Facial Treatments, Massage, and Skin Care
Skin analysis first
Before any product, identify the skin type: normal, dry, oily, combination, or sensitive. Fitzpatrick type plus recent sun, waxing, or peel history matters for anything with acids or heat. Then rule out contraindications: active acne with pustules, sunburn, broken or inflamed skin, recent chemical peel or wax, cold sores, conjunctivitis, and any lesion you cannot identify. Suspicious moles and new growths are never treated - they are referred.
The basic sequence
Cleanse, exfoliate, steam briefly if at all, extract only what releases easily, massage, mask, then finish with toner and moisturizer. Deep extraction of inflamed lesions is outside a barber's scope and risks scarring and infection.
Massage movements
The tested five are effleurage (gliding), petrissage (kneading), tapotement (percussion or hacking), vibration (shaking), and friction (rubbing). Trap: tapotement is never described as kneading. Facial massage generally moves upward and outward along muscle direction, with light pressure around the eyes.
Hair removal
Wax is applied in the direction of growth and removed against it with the skin held taut; the area must be clean and dry and the client should not be on retinoids or freshly exfoliated. Brow tweezing follows the natural arch - measure from nose to brow to establish the start, the arch, and the end before removing anything.
Rule of thumb: if it is red, raised, oozing, or new, do not touch it, do not massage it, and refer it.