'I tried the HydraFacial treatment everywhere on TikTok. Here are my honest thoughts.'

Although I'm a self-confessed beauty junkie, I've never treated myself to a facial. Can you believe it?

Yep, besides getting a few extractions in my teens for my adolescent acne, my skin has only ever been treated with the products inside my bathroom cupboard.

So, when I was offered to try the HydraFacial treatment that's flooding my TikTok feed, I jumped at the opportunity – I was ready to see what all the fuss was about, and get pampered!

Here's everything you need to know about the popular treatment, including my honest review. And you bet, I took photos documenting the entire process.

What is a HydraFacial treatment?

Let's start with the basics: what actually is a HydraFacial?

HydraFacial is a no-downtime, non-surgical procedure that uses a patented vortex tip (basically, a little handheld device) to exfoliate, clear blocked pores and infuse medical-grade serum into the skin to improve its health and hydration.

Yep, three simple steps, done in 30 minutes.

You can upgrade to a Deluxe or Platinum HydraFacial – with the Deluxe including the three steps plus a skin booster (there are seven to choose from) and LED, while Platinum also includes lymphatic drainage.

And if you feel like really pampering yourself, you can add on a lip or eye perk – the lip perk lightly plumps, exfoliates and hydrates them, and the eye perk hydrates, reduces puffiness and dark circles and smoothes fine lines and wrinkles.

What skin type is HydraFacial suited for, and what are the benefits?

HydraFacial is suitable for all skin types – even the most sensitive skin tolerates the treatment. 

Because it not only extracts but also significantly hydrates, HydraFacial is especially good for those with oily skin, prone to acne and congestion, as well as those with very dry skin.

Oh, and there are many benefits:

• It removes blackheads and dead skin cells.
• Treats oily and acne-prone skin.
• Reduces the appearance of acne scars.
• Fights signs of ageing.
• Decreases signs of visible pigmentation and sun damage.
• Provides all over rejuvenation, improving skin texture.
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Improves skin firmness.
• And reduces the appearance of enlarged pores.

Where can you get a HydraFacial treatment?

Clear Skincare is Australia’s home of the HydraFacial – with over 95 clinics across Australia, it's as simple as jumping on their website, and finding the closest clinic to you. 

A single HydraFacial treatment costs $219 with great value packages also available. And if you're interested in having regular treatments, it's recommended to get the treatment fortnightly for the first four appointments and monthly after for maintenance.

My honest review of the HydraFacial treatment.

Before we get into the treatment, let me tell you about my skin before.

I have oily skin that's prone to acne and congestion and redness around my nose, with a few acne scars and pigmentation on my cheeks.

Those are all things I wanted to address during the treatment.

My skin pre-HydraFacial. Image: Supplied.

I went and got my HydraFacial at the Clear Skincare clinic in Paddington, based in Sydney's inner city. 

When I arrived, I was asked to fill out a form about my skin.

It asked what I wanted the HydraFacial to help with – for me, it was acne, blackheads and congestion, pigmentation, redness and skin texture. They also asked what my skin is like – the colour, how much sun exposure it gets and how it reacts to the sun.

I then passed on my form to my therapist who talked over the treatment with me, then it was time for us to get stuck in.

Once I got in and lay down, my therapist began by gently cleansing my skin.

Can you tell I was excited? Image: Supplied.

Then it was time to exfoliate.

Throughout the treatment, everything's applied via the patented vortex tip. Basically, it's a very small suction device that either removes things (like debris and impurities) or applies things (like the exfoliant and serums).

It doesn't hurt, not even slightly either, it just feels like a small vacuum on the face. 

Not even bothered by it. Image: Supplied.

Using the vortex, my therapist put the chemical exfoliant all over my face and let it sit there and work its magic, while we moved onto extractions.

Previously when having extractions done, the therapist will remove the acne and congestion by hand. 

NOT THIS TIME!

With HydraFacial, they use the vortex tip to do it – meaning the process isn't aggravating the skin by pushing the spots out. And again, it didn't hurt in the slightest (promise). 

My therapist glided the vortex tip across any congested areas and removed all the gunk (yep, super satisfying).

Extraction time! Image: Supplied.

I had the Deluxe HydraFacial – so, after extractions my therapist applied the booster I chose, which included retinol, and the eye perk to improve the look of my tired eyes.

And then it was onto the final step: saturating my face with antioxidants and peptides to maximise that glow. 

Immediately following the treatment, there was slight redness around the areas we'd extracted from, but that went down within the next 30 minutes.

And my skin was GLOWING. 

My skin right after. Image: Supplied.

I spent the day makeup-free and was advised to only cleanse my skin in the evening, but I was back to my usual skincare the following morning.

Following the treatment, all I can say is: I wish I knew about HydraFacial sooner.

My skin is visibly clearer, my skin tone has evened out and overall, and it looks healthy and hydrated.

My skin after. Can you see that radiance? Image: Supplied.

What do you need to do before and after the HydraFacial treatment?

Before a HydraFacial treatment:

• Avoid excessive sun exposure two weeks before.
• Wait for any cold sores, broken skin or open wounds to fully heal.
• If you've had cosmetic injectables or skin peels, wait two weeks before getting your HydraFacial.

And after:

• Avoid direct sun exposure and products containing active ingredients for 24 hours. 
• Don’t exfoliate for seven days.
• On the day of the treatment: apply SPF and don't use any active skincare products. (You can use them again after 24 hours.)

Book a HydraFacial online at your nearest Clear Skincare, or speak directly with their consultants about a treatment best for your skin.

Feature Image: Supplied.