My face is on fire!

That's how I felt when I was getting my last facial at Murad Spa. I usually get a normal facial, but this time I tried a AHA facial. AHA = Alpha-hydroxy acid. AHA's are used for chemical peels, according to About.com. According to this source, repeating the treatment every 3-6 months can remove fine wrinkles and surface skin scars for up to 2-5 years. Don't get me wrong, my skin is in fairly good condition, however I have a minor breakout once in a blue moon. Switching to the pill caused a hormonal imbalance as expected, but I don't want to ride it out, so I got a facial.

I didn't start getting facials until this past year. After the first time, I received some compliments. Wow, someone noticed without me telling them. Perhaps there is a "glow" after a facial. Anyhow, I treat myself to these facials now, once every 2 months or so. I figure it can't be bad for me (except for my wallet). Unfortunately, the facials are not cheap. ($110 for AHA facial, or $85 for a basic one).

I used to go to Trilogy Spa, but I like Murad better. Murad is a clinical spa, which means that they wear gloves while touching your face. I thought this was odd at first, but I got used to it. Murad has more to offer, which justifies the additional cost in my mind. First of all, the facial itself is better. The massage of the neck and shoulders (which I desperately need) are also better. The facial includes a paraffin dip of your hands (normally $10 with a manicure). If you don't know, paraffin dip makes your hands soft by dipping your hands in warm wax for some minutes.

Back to the main topic, my face was on fire at this last facial. So I told you all the good things, but this is one not-so-good thing about a facial. The AHA literally burns your face. Murad offers 3 different concentrations and recommends 2 treatments per concentration before increasing to the next one. So, I've done my first treatment out of 6. I wanted to scratch my face out when the AHA was applied for 1 minute, which seemed to be the longest minute of my life. Needless to say, I'm not looking forward to my next appointment. However, this is supposed to be good for me, so they say. I know I'm relatively still young, but I believe that preventative maintenance is a necessary evil to slow down aging. Until someone comes up with a magic potion...

[Tags: facial, spa, murad, AHA, alpha-hydroxy acid]