Have you tried a Hydrafacial? We tried the popular procedure at one of Charlotte’s top MedSpas.

Criswell & Criswell Plastic Surgery only started offering Hydrafacials a few weeks ago, but their appointments are already booking up.

We got on the books with Stefanie, one of the licensed estheticians trained to perform this special kind of facial and headed to their Ballantyne office to try it out.

• You know, for research purposes.

The background: Hydrafacial is a patented facial treatment that uses a special device to cleanse, hydrate and rejuvenate your skin. The system uses a vortex suction system to remove debris and apply intense moisturizers at the same time.

• The treatment is super customizable depending on a patient’s skin type and goals.

Perks: At Criswell & Criswell, you can choose to add on two “perks” to your Hydrafacial:

1. Perk Lip revitalizes lips with peppermint oil and peony extract to leave them refreshed, hydrated and plumped.
2. Perk Eye brightens and refreshes the outer eye area with horse chestnut seed extract and arnica flower extract to leave the area toned, firmed and hydrated.

The cost depends on the level of treatment you get:

• Signature (includes customized Hydrafacial) starts around $200
• Deluxe (includes the customized Hydrafacial, a customized Booster, and LED light therapy) starts around $250
• Platinum (includes the customized Hydrafacial, customized Booster, LED light therapy and lymphatic drainage) starts around $300
• The Perks are $35-$50 each and include a 30-day take-home regimen.

The results: 

• Immediately after, our skin felt very wet while the Hydrafacial products were absorbed.
• Over the next few days, our skin looked and felt dewy, smooth and fresh. Obsessed.

There’s virtually no downtime with a Hydrafacial. Criswell & Criswell recommends avoiding irritating products and avoiding sun exposure for a few days after your appointment.

Here’s what you can expect from a Platinum Hydrafacial with both perks:

(1) Lymphatic drainage

Using a gentle suction tool, your esthetician will help boost lymphatic drainage with downward movements along your skin.

(2) Cleansing and exfoliation

The skin’s surface is cleansed with the patented HydraFacial tool that removes the outermost skin layer made up of dead cells, debris, and dirt. (It’s much gentler than it sounds).

(3) A mild chemical peel

Glycolic and salicylic acid are used to gently exfoliate the skin, removing blackheads, bacteria, and oil from the depths of the pores.

(4) Customized nourishing serum

Your skin is infused with a customized serum that includes antioxidants, peptides, collagen, and other nutrients. It’s designed to promote skin hydration and elasticity and is applied using Hydrafacial’s signature #kissandtwist method.

(5) Light therapy

For eight minutes total, your esthetician will use red and/or blue lights at different intervals depending on your skin type. Each light has different effects:

• Red: regeneration and reducing inflammation
• Blue: minimizing acne and breakouts

(6) Perks

The Perk Eye and Perk Lip serums are applied with the same machine as the rest of the Hydrafacial products, but with a much gentler vortex to protect the delicate lip and eye skin.

The best part is that you get to take home the rest of the serum to use on your own.

Interested in getting a Hydrafacial? Get in touch with Criswell and Criswell Plastic Surgery to book your appointment.

This content was produced in partnership with Criswell & Criswell Plastic Surgery.