Facial ... anyone?

What's the difference among microdermabrasion, diamond peel, power peel, crystal resurfacing, etc ... etc ... ?

These were my questions when I entered the Facial Centers here in Manila ... I've undergone facials, IPL & LHE in KL ... but I have never done the abovementioned procedures ...

So, I tried each and every of these services ... my verdict? ... they are all the same but different! ... it really depends on what your skin needs and can tolerate ...

I have tried 3 facial centers so far :

1. Belo Med in Rustan's (Tel # : 815 8970)

• Power Peel - Php 2800.00 per sesssion
• Glycopeel Cleaning - Php 1100.00 per session

..... These two services are recommended to be done together. These two would normally be a 1 hour procedure. In case you have a pimple, the injections are already part of the package. The facialists are not authorized to do the injections, a nurse would do it ... I was really satisfied with the condition of my skin with Belo care ... A lot of people noticed that my pores are finer. But my pocket is also noticably lighter! hahaha ... Doing these 2x a month really puts a dent on my savings ... After the Glorietta incident, I was afraid to go back to the Rustan's branch to do my "usual" facial ritual ... So I took this as a sign to try some other facial centers ...

2. Dermstrata in Greenbelt 1 ((Tel # : 751 9520)

• Diamond Peeling - Php 2700 for 3 session

..... Definitely a lot cheaper than Belo ... Plus the service normally comes with a facial. Honestly I feel more pampered compared to Belo. I have undergone 9 sessions already but unfortunately, no significant improvement on my skin ...

• Pimple Injections - Php 100 per shot

..... Only the facialists do the pimple injections ... which is really scary!!!

• Glycolic Micropeeling - PhP 5000 for 3 sessions

..... For this, you have to do it 3 consecutive days plus you have 1 session after a week for free .... The facialist said that I should expect peeling within a week or two ... After weeks & weeks & weeks, nothing still happened ... This was really a waste of money

One thing which I don't like in Dermstrata, though their staffs are really super nice, is that they only have 3 machines for diamond peeling .... So everytime I do it, I would wait hours for my session to finish ... The staff would compensate the wait by massaging and constantly checking the condition of the mask on your face, but still lots of time wasted.

And interestingly, they don't issue receipt ... unless you ask for one! ... (calling on the BIR!!!)

Time to find another facial center ...

3. Let's Face It in Greenbelt 1 (Tel # : 815 1201)

• Power Peel - Php 2300 per session

..... Power Peel comes with Mask & Pricking. My skin is slightly better compared to when I was doing it with Dermstrata (of course, my skin with Belo is still the best ... if only they are cheaper)

• Acne Injection - Php 120 per shot

..... The resident dermatologist will do the shot. Definitely better than Dermstrata which allows their facialist to do the shots.

Interestingly, the procedures in these 3 Facial Centers are different.

1) Belo : You get a room each. Facialist would Clean Face ... Steam ... Pricking ... Power Peel ... Toner Spray ... then, they'll give an ice ball to put in your skin in case you feel some discomfort ... for the price you pay, I expect free facial & more pampering (wishful thinking! hehehe)

2) Dermstrata : You get a room each. Facialist would Clean Face ... Steam ... Pricking ... Facial ... Diamond Peel ... then they have machine which is cool on the skin (i guess the equivalent of ice in Belo)

3) Let's face it : You have to wash your face outside ... enter the room, then they'd do Power Peel ... Pricking ... Mask ... that's it --- i was quite surprised that there was no steaming to open up the pores. the facialist said that the power peel opened up the pores. but i feel their pricking is more painful than the 2 facial centers

.... I'm still searching for the "perfect" facial center suitable for my skin & pocket (!) ..... next on my list --- Godiva, Forever Flawless, Facial Care Centre