The expert guide to new, highly specialised facials

By Melanie Morris
12th Feb 2020

The expert guide to new, highly specialised facials

The beauty dreams you’ve been having are about to come true in 2020, as a whole new generation of products, treatments and services come on stream that will really deliver superb results.

If you’re feeling in need of a freshen-up, facials are getting highly specialised, up-regulated and super-effective as they incorporate everything from ancient holistic methods to cutting-edge science… and often both together.

It’s not as much the treatment that delivers results as the performing therapist knowledge and expertise in driving vital ingredients through our epidermis and massaging muscles back to life. Enlightened professionals are incorporating new methods to services such as acupuncture to target wrinkles, facial cupping to activate lymphatic drainage, crystal bars, jade rollers and gua sha tools to contour the face and drive ingredients into the skin and new ways with facial massage. Skin therapist Agnes Gajewska (Essentials in Baggot Street, Dublin 4) has a three-month-long waiting list for her Face Modelling treatments, which include all of the above, along with mouth massage to smooth marionette and nasolabial lines, and help eliminate the need for dermal fillers or invasive face lifting.

Microdermabrasion is given an upgrade via the SaltFacial (€150 for 75 minutes at The South William Clinic). This incredible treatment starts with salt skin buffing to slough away tired, dull, dead skin before nourishing serums are pushed deep into the skin, thanks to radio frequency cavitation. Finally, a 20-minute session of light therapy rejuvenates the complexion for astonishingly instant improvements.

2020 will see the arrival of Dermaplaning on many a skincare menu (from €100 at Kerry Hanaphy and nationwide); another instant-effects service undoubtedly made popular by the normalising of too much Instagram filtering. The therapist takes a surgical-grade blade to remove “peach fuzz” hair from the client’s face, also taking dead skin cells, deeply-lodged dirt, etc. It means make-up goes on smoother and lasts longer, and skin quality appears more visually perfect.

Photography by Getty.