How Often Should I Get a Facial? We Asked Skin-Care Experts

In most circumstances, how often you get a beauty treatment is a matter of preference, but when it comes to facials, there are real skin-care benefits to going with some regularity. Celebrities and beauty influencers have long boasted about the magic of frequent facials — and who doesn’t want clear, glowing, youthful-looking skin? — but facial treatments can cost a pretty penny. This begs the question: how often do you really need to get a facial in order to see noticeable results?

If you’re someone who has the means and uses trips to the spa as a way to unwind and destress, then there’s no harm in treating yourself as often as once a week — given that it’s not an invasive procedure and your skin can handle it, that is. If you’re someone on a budget but still want to reap the beauty benefits of regularly seeing an aesthetician, we asked the experts if there’s a magic number before you start seeing skin-care benefits, and what factors to consider.

“Facials are deep-cleansing treatments usually performed by aestheticians that provide extraction, hydration, and moisturization of the skin,” Corey L. Hartman, MD, board certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology, told POPSUGAR. “They are best performed in series and should be done every four to six weeks to achieve maximum efficacy and consistent effects.” Alexandra Serron, regional trainer and licensed aesthetician at Heyday, agreed: “I generally recommend my clients get a facial every four to six weeks. This is a great cadence, and most people usually love having that commitment to their own self-care and wellness ritual once a month.”

There are a few factors that can change the once-a-month recommendation, like your skin type. “I may recommend a client with acne, for example, to come in every one-to-two weeks so that we can do professional chemical peels and focus on extractions,” said Serron. Generally, those with oily and acne-prone skin can tolerate facials with more frequency than those with sensitive or dry skin. “Those people may opt for a facial less frequently, like every eight weeks, to decrease the likelihood of inflammation,” said Dr. Hartman.

Additional factors that can change how often you get a facial are the season, the type of treatment, and if you have a special event coming up like a wedding or event. “As soon as you get engaged, schedule your first facial and plan to come monthly, this way you can find an aesthetician who gets you and your skin,” said Serron. “Once your wedding is about one to two months away, coming more frequently will yield the best results.”

The reason getting a facial monthly or biweekly is so beneficial boils down to your skin’s regeneration process. “Since skin cells regenerate every 14-28 days, it’s important to remember to cycle treatments so that you are impacting the skin cycle when it matters most,” said Dr. Hartman. “I like to say that one of any skin procedure is a treat, but three is a treatment. In other words, the long-term effects of performing the procedure on a regular basis provides more impact than doing something one time and never repeating it.”

Facials can yield an array of skin-care benefits, from skin rejuvenation, deep cleansing, and eliminating clogged pores to boosting hydration and evening out discoloration like dark spots and acne marks, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll never see results if you can’t obtain monthly treatments due to financial reasons.

“If I have a client who has a budget constraint, I set them up to come every other month, or even quarterly,” said Serron. “Of course, the more often you get facials, the more informed you will be about your skin and which treatments and at-home products will be best for your specific skin type and conditions.”