it go aways orit will live a spots 4ever
Mrs. Ant, New York/Jamaica
Age and Occupation: 25, PhD Student
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Finance
Engagement Date: July 26, 2005
Wedding Date: November 18, 2006
Blogging Since: February 15, 2006
Venue: Rockhouse Hotel
About Me: I live in New York but I'm planning a destination wedding in Negril, Jamaica. My fiance and I are high school sweethearts!
I’m so sorry to hear that your first facial experience was less than stellar! =( I too have an issue with spas because my skin has never looked better after I leave them (I have sensitive skin too).
Now I’ll only stick to my deep cleansing facials from my dermatologist and away from deep pore cleansing facials!
Does your skin feel cleaner though after the redness has subsided?