Can you have a facial with a beard?

Facial treatments are incredibly popular with almost every person. Whether you are looking for a facial to pamper yourself, relax, or you want a facial for a special occasion there are plenty of reasons to indulge. However, for people with a big beard the idea of going for a facial – where most of your face is actually covered up – may seem a little bit strange. The good news is that there are companies out there which specialise in providing men with beards with facial treatments. In this article, we can go over all of the things that you can expect from a beard facial and all of the benefits that they provide to your skin and beard hair.

You can have a facial with a beard. There are companies that specialise in a beard facial which includes exfoliation, steaming, high frequency combing, head and neck massage, facemasks and the application of beard and skincare products. A beard facial takes between 30 minutes and one hour.

The reason that these are so popular is that you have a person dedicated to looking after your beard for up to one hour. Think about your daily routine – how long does it take? I like efficiency in my beard routine and therefore my morning routine takes me about 5 to 10 minutes. Getting a beard facial is awesome for giving your beard that deep hydration and nourishment treatment that you don’t have time, or patients, to do yourself.

But what exactly is a beard facial?

What is a beard facial?

A beard facial is a normal facial with extra steps to particularly pamper your beard. Here is a short video from insider which shows how a New York City spa provides a beard facial.

You’ll notice that there are plenty of steps that you may recognise from a normal facial. This includes exfoliation, steaming (to open pores) and the application of facemasks and beard and skincare products. You may also notice the additional care taken with the beard and the use of a high frequency comb which kills bacteria in the depths of your beard.

Here are all of the steps and the benefits for your beard and skin.

Exfoliation

Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from the surface of your skin using a substance which has a little bit of grit, a chemical, or a specific physical tool.

Skin will shed dead skin cells every 30 days or so unfortunately these dead cells can sometimes not shed completely and leave your skin looking dull and flaky. Also, for the bearded gentleman exfoliation of skin cells can get stuck in the depths of your beard.

Exfoliating the beard with good brushing and a deep shampooing will help keep the dead skin cells from becoming trapped and causing issues such as smelling or itchiness.

Your skin will end up feeling fresher and looking more radiant.

Steaming

The use of a hot towel – to create steam – is a common sight in barbershops when they are shaving your face. They are also used in a beard facial.

Steam opens up the pores on your face and this helps loosen any build-up of dirt from inside the pores which allows for a much deeper cleanse.

The hot towel which is laid over your face will also hydrate the beard hairs by slowly and gently lifting up the cuticle cells which allows the moisture to penetrate into the core of the hair.

Steam is also excellent for your face as it softens blackheads which makes them much easier to remove. It also promotes circulation in the skin and the perspiration which accompanies a steaming dilate your blood vessels and also increases blood flow to the hot areas.

The steaming also improves the absorption of various beard oils into the beard and also improves the absorption of any moisturisers and toners which are applied to the skin.

High frequency comb

High-frequency therapy is a nonsurgical hair treatment which can be used on the scalp and the face. It can also combine the use of UV rays to further purify the depths of your beard.

A high-frequency beard comb is a comb that gets plugged into an outlet and creates a high-frequency electromagnetic pulse which gets deep into the beard. The high-frequency kills any bacteria or other foreign bodies on the skin and in between the hairs which creates a healthier environment throughout your entire beard.

The high-frequency can also vibrate the skin and cause tingling which is the opening of blood vessels and the improvement of circulation on the surface of the skin.

Some of the benefits may include:

  • Revitalising hair – improves blood circulation hairs.
  • Prevents dandruff energy scalp – high-frequency stimulates the scalp and the oil producing glands which helps keep your beard nourished.
  • New cell generation – this treatment may help to generate new cells and exfoliate older cells. It improves the cellular turnover.

This is a very safe treatment as studies have shown that the frequency does not have any side effects other than hair becoming a little bit drier after treatment. You can use a high-frequency comb three times a week and you will start noticing effects after about 12 consecutive treatments – or about a month of use.

Toner

Toner is used to remove any last traces of dirt and grime or impurities which are stuck in your pause after you wash and exfoliate your face. When a toner is incorporated into your daily skin tear routine it can have a huge impact on the appearance of your face and shrink your pores.

Toning was originally developed to remove the soap scum from your face but is no longer necessary for people who are using modern soaps. A toner will not adversely affect your beard hair if it gets into it. Using a toner as part of a facial every month or so is a fantastic way of reducing the amount of dirt and grime before application of other products such as moisturisers and beard oils and balms.

Head and neck massage

A really nice relaxing part of a beard facial is the head and neck massage. Head and neck massages will help you fully relax into the beard facial treatment.

He can sometimes be hard to fully relax and a good massage will get the circulation warm tingly feeling flowing throughout your head and neck. Having someone focus on your well-being for up to half an hour is a fantastic way of self-care and feeling more relaxed.

Face mask

The beard facial may also include a facemask which is applied after cleansing to your cheeks forehead and next to your sideburns.

The facemask will sit against your skin for up to 20 minutes to allow the moisturising effect to fully penetrate your face.

The saw a face mask that you can use on your face depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you have dry skin facemasks can impart extra moisture and nourishment. However, if you have oily skin a face mask will be able to remove some of the oil so that your skin is not producing as much sebum.

Facemasks are really effective way to deliver a quick burst of nourishment and therapeutic skincare ingredients in a concentrated form directly to your problem areas. They can be a quick fix for inflammation and dry patches but you shouldn’t rely on them for solving all of the biggest problems.

There are so many different types of face mask including:

  • Mud
  • Clay
  • creams or gel
  • enzyme – fruit enzymes from pineapples can be used
  • peel off – they have a rubber-like consistency and are peeled off after use
  • sheet – these are masks which are applied using a sheet which means that there is no dripping or migration of the ingredients as they are sitting against your skin. This means they are great for deeply hydrating dry and inflamed skin.

Speak to the professional doing your beard facial to talk about your skin type and problems before using any type of face mask.

Beard and skincare products

Lastly, to finish up your beard facial the technician may apply a number of different types of lotions, balms, and beard products to your skin and beard.

You can choose to not have anything on your skin and leave with a blank canvas but a lot of people choose this option so they can try a few different types of beard and skin products as part of the process of getting a beard facial.

You can even take along your favourite beard and skincare products to apply at the end if you have found one is that particularly work for you and your beard.

You could choose to apply:

  • moisturising cream
  • beard oil
  • beard butter
  • beard conditioner
  • beard balm
  • and much more…

Ask the professional doing your beard facial if they have any recommendations for your beard and skin as they will be the best person to help you overcome any issues you have with dry skin or itchy beards among all the other problems.

How long does a beard facial take?

A beard facial should take as long as it takes to make you feel relaxed and also not rush any of the process. In general a beard facial will take anywhere between 30 – 60 minutes or longer. This depends on the amount of time that you wait for steaming, the amount of time that you take for head and neck massages as well as the length of your beard and how long it takes for your beard to have the high-frequency comb past through it.

Let’s face it – the reason you are doing this is for relaxing as well as looking after your beard so you do not want to rush the process.

I recommend for your first beard facial for choosing the shorter one. And then, if you enjoy it, you can extend the time to a longer facial. Many spa treatment places will also give you the ability to customise your treatments so that you feel most comfortable.

Some people don’t want to sit down for ages while people pamper them and other people just want a quick 30 minutes in and out which is the most effective use of their time.

The most important thing is that you communicate with your spa professional about what you would like to achieve and the sorts of timeframes that would make you most comfortable.

For me a facial that goes for between 30 minutes and 45 minutes is plenty of time. Any more than that and I think I run the risk of falling asleep or becoming so relaxed that the rest of my day is impacted by sluggishness.

Beard facial aftercare

Once your beard facial is over you are not completely free to do whatever you like. That is because a beard facial and the steps that you go through can leave your beard particularly sensitive. Here are the things that you need to pay particular attention to after your beard facial to make sure that you receive the biggest benefits from the time you have just invested in your beard and you do not undo all of the good work you have just paid for!

Don’t irritate the skin

After your beard facial do not do anything which would irritate the skin. This means using harsh products on your skin and any exfoliate or abrasive materials on your skin. Stay away from hot water and anything else which you find irritate your skin normally.

Stay out of the sauna

Stay out of the sauna – the steam has opened up your pause and the combination of toners, exfoliates, and other product treatments has left your skin particularly sensitive to hot steam. If you use a sauna regularly you should avoid the sauna for a couple of days before heading back in.

You may notice that your skin is particularly sensitive to heat and so a sauna may not be as pleasurable or as nice as it once was. Once your skin has recovered from the facial completely your sauna will feel better again!

Stay away from the gym

Do not head straight for the gym. All of the extra blood which has been stimulated to the top of your skin can leave some people feeling lightheaded and any physical exertion or excessive exercise can make you more prone to fainting or dizziness.

A lot of people do not feel like doing excessive workouts after getting a nice relaxing treatment. Just enjoy how you are feeling and the relaxation or waves which are the result of a good relaxing facial.

Stay out of the sun

Lastly, you should stay out of the sun. UV rays are particularly harmful and the combination of the high intensity ultraviolet rays combined with infrared radiation which is the heat element of the sun can cause discomfort on exfoliated and toned skin.

It is always a good idea to use skin protection factor 30+ when you are heading out into the sun for a couple of days after your facial. If you live in a climate with particularly harsh sunlight – like Australia – you should be using factor 30+ daily anyway.

How often should you do a beard facial?          

How often you have a beard facial is completely up to you. You can have a beard facial once a week but many people find that is too much and that the cost is prohibitive for multiple visits a month.

Most people find the best frequency is every 4 to 6 weeks. This is approximately the amount of time that it takes for the dead skin cells to start to build up again as they have a life-cycle of about one month.

Immediately after a beard facial you will notice that your skin and your beard has never looked better. After about 2 to 3 days your skin has been fully hydrated and you’ll notice that it is plump and looking better than ever. After about one month this is when your cells start to regenerate and the long-term benefits of the facial are able to be seen. To continue the benefits you need to schedule an appointment about 4 to 6 weeks after your first appointment which will then continue the cycle of benefits for your face and skin.

How much is a beard facial?

A beard facial can be particularly inexpensive for the shorter treatments. You can expect to spend anywhere between $30 – $100 on a beard facial.

If you decide to have any bespoke treatments or you want anything special the spa may charge you extra money. Sometimes a spa will have a particularly good reputation and you can expect to pay a little bit more for attending their session.

As beard facials are becoming more and more popular there are more spas offering these treatments and your be able to select from a wider variety of prices and treatment options. Enjoy the process and try a few in your local area – there may be one that you just instantly feel connected to.

Do you need to be clean shaven for a facial?

You do not need to be clean-shaven for a facial. However, you may want to trim up your cheek lines and your neckline to make sure there is the maximum amount of skin for your face mask and other skin treatments.

It is important that if you decide to shave any part of your face for your facial treatment that you do it one day before your treatment. This means that your face will not have any small micro abrasions or cuts which can be painful or irritating during your treatment.

Summary

In summary, you can absolutely get a facial with a beard. Some places actually have specific treatments for beards so that your beard does not miss out on what the skin is receiving.

Making sure that you enjoy a facial and beard treatment means that it is relaxing the also can provide maximum benefits to your beard and face. Going for a facial once every 4 to 6 weeks is the best frequency as that is when the dead skin cells and impurities start to build up. You can go more often than that but a lot of people choose not to.

Go and get yourself pampered!

The Author


Andy Stapleton

Andy is a writer and YouTuber with a PhD in science. He has written and/or produced videos for Science Alert, COSMOS magazine, and Australia's Science Channel among others. He is an avid beard grower and after many years of growing and trialling different beard styles, he started this blog to share the tips, tricks, and science that he has learned along the way!