Treatment Diary: What it’s Like to Get a Hydrafacial

Now that LaserAway offers a Hydrafacial, I knew I had to try it.

Have you heard? LaserAway is now offering the cult-favorite Hydrafacial treatment. And just like every other time they add a new treatment, I was dying to try it out for myself. There’s been a lot of hype surrounding Hydrafacials. I knew they made skin dewy, but that was about the extent of what I knew going into this treatment. I decided to go into the appointment blind and see how it went.

My appointment, which was scheduled at the LaserAway in TriBeCa in New York City, was with my super-informed medical provider, Sabrina. After I signed consent forms and took “before” photos, I hit her with all my questions. Would the treatment hurt? How long would it take? What could I expect? She immediately put me at ease and let me know that the treatment wasn’t invasive and was, therefore, pain-free. She did warn me, however, that some people feel slight tingling from the serums. She also estimated that the entire process would take around half an hour. We got right to it.

Step 1: Cleanse

Sabrina handed me a LaserAway Beauty City Cloth Gentle Cleansing & Makeup Remover Wipe so I could remove the moisturizer and makeup that was already on my face. Starting this treatment with a clean slate is important for best results.

Step 2: Exfoliate

Next, she utilized a Hydrafacial Activ-4 skin solution containing a soothing algae extract and an exfoliating lactic acid. Sabrina deeply cleansed my skin with a suctioning device and then applied the wand to my face. The feeling was a little funny—almost like getting cold, wet, gel kisses. This process began the exfoliation process, with the goal of minimizing the appearance of fine lines.

Step 3: Peel

For the following step, Sabrina placed a new tip in the cartridge of the handpiece. Using short feather strokes, she applied light pressure as she spread the serum (which contained a combo of glycolic acid and salicylic acid) all over my face. She warned me that some people might feel a slight tingling sensation from the acid, but I really didn’t feel anything like that. Both of the acids in this serum are exfoliators, which means that they assist with turning over the cells on the surface of the skin, therefore reducing the appearance of clogged pores.

Step 4: Extractions

Now was the part I was most excited about. Despite not being someone with much clogging in my pores, I was hopeful that the extractions would still do some good—and I was right about that! Beginning with my chin, Sabrina moved the wand all over my face using a stronger suction level, which vacuumed all the gunk out of my T-zone. I still felt zero discomfort. To be honest, it was kind of satisfying!

Step 5: Hydrate

Using a mixture of ultra-hydrating hyaluronic acid and the antioxidant arnica, Sabrina flooded my face with hydration. It felt like moisture was soaking in my open pores. It was totally rejuvenating.

Step 6: Laser treatment, AKA Lightstim Elipsa

Sabrina asked if I had a preference for red light or blue light treatment. Red light calms post-treatment inflammation and redness, while blue light targets acne specifically. I opted for red. She placed protective goggles over my eyes and applied the laser to my face. I could feel the light permeating through my skin.

Finally, Sabrina showed me all of the gunk that had been removed from my skin. I was horrified! And satisfied! I guess you could say I felt a lot of things. She then placed a cool LaserAway Beauty Jetsetter Hydroserum Facial Mask face mask over my face to help with redness and assured me that I didn’t need to worry about downtime following treatment. She topped me off with hydrocortisone and sunscreen and voilà—I was finished. At first glance in the mirror, I couldn’t get over just how hydrated and dewy my skin was. I was positively beaming.

In short: I loved the Hydracial and would 100% do it again—especially if I had a big event coming up. There’s no better way to look picture-perfect.