I am a 25-year-old woman. I have never done anything for my skin other than the regular cleanse and moisturise routine at home on a daily basis. But I have never really done anything clinically like a facial or even a clean up. I am very confused about what exactly a facial is and whether I can do it for my skin or not. I also have a younger sister who is 14 and I would like to know what kind of skin care routine she can follow. Please guide me about what exactly should be the right skin care and at what age we should start clinical                treatments.

I am glad you are bringing up all these questions, because even though everyone knows about facials, there are a lot of myths and doubts surrounding this service. There are confusions about what may be a good age to start facials, how often to do a facial, what exactly is a facial etc.

A facial is a set of procedures involving skin analysis, cleansing of skin, massaging, application of a face mask, toning and moisturizing which can give a very stimulating effect on the skin and muscles of the face. Each step has its own significance and has to be tailormade to individual skin type to achieve the maximum benefits.
Hence the most important step is right consultation. It is important to go to a specialist who will guide you correctly after proper skin analysis for what kind of facial to go in for. Having done this, a proper skin cleansing is done. It involves removal of dirt, grime and make up and is followed by mild exfoliation. This helps to remove the dead layer and brings the blackheads to the surface of the skin making it easier for their removal. Hence, the obvious step after exfoliation is comedone extraction or in layman terms, blackhead removal. This is then followed by a massage, which is the mainstay of all facials, that stimulates the skin and improves blood circulation resulting into cellular regeneration. The right massage strokes, pressure while massaging and right movement of fingers is very important.

The products used while massaging is what is important and has to be suited to the skin type. The facial normally concludes with a mask or pack which is again different for different skin types.

A facial will only always benefit you — just be sure you are going to a hygienic salon and consulting a specialist.
There is also no specific age limit when one starts facials, you can be as young as 17-18 and start facials, in a longer time gap though, may be do it once in 2-3 months and just do clean ups in between. As you grow older you increase the frequency of your facials, do it once a month and for older women who are starting anti ageing and skin firming treatments even as often as once a fortnight. If a person is doing a specific treatment for some skin problem then the frequency depends on the treatment being done.

For younger girls, the age of 12-16, clean-ups normally are sufficient. A facial is basically an advanced form of a clean-up. Clean-ups these days are very advanced as well and are not just about steam and black head removal. They also have a cleanse, massage and pack routine but the products are more gel based and mild. They may not do as much nourishment because a 12-16 year old age group doesn’t need it whereas, as the skin gets older the nourishment required is higher as well. So your younger sister can at least start clean-ups to make sure she is clearing the blackheads and not aggravating the problem as that can lead to acne.

I am a 26-year-old woman. I bleach my face every week and love the glow my skin gets after that. Am I doing something wrong? Will my skin become darker and too dry over a period of time?

The bleaches available in the markets are chemicals and can be harmful if done very often. Once a week is definitely a bit too often to bleach. You can do regular mild exfoliation at home and use a face pack once a week to get the glow effect. However, doing bleach once a month or so is a good idea and can be done without harming the skin.