Four Things You Need to Know About Extractions During Facials

The components of a facial often differ based on a person’s skin type. Some people benefit from a facial that focuses on moisturizing the skin while others benefit from a facial that helps clear their skin. Extractions are often part of the process when you get a facial, though not every person needs them, and not every spa offers them.

Depending on who you ask, an extraction can be a controversial thing. It involves putting pressure on the pores to remove the trapped dirt and oil within. Facialists who perform extractions believe they are necessary to help cleanse the skin and to help keep pores from becoming overly large. People who are against extractions believe that they can cause damage.

Your aesthetician can help you decide if extractions are a worthwhile part of your facial or if they are something you need. There are some important things to know about the process before you agree to it, though.

What Happens During pore Extractions

If extractions are going to be part of your facial, the aesthetician performing it will usually prepare your skin first. That might involve cleansing the skin and using steam to soften and open the pores. In some cases, the aesthetician uses a scrubbing tool to gently loosen up the pores.

Since your pores are tiny (even if they seem large to you), the aesthetician will use a magnifying glass and bright light to be able to see better. If the light bothers your eyes, you will usually be given something to cover them. Once the extraction begins, the aesthetician will use either her own fingers or a metal device to put pressure on the pore. If she is performing the extraction manually, her fingers are usually wrapped in gauze to protect your skin.

Depending on your tolerance for pressure, extractions can be uncomfortable. In some cases, the aesthetician might only be trained to perform manual extractions, without the use of tool, which limits the degree to which she can unclog pores. In some cases, if your pores are very clogged or if the dirt and oil in them is compacted, they may have to stay that way, until the aesthetician is able to use a metal tool.

your aesthetician Removes

While the common assumption is that extractions remove dirt from the pores, it’s more accurate to say that the process removes oil and dead skin cells from the pores. The clogged pores may be whiteheads, blackheads or pimples. Blackheads form not because of an excess amount of dirt in the pore, but because oxygen has turned the sebum a dark color.

are extractions safe?

Safety is essential during an extraction. You only want a trained aesthetician performing it on you. A person who is unskilled or untrained at extractions can cause damage to your skin, such as scarring or infection. Just as when you’re considering a surgeon for the procedure, it’s important to find out about the training and experience of the person performing your facial. Ask where she was trained and how many extractions she’s performed.

The training process for extractions involves a lot of hands-on practice, as it’s something you learn best by doing. In many cases, the person performing the extractions needs to have a license that proves she has the training needed to safely perform them.

Don’t perform pore extractions at home!

At this point, you might be thinking to yourself, “isn’t an extraction just a fancy way of popping a pimple?” The answer is “no, it’s not”, and realize that both are things you don’t want to do on yourself. Putting too much pressure on the pore can cause the capillaries to break, making your skin look blotchy. Just as popping a pimple can make your acne issues worse, so can doing an extraction incorrectly.

Plus, if you try it at home and don’t know what you’re doing, or aren’t able to see the area very well, you risk causing yourself a bit of pain. When a trained professional performs extractions at a medical spa, you might feel pressure and a small amount of discomfort, but never pain.

Extractions are just one part of the process of getting a facial. When you book a facial at Quintessa Medical Spa, you’re given a customized, one-on-one experience. You might not need extractions, but if you do, you’ll be able to rest assured that your face is in the hands of a trained professional who’s supervised by a board-certified facial plastic surgeon.