Facial gone bad...

February 10, 2007 10:30 PM

So I got my first facial on Friday, and it didn't quite have the result I had hoped for. Help!

The facial consisted of a number of steps, including a mask that really burned while it was on. I was told this was normal. Extraction wasn't much better, and I was left with blotches and swelling at the end of it. The esthetician told me the swelling/redness would subside by Saturday... and to my dismay, I woke up this morning to find that I had the beginning of some cystic acne, as well as some severe facial burning. So far anything I have tried to use on my face to ease the discomfort has only irritated my skin. Can anyone offer some sort of home remedy to ease the burning sensation?

posted by irishkitten to clothing, beauty, & fashion (17 comments total)

That happened with my first facial, before I found the person I now go to. I had sworn to NEVER get another facial after the first one, but I've had FAR better experiences since.

Aloe vera is good for sensitive skin areas, where you had burning & stuff. For the acne, if you beat egg whites and then apply them as a mask on your face & let it dry, that will pull out a lot of impurities. Another good tip is to take the skin from the inside of the eggshell & lay it on top of particularly bad blemishes & let it dry. It'll get hard and cracky, and pulls out impurities that way too. (If it seems stuck to the skin, just wet it a little again before you pull it off.)
posted by miss lynnster at 10:47 PM on February 10, 2007

Do you have an aloe plant? (The real stuff is about 100000x more helpful than the stuff in a bottle, which always stings me terribly.)

I've always had kind of blotchy skin after a facial, but... actual burns? Yikes. I await the arrival of your first OH MY GOD GO TO THE ER comment. :/

If you have no aloe, I'd try maybe carefully icing (or just cool cloths) on the painful skin. I've also had helpful things happen with Vitamin E: you need the oil in the capsules, though, not some random fortified cream.

Good luck! I hope you feel better soon!
posted by thehmsbeagle at 10:53 PM on February 10, 2007

It seems like it might be an allergy (IANAD, btw). Sometimes those masks and whatnot have funky things in them. (One I used to use would make my eyes get really red and watery, even if the mask never came close to them.)
If you can, try calling the place you had it done and asking them what's in their face mask stuff.
Other stuff it might be: sensitive skin, meds that might be making your skin react differently, or makeup/other facial products reacting with whatever was in the mask.
Did you/the technician wash your face with something beforehand? (Doing this causes massive irritation for me, but with hairdye.)
With the extraction thing, I've heard (and I may be completely off base) that if it's done by someone who doesn't really know what they're doing that it can cause more problems than anything else.

And I totally misread your question. Oops. I've always gone by aloe vera gel stuff to ease burning skin problems (I get really badly sunburned extremely quickly.) It can cause some irritation at first but what I've found is that if I slather on a thicker layer of it (enough so that my fingers don't actually come into contact with the burned skin) that it helps keep the skin from feeling more irritated. Or put your aloe vera (if it's the bottle kind) in your fridge for a bit and then put it on. Or try blowing a fan on your face (to minimize touching.)
I'd also suggest staying away from direct sunlight, not using any makeup, and using only extremely gentle cleansers (no super strong chemical-y ones or grainy scrubs).

If it doesn't clear up in about a week or so, I'd say haul your ass either to a dermatologist or back to the place to find out what the hell is going on.
posted by sperose at 11:30 PM on February 10, 2007

Before you go smearing a bunch of pure aloe on your face, note that it is theoretically possible that the reaction you had in the first place was to aloe vera. I'm allergic to the stuff and it turns me red and blotchy. I'd start with a gentle moisturizing cleanser like Cetaphil, and only use aloe after testing a small area.
posted by teg at 12:09 AM on February 11, 2007

Have you tried benadryl and otc hydrocortisone cream? Aloe vera is very nice, and might work, but I find that hydrocortisone will calm anything down.
posted by crabintheocean at 12:14 AM on February 11, 2007

Go see a doctor. None of us here should be suggesting you smear stuff on your skin if you've got "severe facial burning". We're not doctors, we can't see your skin complaint from here, and we have no real idea if our suggested lotions are going to make your injured skin better or much, much worse.

My rule of thumb is: If I put something on my skin for cosmetic reasons, and it burns, I wash it off immediately. It's a sign that something is wrong. If someone tells me it's "normal", I punch them in the face on my way to the sink. But that's just me.

So, please don't put anyone's "home remedy" on your face. You don't know what's wrong with you, and neither do we; any suggestions we make are going to be at least 75% hocus pocus, and if you've got a chemical burn or are having an allergic reaction, may mess things up further.
posted by hot soup girl at 2:13 AM on February 11, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Listen to hot soup girl. Don't put anything more active than cool damp cheesecloth on irritated facial skin until you know exactly what's up with it.

Take photos of your ravaged features for when you're feeling up to having it out with the esthetician who burned you.
posted by flabdablet at 4:43 AM on February 11, 2007

I agree w/ hot soup girl, but since benadryll is what they have given my buddy with the tree nut allergy every time he's been in with a mild allergic reaction, I'd say if you're really feeling like this is an allergic thing, then take benadryll. Hydrocortisone is awesome, but I'm not sure I'd put anything else on my skin. I agree you should document it with photos if at all possible, and I would also call the spa that you went to and let them know you had this reaction. They may want to re-train the person who treated you, or check the batch (assuming there is one) of whatever they put on you to be sure it's just you and not something wrong with the facial.
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:27 AM on February 11, 2007

I have very sensitive skin! I also have 3 teens who have very different types of skin. The one thing that always helps us all is steam. I bought a $20 facial steamer from Walmart and it does wonders for irritated skin. I haven't found a thing it doesn't help, including acne, blocked pores, irritation, dead dry skin, etc. Your own sweat will help soothe whatever damage was done. I wouldn't put anything on your skin until you get back in balance. I have had terrible reactions to facials and products (even from a doctor's office!) Especially if they are pushing on things and irritating your skin while they are working on you. All this can be fine if they know your skin well and the right products are used. The best thing you can do is daily maintenance and not let it get away from you.
posted by kgn2507 at 6:28 AM on February 11, 2007

Cystic acne is, I think, a standard response to a crappy facial.*

A doctor can fix it a fair bit if you see one soon. Send the bill to the esthetician.

Re. I was told this was normal.

No, I don't think so. Irritation is not a desired effect, and I'm amazed nothing stopped right there.

IANAD, but do you have Polysporin cream where you are, or something similar? Useful to have on hand if things start 'oozing.'

I've never had a good experience with that sort of thing, and have long given up. Good luck.

* Which is usually all facials outside of dermatologists' offices if you have cyst-prone skin.
posted by kmennie at 6:38 AM on February 11, 2007

1. Benadryl - may help, may do nothing, won't hurt, try it

2. Hydrocortisone cream, but use in a very small area at first, and wait an hour, to make sure you're not going from bad to worse.

3. Call a dermatologist Monday morning.
posted by Ynoxas at 6:50 AM on February 11, 2007

I'd call the spa you went to as well. Let them know you're very unhappy. Let them know you had concerns during and immediately after the facial that were dismissed. Let them know you are having a ridiculously severe reaction and that you're going to have to see a doctor because of it.
posted by jerseygirl at 7:00 AM on February 11, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Also, it should go without saying, but if you feel worse today, go to the Emergency Room. Facial burns are nothing to sneeze at because if not properly treated you can end up with scarring.
posted by zia at 7:21 AM on February 11, 2007

I agree with jerseygirl - contact the spa and tell them what your results were. You paid a fair bit of money (hopefully not a ton, but knowing some spas you might have) for a treatment that gave you precisely the opposite effect it advertised. I'd take a photograph of my face with no make up on and either email it to them, if they have that capability, or go back in and show it to them, tell them you're in pain, may have to take corrective steps, and that at the very least you want your money back. What you're going through is complete crap!

Take care.
posted by AthenaPolias at 7:54 AM on February 11, 2007

Thirding contacting the salon. I also have sensitive skin and I've found that going to Aveda salons has helped - all natural stuff in there! Woo!
posted by k8t at 10:37 AM on February 11, 2007

I also say call the spa. I have had several facials and have never had burning. Tingling, yes - burning, no. In fact, most of the estheticians will specifically ask me to tell them if it moves beyond that, and they stay in the room to make sure. I get asked about any allergies before they begin.

At the very least, they should offer to comp you for the facial. The results you describe tell me whoever did it was woefully bad at their job, you're likely not the first to be affected.

If you can afford it, I would go see a dermatologist. Explain what happened. The Dr can diagnose what has happened to you and give you some pointers on what to do and ask before going back for any skin care.
posted by Salmonberry at 12:54 PM on February 11, 2007

This is some good advice. You should never, ever be afraid to tell a personal service provider (like a spa or salon) how you feel about their service, or if anything has come of it.
posted by FergieBelle at 5:56 AM on February 14, 2007