Face

Frequently asked questions

• Do I need a consultation before facial treatments? +

  Yes. A consultation lets us assess your skin properly — under good light, often with imaging — discuss your goals, review any medical history that affects treatment safety, and recommend the most appropriate and safest pathway. Most facial treatments at The Skin Doctor are doctor- or dermal-therapist-led, and the consultation is where the plan is matched to your skin rather than to a generic device protocol.
• Are facial treatments suitable for all skin types? +

  Most treatments can be adapted across skin types, but careful assessment is essential. Melanin-rich skin (Fitzpatrick IV–VI) has a higher risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and benefits from specialised device choice, conservative parameters and pre-conditioning — this is handled through our Skin of Colour Clinic pathway. Sensitive, rosacea-prone or barrier-compromised skin also needs gentler approaches.
• Can multiple facial concerns be treated together? +

  Often yes — treatment plans are commonly staged or combined to address texture, pigmentation, redness and ageing safely. The exception is when one concern (e.g. active acne, unstable melasma) needs to settle before a procedural pathway is added. We plan in stages so each step builds on the previous result rather than overloading the skin in a single session.
• Will treatments make my face look unnatural? +

  Our explicit goal is natural improvement, not transformation. Treatments are selected to enhance facial harmony, support skin quality and preserve normal expression. We favour conservative, layered approaches over single 'big' interventions, and we will say so honestly at consultation if a particular treatment is unlikely to give the natural result you are looking for.
• How do I choose between laser, peels, microneedling and other resurfacing options? +

  You don't have to — that's the consultation. The right choice depends on your specific concerns (pigment, texture, scarring, laxity), skin tone, downtime tolerance and any active inflammation. Some patients do best with a single modality; many benefit more from a staged combination. We start by mapping the concerns and then matching the modality, rather than starting from a fixed 'this is what we do.'
• How much downtime should I expect from a facial treatment? +

  It depends on the modality. LED, light peels and most consultations have effectively no downtime. Medical peels and microneedling typically cause 1–3 days of pinkness or mild peeling. Fractional non-ablative laser usually 2–5 days of redness and mild flaking. Ablative resurfacing (Er:YAG) ranges from 5–10 days of more significant recovery. We sequence treatments so downtime is predictable and you can plan around it.
• How long until I see results from facial treatments? +

  Texture and pigment treatments usually show meaningful change at 4–8 weeks, with collagen-driven improvements continuing for 3–6 months as the skin remodels. Wrinkle and volume work is usually visible within 1–2 weeks. Maintenance is part of the plan — most facial rejuvenation is a sustained pathway rather than a one-off.
• I have rosacea or sensitive skin — can I still have facial treatments? +

  Yes — many of our patients have rosacea, sensitive skin or barrier compromise, and we have specific pathways for them. Aggressive treatments are avoided, vascular and inflammatory drivers are addressed first, and devices are chosen for safety on reactive skin. The plan is conservative and staged. See our rosacea hub for the medical side and discuss aesthetic options at consultation.