How to choose a facial salon

As I said before, I find regular facials necessary for me. They might not be for everyone but it looks like I have some form of consensus as to how wonderful it is 🙂 Some might only prefer going for a facial once every few months as a treat as opposed to as a treatment. It depends on the individual and what you are comfortable with.

I’ve had my share of bad facials before I eventually settled for a place I was comfortable with. I won’t spread the word about the places I don’t like (actually I did previously but that’s another story), but suffice to say that I’ve tried many and the one I go to now is the one I’m most comfortable with and which I find works best for me.

These are some tips for choosing a facial salon based on my experience:

• Be comfortable with the salon. I went to a salon once with an impressive front counter and lobby. However, when you went behind to the facial rooms, it looked like prison cells. Each room was about4ft x 6 ft and very cramped. There was no ceiling and I could hear everything that was going on in the other rooms. Needless to say, I’ve never gone back. I’ve also been to another where the facial beds were laid out in a row like in a hospital, with curtains separating each bed. I too have never returned.
• Be aware of the products used. Many salons use their own products. I used to shy away from facials because I did not want to have unknown products put on my face. I also did not want to have to buy and use products sold exclusively in salons, because they tend to be more expensive and you don’t know what goes into the product. So, I’m glad that many department store brands are now offering salon facilities. It gives you an opportunity to try out the product before you commit to buying it from the counter.
• Be comfortable with the facialist. Sometimes you may be lucky and find a facialist who operates from home and is good. Those tend to be cheaper but do check out the products used. If you go to a salon, make sure you are comfortable with the facialist working with you. I’ve had my share of bad facialists, who are rough or who make unwarranted comments about your skin. One salon run by a large department store brand tends to be more concerned with squeezing in as many customers as they can a day and the 2 different facialists I tried were rough and brusque and they kept strictly to the 1 hour timeline. In fact, it was only about 50 minutes per facial. You should never leave the salon feeling more stressed than when you enter.
• Do they try a hard sell? Some salons only want to sell you packages and do a hard sell after the purportedly first free or cheap facial they offer. These salons do not promote a sense of well-being to me and I usually don’t go back. Some more professional ones just casually mention that if you purchase a package it might work out cheaper for you if you plan to be a regular customer, but they don’t whip out their receipt books and calculators to ask which package you want to sign up for. I have been to a few also where they promise you that if you purchase a package that very day, you would be entitled to free gifts and discounts but only for that day only. I never buy that. Its just a way to pressure you to sign up. If you want to extricate yourself gracefully, tell them you will think about it as its a lot of money and then thank them and leave.

From my experience, the only way to know if a particular salon works for you lies in repeat visits. Some salons gave me a bad impression right away so I’ve never been back, no matter how attractive their offers are.

Some salons start out with a good impression. I used to frequent one in a popular department store when it was new, because the facialists were friendly, the atmosphere was nice, and I found that their products worked for me. I stopped going for a while as it was quite expensive, and when I returned, they were now very popular and it was impossible to get a booking unless you booked 3 weeks in advance. The previous facialists had left and the new ones seemed more interested in earning money because they were rough, brusque and seemed to be in a hurry. My face felt like it was rubbed raw after 2 sessions, so I swore never to return. I never have.

By contrast, the salon I currently go to is friendly, comfortable, and they never rush you, even if you arrive late for your appointment. You always get your alloted time, and they even encourage you to sleep. So, if they are done and you are still sleeping, they will let you rest instead of roughly turning you out of the room. They also always greet you with a cool drink and end off with a hot drink. There is no pressure to purchase a package or products.

However, I do buy packages because I go regularly, and buying a package saves money in the long run. True, the upfront cost is high, but it works out cheaper per facial. Also, you can share with your family or friend to split up the burden. I do it all the time with no problems.

At the end of the day, go with what makes you feel most comfortable. After all, a facial is to help you relax, not stress you out.