You’ve never booked a men’s facial? You haven’t lived

Mark Smith aka The Spa Man visits around 30 spas a year, so when it comes to spa and grooming he knows what he’s talking about. Writing for magazines across the world, he explains the joys of a men’s facial …

There’s more to a men’s facial than a swift scrub and then slapping on a few creams in quick succession. In fact, a facial can be just as relaxing as a massage or body treatment. Dare I say it, sometimes it’s even better. A good facial will include quite a few steps and the best ones add in a bit of neck and shoulder massage too. Quite often you will find that towards the end of a men’s facial there might be a soothing head massage and my favourite - a good workout of the jaw muscles.

The muscles in the face rarely get much attention and they work hard: smiling, frowning or grimacing. You will think you have gone to heaven when a therapist works to release the tension in your jaw line. It’s nothing short of amazing. When does a deep tissue massage ever attend to that?

“A good facial will include quite a few steps and the best ones add in a bit of neck and shoulder massage too.”

For the uninitiated, the men’s facial menu can be a bit daunting. The choice will include treatments that target ageing, wrinkles, hydration and deep cleansing. To be honest, unless you know your skin type, I would suggest you put that decision in the hands of the professionals, but think about whether you want to cleanse skin or try and smooth out a few of those pesky wrinkles. But if you aren’t sure, ask at reception or when you are booking. Lots of spas allow you to book time and the therapist can guide you through the process on arrival. Top spas will tailor the spa facial on the day following a set routine that customises it to your skin concerns. Maybe adding a hydrating mask or one to deep cleanse if you have blackheads and blocked pores.

So, what actually happens in a facial?

On arrival, you will need to fill out a quick consultation form and then your therapist will take you through to the treatment room. You won’t have to strip off completely, usually you just take off your shirt, as the focus is on the face, head, neck and shoulders. The therapist will have a good look at your skin and then the magic starts. A deep and thorough cleanse - this may involve two stages (remember the term double cleanse!). Quite often you will have the option of extraction.

“It’s relaxing, cleansing and will leave you looking 10 years younger.”

Put in simple terms, it cleans out the pores on your nose and face. Using steam to open the pores, your therapist uses a magnifying glass and her fingers (sometimes a little metal tool) to extract any dirt and gunk. It’s not painful, perhaps a touch uncomfortable. It’s actually one of my favourite parts of the treatment and leaves the skin clean, fresh and free of dirt. More cleansing might follow, some facial massage (plus neck and shoulders perhaps) then a mask, serum, eye cream and moisturiser to suit your skin.

It’s seriously good stuff. You might want to upgrade to a more high-tech facial and add in a machine that uses micro-current, galvanic or LED technology. This really ramps up the results and are especially good if you are after anti-ageing results - fast.

So what are you waiting for? It’s relaxing, cleansing and will leave you looking 10 years younger. Well, it will definitely leave you looking fresher, brighter and re-energised.