Use a gua sha tool, not just your hands, to help with lymphatic drainage and reduce puffiness.
The River Sweeper
Imagine your face has a network of tiny, slow-moving rivers just beneath the surface—this is your lymphatic system. When you sleep, the flow can become stagnant, causing fluid to pool and creating morning puffiness, like a clogged river delta. A facial massage with your hands is like splashing the water around. A gua sha tool, however, is like a specialized river sweeper. Its unique shape allows you to apply gentle, consistent pressure, effectively “sweeping” the stagnant fluid along the river’s path and encouraging it to drain properly, revealing your natural, less-puffy facial contours.
Stop using a jade roller to “push product in.” Do use it for a cooling, de-puffing massage instead.
The Cold Spoon for Your Face
Believing a jade roller pushes product deeper into your skin is like believing that rolling a cold spoon over your toast will push the butter in further. It’s not the main purpose of the tool. The real magic of a jade roller is its temperature. It’s like a soothing, cold compress for your face. The gentle pressure combined with the coolness of the stone is fantastic at temporarily constricting blood vessels, which helps to calm inflammation and reduce morning puffiness. Think of it as a refreshing massage, not a product-infusing device.
Stop doing at-home microneedling with a dermaroller. Do see a professional for microneedling to avoid infection and scarring.
The Amateur Surgeon
At-home dermarolling is like deciding you want the benefits of a medical procedure, so you buy a cheap scalpel online and try to perform surgery on yourself in your bathroom. You are not in a sterile environment, the tool is not professional-grade, and you do not have the training to know how deep to go or what to do if something goes wrong. You are far more likely to cause infection, create permanent scars, and do more harm than good. Professional microneedling is a controlled, medical procedure. Leave the surgery to the surgeons.
The #1 secret for sculpted cheekbones that the industry doesn’t want you to know is consistent use of a microcurrent device.
A Workout for Your Face
You can eat a healthy diet, but if you want to have toned, firm muscles, you have to go to the gym and actually work them out. A microcurrent device is a gym for the 43 facial muscles underneath your skin. It sends low-level electrical currents that stimulate and “work out” these tiny muscles, helping to lift, tone, and contour your face over time. Just like the gym, you won’t see dramatic results overnight, but with consistent use, it can create a noticeable, cumulative improvement in facial firmness and definition.
I’m just going to say it: Most of those facial cleansing brushes are too harsh and can damage your skin barrier with daily use.
The Power Scrubber for a Silk Scarf
Imagine you have a beautiful, delicate silk scarf. To clean it, would you use a spinning, motorized pot scrubber every single day? Absolutely not. The aggressive, mechanical friction would tear the delicate fibers and ruin the scarf’s integrity. For many people, a daily cleansing brush is that pot scrubber. The repetitive, abrasive motion can be too much for the “silk scarf” of your skin barrier, leading to irritation, micro-tears, and a compromised ability to protect itself. Your hands are almost always gentle enough.
The reason your at-home device isn’t working is because you’re not using it consistently as directed.
The Gym Membership You Never Use
Buying a fancy, expensive at-home skincare device is like buying a premium, all-access gym membership. The tool has the potential to deliver amazing results. But if you only go to the gym once a month, or you go but just wander around aimlessly without following a real workout plan, you will never see a change in your body. Your device is the same. It is not a magic wand. It will only deliver on its promises if you commit to using it exactly as directed, consistently, over the long term.
If you’re still using a pore vacuum, you’re risking broken capillaries and bruising for minimal, temporary results.
A Tiny Hickey Machine
A pore vacuum is essentially a tiny, focused vacuum cleaner for your face. Imagine putting the hose of a powerful vacuum on your arm and leaving it there. What happens? You get a big, dark bruise—a hickey. The intense suction can easily break the tiny, delicate blood vessels (capillaries) under your skin, leading to bruising and permanent red marks. All this, for a tool that only removes the very top surface of a blackhead and does nothing to prevent it from coming back tomorrow.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that a handheld device can give you the same results as an in-office laser treatment.
A Flashlight vs. a Lighthouse Beam
An at-home light therapy device is like a small, battery-powered flashlight. It can be a helpful tool for illuminating a small, specific area. A professional, in-office laser treatment is a massive, powerful lighthouse beam. It operates at a completely different magnitude of energy and is capable of creating a significant, structural change that the flashlight could never hope to achieve. The safety mechanisms and power levels are not comparable. Don’t expect your flashlight to guide ships to shore.
I wish I knew that professional chemical peels are far more effective and safer than trying to use high-strength acids at home.
Playing with a Blowtorch
Using a low-strength exfoliating mask at home is like lighting a candle. It’s effective and generally safe if you’re careful. Trying to use a professional-strength acid peel at home is like being handed a blowtorch with no training. While it’s a powerful tool in the hands of an expert (an esthetician or dermatologist), a small mistake in timing or application can lead to a severe chemical burn, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and permanent scarring. Don’t play with the blowtorch in your own bathroom.
99% of people make this one mistake with their skincare tools: not cleaning them properly after every use.
The Dirty Paintbrush
Imagine you are an artist. After using your paintbrushes, you wouldn’t just toss them in a drawer without washing them, would you? They would become stiff with old paint, grow bacteria, and be completely unusable for your next masterpiece. Your skincare tools are your paintbrushes. After every use, they are covered in a mixture of skincare products, dead skin cells, and oil. Not washing them with soap and water means that the next time you use them, you are just painting that old, grimy bacteria all over your clean face.
This one small action of keeping your jade roller in the fridge will change your morning de-puffing routine forever.
The Ice-Cold Drink on a Hot Day
On a hot summer day, you could drink a glass of lukewarm water, and it would hydrate you. But a glass of ice-cold water feels a thousand times more refreshing and satisfying, doesn’t it? A room-temperature jade roller provides a nice massage. But a refrigerated one is that glass of ice water. The intense cold provides a powerful, instant vasoconstricting effect that dramatically reduces puffiness and inflammation, transforming a pleasant massage into a high-performance, awakening treatment that you can see and feel.
Use a red light therapy mask, not just anti-aging serums, to stimulate collagen production on a cellular level.
The Sunlight for a Solar Panel
Topical serums are like washing and polishing the surface of a solar panel. It helps it function better. But an LED therapy mask is like the actual sunlight that penetrates the panel and charges the battery. Specific wavelengths of red light can penetrate your skin to a depth that no cream can reach, where they are absorbed by your cells’ “batteries” (the mitochondria). This helps to stimulate the energy needed for processes like collagen production, addressing aging at its fundamental, cellular source.
Stop thinking Botox will freeze your face. Do find a skilled injector who can provide natural-looking results.
A Dimmer Switch for Your Lights
A bad Botox job is like an on/off switch for your muscles—it creates a frozen, unnatural look. But a good, skilled injector uses Botox like a sophisticated dimmer switch. They don’t turn the muscle completely “off.” They just skillfully “dim” its activity just enough to soften the harsh glare of the wrinkle while still allowing for a beautiful, natural range of expression and light. The goal isn’t to freeze the muscle; it’s to relax it.
Stop using your gua sha tool on dry skin. Do use it with a facial oil or serum to provide slip and prevent tugging.
A Boat in a Dry Riverbed
Trying to use a gua sha tool on a dry face is like trying to drag a heavy, smooth-bottomed boat through a dry, sandy riverbed. It will be a jerky, uncomfortable struggle, and you’ll just end up scraping and damaging both the boat and the riverbed. A facial oil or a slippery serum is like a sudden rush of water that fills the river. It creates a slick, smooth surface that allows the boat to glide effortlessly and gracefully, without any friction or pulling on the delicate skin.
The #1 hack for getting the most out of your microcurrent device is using a conductive gel, not just water.
The Wires of a Lamp
A microcurrent device works by sending a gentle electrical current through your skin to stimulate the muscles. For that current to travel, it needs a pathway, just like a lamp needs wires to carry electricity from the wall socket to the lightbulb. Water is a poor conductor. A specialized conductive gel is a super-highway for electricity. It’s like using a thick, insulated, copper wire instead of a thin, frayed string. It ensures that the full, intended current is safely and effectively delivered to the muscle.
I’m just going to say it: You don’t need a dozen different skincare tools; a few effective ones used consistently are better.
The Overstuffed Toolbox
You don’t need a massive, overflowing toolbox with a hundred specialized, single-use gadgets to be a good handyman. In fact, a simple, high-quality kit with a great hammer, a versatile screwdriver, and a solid wrench will handle 99% of your jobs more effectively. It’s the same with skincare tools. It is far better to invest in one or two well-researched, effective devices that you will use consistently than it is to own a drawer full of trendy, impulse-buy gadgets that just collect dust.
The reason you’re not seeing results from your jade roller is because it’s not a tool for long-term change, but for temporary de-puffing.
The Morning Cup of Coffee
A jade roller is like a wonderful, strong cup of coffee in the morning. It’s fantastic at waking you up, making you feel more alert, and reducing that initial grogginess. It’s a great short-term fix. But drinking that one cup of coffee is not going to fundamentally change your long-term energy levels or your overall health. The de-puffing and calming effects of a jade roller are lovely and immediate, but they are a temporary boost, not a permanent, structural change to your skin.
If you’re still using a device with sharp needles you bought online, you are risking permanent damage to your skin.
Playing Darts in the Dark
Using an at-home microneedling device is like playing a game of darts, but you are blindfolded, using a cheap, bent dart, and the dartboard is your face. You have no professional training, the tool is not medical-grade, and the risks of missing the target are incredibly high. You are far more likely to cause infection, create permanent scars, and damage your skin than you are to hit the bullseye. This is a game that should only ever be played by a trained professional in a sterile environment.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need a special “cleanser” for your skincare tools; soap and water are fine for most.
Washing Your Kitchen Spatula
After you use a silicone spatula to cook with, how do you clean it? You use warm water and the same dish soap you use for everything else. You don’t need a special, expensive “spatula-cleansing liquid.” Your non-electric skincare tools, like gua shas and rollers, are the same. A simple wash with your regular hand soap or face cleanser and warm water is perfectly effective at removing the oil and product residue. The important part is that you do it, not what you do it with.
I wish I knew that a simple ice cube or ice roller could provide many of the same de-puffing benefits as expensive tools.
The Original De-Puffer
For centuries, people have been using the simple power of cold to treat swelling. An ice cube wrapped in a soft cloth or a modern ice roller is the original, most effective, and cheapest tool for the job. It’s like discovering that a simple, classic hammer works just as well as an expensive, complicated, new-fangled nail gun for most household tasks. While fancy cryo-tools are fun, the fundamental benefit comes from the cold, and a simple ice cube delivers that just as effectively.
99% of people make this one mistake with at-home LED masks: not using them on clean, dry skin.
The Dirty Window
Using an LED mask over a layer of serums or moisturizers is like trying to let sunlight shine through a dirty, grimy window. The layer of product on your skin can block and reflect the light, preventing the specific, therapeutic wavelengths from being able to penetrate to the proper depth and do their job. For the “sunlight” of the LED to be able to effectively reach the “room” of your skin cells, the window must be perfectly clean and clear.
This one small action of getting a professional facial quarterly will complement and boost your at-home routine.
The Professional Deep Clean for Your House
Your daily at-home skincare routine is like your daily and weekly tidying of your house. It’s essential for maintenance. But getting a professional facial every few months is like hiring a team of professional deep cleaners. They have the specialized tools, powerful equipment (like for extractions or peels), and the expertise to get into all the nooks and crannies you can’t reach yourself. It’s the professional reset that elevates your maintenance and keeps your “house” in pristine condition.
Use blue light therapy, not just spot treatments, to help kill acne-causing bacteria.
The Exterminator’s Special Light
A spot treatment is like setting a trap for a pest you can already see. Blue light therapy is like the professional exterminator who comes in with a special, high-tech UV light that kills the pests all over the house, even the ones hiding in the walls that you can’t see yet. The specific wavelength of blue light has been scientifically shown to kill the C. acnes bacteria that is a major cause of breakouts. It’s a way to fight the infection on a broader scale, not just one visible spot at a time.
Stop getting facials with extractions right before a big event. Do schedule them at least a week in advance.
The Day Before the Wedding
You wouldn’t decide to get a brand-new, dramatic haircut or a deep, painful-looking sunburn the day before a huge event like a wedding, would you? You know these things need a little time to settle down and look their best. Professional extractions, while beneficial, can leave your skin looking red, blotchy, and slightly inflamed for a few days afterward as it heals. Always give your skin a buffer of at least five to seven days to fully recover and look calm and clear.
Stop being afraid of laser treatments. Do your research and find a reputable provider for concerns like hyperpigmentation or resurfacing.
The Skilled Surgeon
Being afraid of a laser treatment is like being afraid of surgery. Yes, in the hands of an untrained amateur, a scalpel is a dangerous weapon. But in the hands of a board-certified surgeon, it is a precise, life-changing tool. Lasers are the same. The key is not to be afraid of the tool, but to be incredibly diligent about researching the “surgeon.” Finding a reputable, experienced, and highly trained provider is the difference between a risky procedure and a safe, effective, and transformative treatment.
The #1 secret for glowing skin before an event is a Hydrafacial, not a harsh peel.
Polishing the Silverware
If you have important guests coming for dinner, you don’t clean your fancy silverware by scrubbing it with a harsh, steel wool pad. That would leave it scratched and dull. You use a special, gentle polish that simultaneously cleans, hydrates, and buffs the silverware to a brilliant shine. A harsh peel can leave you red and flaky. A Hydrafacial is that gentle polish. It’s a multi-step treatment that cleanses, extracts, and infuses the skin with hydrating serums, leaving you with an instant, radiant, event-ready glow with zero downtime.
I’m just going to say it: A real stone (jade or rose quartz) gua sha feels nicer, but a cheaper, non-porous one is more hygienic.
The Wooden vs. The Stainless Steel Cutting Board
A beautiful, thick, wooden cutting board has a wonderful, natural feel to it. But it is also porous, which means it can absorb bacteria and is harder to truly sanitize. A stainless steel cutting board might not have the same rustic charm, but it is completely non-porous and incredibly hygienic. Real stone tools are the same. They are porous and can harbor bacteria if not cleaned perfectly. A cheaper tool made of stainless steel or kansa is a more hygienic choice for a tool you are using on your face.
The reason your skin looks red after a facial is likely due to aggressive extractions or a reaction to a product.
The Post-Workout Soreness
Think of a good, intense facial as a workout for your skin. It’s normal to feel a little bit sore and look a little bit flushed after an intense session at the gym. A bit of temporary redness from stimulated circulation or gentle extractions is like that muscle soreness. However, if you are in actual pain, or if the redness is accompanied by hives or burning, that’s not soreness—that’s an injury. It’s a sign that the “workout” was too aggressive, or you had an allergic reaction.
If you’re still using a rotating bristle brush on your face, you’re using outdated technology that can be too abrasive.
A Rotary Phone in the Age of Smartphones
Insisting on using a spinning bristle brush today is like refusing to give up your old, clunky rotary phone from the 1980s. It was a fine technology for its time, but the world has moved on to something much smarter and gentler. Modern cleansing devices use sonic vibrations and soft, hygienic silicone, which are far more effective at cleansing and much less likely to cause the abrasive damage of a spinning brush. It’s time to hang up the rotary phone.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that a dermaplaning razor from the drugstore will give you the same result as a professional treatment.
A Kitchen Knife vs. a Surgeon’s Scalpel
A small, tinkle-style razor from the drugstore is like a decent kitchen knife. It’s a great tool for basic, at-home tasks, like trimming the “peach fuzz” from your face. A professional dermaplaning treatment uses a medical-grade, incredibly sharp scalpel. This is the surgeon’s knife. In the hands of a trained esthetician, it can not only remove the hair but also provide a much deeper, more precise level of physical exfoliation that your kitchen knife simply cannot safely or effectively achieve.
I wish I knew that fillers could be used for more than just lips, like adding volume to cheeks or correcting under-eye hollows.
The Art of Sculpting Clay
Think of a skilled sculptor working with clay. They don’t just add clay to one single spot. They are masters of balance and proportion, adding a little bit here to lift, a little bit there to define, and smoothing out hollows to restore a harmonious, youthful shape. A skilled injector uses fillers in the same way. It’s not just about plumping lips. It’s about restoring the “scaffolding” of the face by adding volume to the temples and cheeks, which subtly lifts the entire face.
99% of people using a gua sha make this one mistake: using too much pressure, which can cause bruising.
A Deep Tissue Massage on Your Face
You wouldn’t ask a massage therapist to use their full body weight and a sharp elbow directly on the delicate muscles of your face, would you? The goal of gua sha is not a painful, deep-tissue massage. It is about gently stimulating the movement of lymphatic fluid that sits just below the skin. The pressure should be light and feathery, like petting a cat. Using too much force is not more effective; it’s just a surefire way to cause bruising and broken capillaries.
This one small habit of using a high-frequency wand on a pimple can help it heal much faster.
The Tiny Lightning Strike
A high-frequency wand works by delivering a tiny, painless electrical current to the skin, which creates enriched oxygen. When you touch this wand to a burgeoning pimple, it’s like sending a tiny, targeted lightning strike directly into the blemish. This burst of oxygen has an antibacterial effect, killing the acne-causing bacteria deep within the pore. It also helps to reduce inflammation and stimulate healing, which can dramatically shorten the lifespan of a pimple and reduce the chance of it scarring.
Use an ultrasonic skin spatula, not a pore strip, for a gentler way to help dislodge blackheads.
A Gentle Hum, Not a Forceful Squeeze
Imagine a glass bottle with some stubborn sand stuck to the inside walls. You could try to scrape it out, but you might scratch the glass. A smarter way is to use ultrasonic vibrations. A gentle, high-frequency hum would travel through the glass, shaking the sand particles loose so they can be easily rinsed out. That’s an ultrasonic spatula. Instead of aggressively ripping the contents out like a pore strip, it uses tiny vibrations to help loosen the clog, making extractions gentler and safer.
Stop thinking of professional treatments as a one-time fix. Do plan for maintenance appointments.
Painting Your House
You can hire a professional crew to give your house a beautiful, fresh coat of paint. It will look amazing. But is that it forever? Of course not. The sun, rain, and elements will slowly degrade the paint over time. To keep the house looking its best, you know you’ll need to schedule a touch-up or a new coat every few years. Professional treatments like Botox, fillers, and lasers are that paint job. They require consistent, planned maintenance to keep the results looking fresh and beautiful.
Stop going to providers who offer cheap deals on Botox or fillers. Your face is not the place to bargain hunt.
Discount Sushi
If you saw a restaurant advertising “Suspiciously Cheap, Back-Alley Sushi!” you would not eat there. You know that with something that requires skill, freshness, and safety, a bargain price is a massive red flag. Injectables are a medical procedure that requires immense skill, artistry, and the use of safe, authentic products. A cheap price is a sign that they are cutting corners somewhere, and your face is not the place to risk getting the equivalent of food poisoning.
The #1 hack for post-procedure healing is using gentle, barrier-repairing products and avoiding all actives.
First Aid for a Sunburn
If you have a painful sunburn, you don’t treat it by rubbing it with a lemon-juice-and-vinegar scrub. You treat it with the most gentle, soothing, and simple products you can find, like aloe vera and a basic moisturizer. After a professional procedure like a laser or a peel, your skin is in a similarly raw and vulnerable state. You must stop all of your powerful “workout” ingredients (retinoids, acids) and switch to a “first-aid” routine focused purely on calming, hydrating, and repairing the skin barrier.
I’m just going to say it: The primary benefit of most facial massages and tools is temporarily reducing fluid retention, not permanently sculpting your face.
Squeezing a Sponge
Imagine your face is a soft sponge that has soaked up a bit of water overnight. A good facial massage or using a tool like a gua sha is like giving that sponge a gentle, methodical squeeze. It pushes out the excess, stagnant water, and for a few hours, the sponge will look slimmer and more defined. But it has not changed the actual structure or shape of the sponge itself. It’s a wonderful, temporary de-puffing effect, not a permanent reconstruction.
The reason your skin feels sensitive after a treatment is because your barrier has been compromised; focus on hydration and protection.
The House After a Renovation
Imagine a construction crew has just finished a major renovation on your house. They’ve resurfaced the walls and floors. The house is new and beautiful, but it’s also vulnerable. There’s dust everywhere, and the new paint hasn’t fully cured. Your skin after a professional treatment is that house. Its protective barrier has been intentionally and temporarily disrupted to stimulate renewal. For the next week, your only job is to be the gentle caretaker, focusing on hydration and strict sun protection while it heals.
If you’re still not wearing sunscreen after a peel or laser, you are throwing your money away and risking serious damage.
Unveiling a Masterpiece in a Sandstorm
A professional resurfacing treatment is like carefully restoring a beautiful, delicate painting. You are revealing a fresh, new, and vulnerable surface. Not wearing sunscreen afterward is like taking that newly restored masterpiece and immediately hanging it outside in a damaging sandstorm. You are exposing the fresh, highly sensitive skin to an intensified level of UV damage, which will not only completely undo the results you just paid for but can also lead to permanent hyperpigmentation.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need an expensive skincare fridge; your regular refrigerator works just fine.
A VIP Room for Your Vegetables
You know that your vegetables stay fresher for longer when they are kept in the cool, dark environment of your refrigerator. You don’t need to buy a separate, tiny, expensive, and energy-inefficient “VIP refrigerator” just for your carrots. If you enjoy the sensation of a cold tool or a chilled face mask, your regular kitchen fridge does the exact same job of making them cold. A skincare fridge is a cute accessory, not a necessary or superior piece of equipment.
I wish I knew to ask my dermatologist about a treatment plan instead of just buying random products.
A Personal Trainer vs. Random Gym Equipment
Trying to solve your skin issues by buying random products you see online is like walking into a giant gym and just randomly using a few machines you think look cool. You have no strategy, and you might even hurt yourself. A consultation with a dermatologist is like hiring a professional personal trainer. They will assess your specific situation, define your goals, and create a targeted, step-by-step “workout plan” that is designed to get you the most effective results in the safest way.
99% of people make this one mistake: not following the post-care instructions given by their esthetician or dermatologist.
The Doctor’s Prescription
If a doctor gives you a prescription for an antibiotic and tells you to take it for ten days, you don’t just take it for two days, feel a little better, and then stop. You know you have to follow the expert’s instructions precisely to get the full benefit and avoid a relapse. The post-care instructions you receive after a treatment are that prescription. They are not suggestions. They are a crucial part of the treatment itself, designed to ensure you heal properly and achieve the best possible results.
This one small action of properly researching the credentials of your injector will save you from a botched job.
Hiring a Brain Surgeon
If you needed brain surgery, you wouldn’t just choose the cheapest person you could find on a deals website. You would meticulously research their education, their certifications, their experience, and their patient reviews. You would want to see their “before and after” photos. Injecting substances into your face is a serious medical procedure that requires a deep understanding of facial anatomy and a refined artistic skill. Choosing your injector should be done with the same level of seriousness as choosing your surgeon.
Use a silicone cleansing brush, not a bristle one, for a more hygienic and gentle cleanse.
A Silicone Spatula vs. a Toilet Brush
A traditional bristle cleansing brush is like a tiny toilet brush. Its porous nylon bristles are a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, they are difficult to truly clean, and they need to be replaced often. A silicone brush is like a modern, hygienic silicone kitchen spatula. It is completely non-porous, meaning bacteria can’t grow on it. It’s incredibly easy to clean, and its soft, flexible nubs provide a much gentler cleansing experience without the abrasive scrubbing of bristles.
Stop expecting a facial to solve all your skin problems in one hour.
A Single Session with a Personal Trainer
You wouldn’t go to the gym for one, single, hour-long session with a personal trainer and expect to walk out with a perfect, toned, athletic body, would you? That one session is a fantastic boost. It can teach you new techniques and get you started on the right path. But real, lasting change comes from the consistent, daily “workouts” you do at home. A facial is that great personal training session—it’s a supplement to your routine, not a replacement for it.
Stop using your skincare tools inconsistently. Do incorporate them into your routine a few times a week.
The Dust-Covered Guitar in the Corner
Owning a guitar does not make you a musician. If it just sits in the corner of your room and collects dust, it is a useless object. You only become a musician by picking up that guitar and practicing, consistently, day after day. Your skincare tools are that guitar. Owning a fancy microcurrent device or LED mask is meaningless if it just sits in your drawer. The benefits are only unlocked through the discipline of consistent, regular practice.
The #1 secret for enhancing product absorption is using a tool that provides gentle vibration or warmth.
Melting the Butter on Your Toast
If you put a cold, hard pat of butter on a piece of cold toast, it will just sit there. But if you put that same butter on a piece of warm toast, it will melt and sink in, infusing the entire slice. A tool that provides gentle warmth or sonic vibration acts like that warm toast. It helps to slightly loosen and relax the pores and the lipids in your skin, creating a more receptive pathway that allows your serums and creams (the butter) to penetrate more effectively.
I’m just going to say it: A lot of the skincare devices on the market lack rigorous, independent scientific studies.
The “Magic” Weight Loss Belt
You’ve seen the commercials for the vibrating belt that you wrap around your stomach, and it promises to magically melt away fat and give you a six-pack while you sit on the couch. It sounds amazing, but it’s not backed by any real, credible science. Many of the trendy skincare devices you see on social media are that vibrating belt. They make exciting claims, but they often lack the robust, peer-reviewed, independent scientific studies that are required to prove that they are truly effective.
The reason you might not be a candidate for a certain laser is your skin tone; some lasers carry a risk of hyperpigmentation for darker skin.
A Smart Missile for a Specific Target
Some lasers are like smart missiles that are specifically programmed to seek out a dark target, like the pigment in a sun spot or a hair follicle. In lighter skin tones, there is a clear contrast between the target and the surrounding skin. But in darker skin tones, which have more melanin, the laser can get confused. It can’t easily tell the difference between the “target” and the “civilian” skin around it, which can lead it to accidentally hit the wrong thing, causing burns or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
If you’re still using a magnifying mirror with a bright light, you’re encouraging obsessive picking and popping.
A Microscope for a Painting
If you look at a beautiful masterpiece painting under a microscope, you will not see a beautiful image. You will see a chaotic mess of cracked paint, tiny fibers, and imperfections. The painting was not meant to be viewed that way. A magnifying mirror does the same thing to your face. It presents a distorted, hyper-detailed reality that will only make you see flaws that no one else can see, which inevitably tempts you to pick and create real, visible damage.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you can get a “non-surgical nose job” with tools at home.
Trying to Sculpt a Rock with Your Hands
Your nose is a complex structure of bone and cartilage. The idea that you can change its fundamental shape by using a small plastic clip or a massage tool is like trying to change the shape of a granite rock by squeezing it with your bare hands. It is physically impossible. The only way to change the shape of the rock is with a hammer and chisel. The only way to change the shape of your nose is with the surgical tools of a plastic surgeon or the injectable tools of a dermatologist.
I wish I knew that a consultation with a cosmetic dermatologist could give me a realistic roadmap for my goals.
An Architect for Your House
If you wanted to renovate your house, you wouldn’t just start randomly knocking down walls. You would hire an architect. You would tell them your budget and your dream vision, and they would use their expert knowledge to create a realistic, step-by-step blueprint to get you there. A cosmetic dermatologist is that architect for your face. They can assess your “foundations,” listen to your goals, and create a personalized, long-term treatment plan that combines the right products and procedures in the right order.
99% of people make this one mistake: going for a run or to the gym right after a facial or treatment.
A Mud Run After a Deep Clean
Imagine you just paid a lot of money to have your entire house professionally deep cleaned. The floors are sparkling, and everything is pristine. You wouldn’t then immediately put on your muddy boots and go for a run through the living room, would you? A facial leaves your skin professionally cleansed and your pores open. Going to the gym right after introduces a flood of sweat, heat, and bacteria into that perfectly clean environment, which can lead to immediate congestion and irritation.
This one small habit of washing your face with a clean, soft microfiber cloth can provide a gentle daily exfoliation.
Polishing a Car with a Chamois
You don’t need to use a harsh, gritty compound to polish your car every day. A simple, soft chamois cloth can gently buff the surface and lift away fine particles. A soft, clean microfiber cloth does the same for your face. The unique texture of the fibers is brilliant at grabbing onto makeup and dead skin cells as you cleanse, providing a very mild and gentle form of daily physical exfoliation that is much less abrasive than a traditional scrub or a brush.
Use cryotherapy tools (ice globes), not just a cold spoon, for a more sophisticated way to reduce inflammation and redness.
A Cold Pack vs. a Simple Ice Cube
A simple ice cube is great for cooling down a drink. But for treating a sports injury, a specially designed, reusable cold pack is much more effective. It stays cold for longer and is shaped to conform to your body. Ice globes are that sophisticated cold pack for your face. They hold their temperature better than a spoon, their smooth, round shape is perfect for gliding over your facial contours, and the addition of the handle makes the entire de-puffing and calming massage a much more elegant and effective experience.
Stop using tools on active, inflamed acne breakouts.
A Massage on a Broken Bone
If you had a broken bone in your arm that was swollen and painful, you would never instruct a massage therapist to perform a deep, vigorous massage directly on top of the break. That would be agonizing and would only make the injury and inflammation a thousand times worse. Active, inflamed acne is a wound. Using a stimulating tool like a gua sha or a microcurrent device directly over it is like massaging that broken bone. You must let the injury heal before you can work on the area.
Stop being embarrassed to ask your provider about their experience and to see before-and-after photos.
Interviewing a Babysitter
You would never hire a babysitter to watch your child without asking them for their qualifications, their experience, and their references. You are entrusting them with something incredibly precious. You should have the exact same standard for the person you are entrusting with the health and appearance of your face. Asking a provider about their training, how many times they’ve performed a procedure, and to see examples of their work is not rude; it is the act of being a smart, responsible, and empowered patient.
The #1 hack for a less painful waxing experience is to exfoliate the area a day or two before your appointment.
Clearing the Path
Imagine you need to pull a piece of tape off a dusty, flaky surface. It’s going to be a messy, painful process. But if you clean and smooth the surface first, the tape will adhere properly and come off much more cleanly. Exfoliating a day or two before you wax is like clearing that path. It removes the dead skin cells that can otherwise clog the wax, ensuring that the wax can get a clean, firm grip on just the hair itself. This results in a much less painful and more effective hair removal.
I’m just going to say it: Professional extractions are better than doing them yourself, but they are not a permanent solution for clogged pores.
Scooping Water Out of a Leaky Boat
Professional extractions are like having an expert come and skillfully scoop all the water out of your leaky boat. It’s a fantastic, immediate solution that will keep you afloat. But it has done nothing to fix the hole in the bottom of the boat. The boat is just going to fill up with water again. Extractions are a temporary fix for existing clogs. A consistent routine with ingredients like salicylic acid or retinoids is the only way to actually repair the “leak” and stop the boat from filling up in the first place.
The reason you should be wary of at-home plasma pens is the extremely high risk of scarring and hyperpigmentation.
A Tiny, Controlled Burn
A plasma pen works by creating a tiny, targeted burn on the skin’s surface, which stimulates a healing response. In the hands of a trained medical professional in a sterile environment, this can be an effective treatment. An at-home version is like being given a tiny, unregulated branding iron with no training. The risk of going too deep, creating a real burn, causing a serious infection, or triggering permanent post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is astronomically high. This is a tool that should never be used at home.
If you’re still using a generic body lotion on your face after a professional treatment, you could be causing irritation.
First Aid with Perfumed Hand Soap
Imagine you have a fresh, open wound. You wouldn’t choose to clean it with a cheap, heavily fragranced, decorative hand soap from a public restroom. You would use a gentle, sterile, antiseptic wash. After a professional treatment, your skin is a fresh wound. A generic body lotion is that perfumed soap—it’s often full of fragrances and heavy, potentially pore-clogging ingredients. You need to treat your healing skin with the gentle, “first-aid” grade products that are specifically designed for barrier repair.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you need a new skincare routine after every facial.
The Tune-Up for Your Car
When you take your well-maintained car for a professional tune-up, the mechanic doesn’t then tell you that you need to completely change the make and model of your car. The tune-up is designed to make your existing car run better. A good facial should be the same. The esthetician should be working to enhance the results of your existing, consistent at-home routine. Unless your current routine is actively causing problems, a complete overhaul is rarely necessary and is often just an attempt to sell you more products.
I wish I knew that some “lunchtime” procedures truly have no downtime.
The Express Oil Change
In the past, getting your car serviced meant leaving it at the shop all day. Now, you can go to an express lane and get an oil change in 15 minutes and drive away as normal. Many modern, non-invasive procedures are that express oil change. Treatments like a Hydrafacial, a light chemical peel, or even a touch of Botox can often be done on your lunch break, and you can go right back to the office with no one being the wiser. The world of “no-downtime” treatments has made professional skincare incredibly accessible.
99% of people make this one mistake: not disclosing all the products they are using (especially retinoids) to their esthetician.
The Doctor’s Appointment Lie
Imagine going to the doctor for stomach pain but “forgetting” to tell them that you’ve been taking a certain medication every day. They might give you a treatment that has a dangerous interaction with that medication. When you go for a facial, your esthetician is your “skin doctor” for the day. If you don’t tell them you are using a powerful retinoid, they might perform a wax or a peel that can severely burn or lift your sensitized skin. Full disclosure is a matter of safety.
This one small action of taking an antihistamine before a treatment (with doctor’s approval) can help reduce post-treatment swelling.
The Preventative Strike
If you know you’re going into a situation that is likely to trigger your seasonal allergies, you take an antihistamine before you go, right? You don’t wait for the reaction to happen. Some facial treatments, especially those that involve needles like microneedling or fillers, can trigger a histamine response in the body, which leads to swelling and redness. Taking an antihistamine beforehand (always with your doctor’s permission) can be a preventative strike that helps to calm that response before it even starts.
Use a facial steamer, not just a hot towel, to help soften sebum before cleansing or masking.
A Sauna vs. a Warm Blanket
A hot, damp towel on your face feels nice, like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket. A facial steamer is like stepping into a full-blown sauna. The warm, moist, and consistent steam is much more effective at gently raising the temperature of your skin. This helps to soften the hardened oil, or sebum, that is trapped in your pores, like warming up a cold stick of butter. This makes the “butter” much easier to remove during cleansing or extractions.
Stop using a skincare tool if it causes you pain.
The “No Pain, No Gain” Myth
In the world of fitness, the “no pain, no gain” mantra can sometimes be true. In the world of skincare, it is almost always false. Pain is not a sign that a tool is “working.” It is a warning signal from your body that you are causing damage. It means you are applying too much pressure, the tool is too aggressive, or your skin is too sensitized. Good skincare tools should feel pleasant and stimulating, not painful. Listen to your body’s alarm bells.
Stop falling for influencer hype around a new device. Do look for reviews from licensed professionals.
A Celebrity Endorsement vs. a Mechanic’s Review
An influencer raving about a new skincare device is like a famous celebrity endorsing a new car. They are being paid to make it look cool and exciting. A licensed esthetician or dermatologist reviewing that same device is the expert car mechanic. They can look under the hood, understand the technology, and give you an honest, educated opinion on whether the engine is actually powerful and well-made, or if it’s just a shiny exterior with nothing underneath. Always trust the mechanic, not the celebrity.
The #1 secret for maintaining your Botox results is using a good anti-aging routine with retinoids and sunscreen.
Protecting Your Investment
Getting Botox is like making a smart, high-return investment in your appearance. A good at-home skincare routine is the insurance policy that protects that investment. Botox stops the muscle from creasing the skin, but it doesn’t do anything to improve the quality of the skin itself. Using sunscreen prevents new damage from forming, and using a retinoid helps to repair past damage and build collagen. Together, they ensure that your investment stays looking great for as long as possible.
I’m just going to say it: The effects of a gua sha or facial roller massage, while pleasant, are very temporary.
The Morning Stretch
When you wake up in the morning, a good, long stretch feels amazing. It releases tension, gets the blood flowing, and makes you feel more open and limber for a little while. The de-puffing, circulation-boosting effects of a facial massage are that morning stretch for your face. It feels fantastic and gives you a great, temporary boost. But it does not fundamentally change the structure of your muscles or your bones. An hour later, you’re no longer “stretched.”
The reason your face looks puffy after filler might be temporary swelling, which can be managed with ice and arnica.
The Aftermath of a Construction Project
Getting fillers is a small construction project on your face. The procedure involves a needle, which causes a minor, controlled injury. The body’s natural response to this is to send fluid and inflammatory cells to the site to begin the healing process. This temporary swelling is like the dust and debris that is present right after the construction is finished. It’s a normal part of the process. Gentle icing and topical arnica can help to clear away that “debris” more quickly.
If you’re still trying to “DIY” professional treatments you saw on YouTube, you are risking your skin’s health.
Learning Brain Surgery from a TikTok Video
You would never watch a 60-second TikTok video on “Easy Brain Surgery Hacks!” and then attempt to perform the procedure on a family member. It’s a terrifyingly absurd idea. Professional skin treatments, from deep chemical peels to laser therapies, are medical procedures that require years of training, a deep understanding of skin anatomy, and the use of sterile, medical-grade equipment. Trying to replicate them at home is a dangerous gamble with a high risk of permanent, disfiguring consequences.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that threading or waxing your face won’t cause breakouts.
Shaking a Hornet’s Nest
Every hair follicle on your face is a potential hornet’s nest. For many people, the aggressive act of ripping the hair out of the follicle—whether by waxing or threading—is like taking a big stick and whacking that nest. This trauma can trigger an angry, inflammatory response from the “hornets” inside, leading to a crop of red, irritated bumps and pustules in the days following the hair removal. It doesn’t happen to everyone, but it is a very common reaction.
I wish I knew to budget for skincare tools and treatments as part of my overall self-care expenses.
The Gym Membership for Your Face
Many of us budget for things like a gym membership, a monthly haircut, or a massage as part of our regular health and wellness expenses. Professional skincare treatments and effective at-home tools should be viewed in the exact same way. They are not just frivolous, indulgent luxuries. They are a legitimate and effective part of a long-term plan to maintain the health and confidence of your body’s largest organ. It’s an investment in yourself that is just as valid as a gym membership.
99% of people make this one mistake: going into the sun immediately after a laser treatment.
The Vampire Without His Cloak
A laser treatment works by removing the top, protective layer of your skin to reveal the fresh, new, and incredibly vulnerable skin underneath. This new skin is like a vampire—it has absolutely no defense against the sun. Going out into the daylight without a thick layer of mineral sunscreen and a hat is like that vampire deciding to take a stroll outside at high noon without his thick, light-blocking cloak. The result will be immediate, severe, and potentially permanent damage.
This one small habit of using your tools in an upward and outward motion will help with a lifting massage technique.
Working Against Gravity
Gravity is a constant, downward pull on our skin. While a massage tool isn’t going to magically reverse the aging process, the technique you use matters. Always moving the tool in an upward and outward direction, from the center of your face out towards your hairline, is a simple way to work against that gravitational pull. It helps to encourage lymphatic drainage and provides a gentle, lifting massage, whereas a downward motion would be working with gravity to pull the skin down.
Use a professional-grade light therapy treatment, not just a weak at-home device, for more significant and faster results.
A Campfire vs. the Sun
An at-home LED device is like a cozy little campfire. It emits a nice, gentle light and can provide some real, cumulative benefits over a long period of consistent use. A professional, in-office LED treatment is like being exposed to the full power of the sun (without the harmful UV rays, of course). The intensity and energy output of the light are on a completely different level, which allows it to stimulate a much more significant cellular response and deliver more dramatic results in a fraction of the time.
Stop thinking of injectables as “cheating.” They are a valid and effective part of a comprehensive anti-aging plan.
Wearing Glasses to See Better
If you have poor eyesight, do you consider wearing glasses or contact lenses to be “cheating” at seeing? Of course not. They are a safe, effective, and scientifically-proven tool that helps your body function better. Injectables like Botox and fillers are the same. They are medical tools used to manage a natural biological process. It’s not a moral issue. It’s simply a personal choice about which tools you want to use to feel your best.
Stop using your jade roller over a sheet mask; it can cause the mask to tear and doesn’t improve absorption.
Squeegeeing a Wet Painting
Using a roller over a delicate, slippery sheet mask is like trying to use a hard rubber squeegee on a freshly painted, wet canvas. The most likely outcome is that you will push the “paint” (the serum) around, tear the delicate “canvas” (the mask), and create a big mess. The gentle pressure of your hands is more than enough to help the serum absorb, and the roller doesn’t add any significant benefit that outweighs the risk of ruining your nice, relaxing masking experience.
The #1 hack for better dermaplaning results is doing it on completely clean and dry skin.
Mowing a Wet, Muddy Lawn
You would never try to mow your lawn right after a huge rainstorm while the grass is still wet and the ground is muddy. The mower would get clogged, the cut would be uneven, and you’d just make a huge mess. Dermaplaning requires the blade to glide smoothly over the skin’s surface. If your skin is damp or has any product on it, the blade can’t get a clean “cut.” It will skip, drag, and be much less effective. A bone-dry surface is essential for a smooth, even result.
I’m just going to say it: The color of the light on your LED device matters: red for collagen, blue for acne.
The Right Key for the Right Lock
Imagine you have two locked doors. One is labeled “Collagen Production,” and the other is “Acne Bacteria.” The different colors of light are like two different keys. The red key (a longer wavelength) has the specific shape that can penetrate deeper and fit the “Collagen” lock, stimulating the cells. The blue key (a shorter wavelength) has the specific shape that fits the “Acne” lock, where it works on the surface to kill bacteria. Using the wrong color light is like trying to open a door with the wrong key.
The reason you should be cautious about “facial cupping” is the risk of bruising and broken capillaries if done incorrectly.
A Hickey for Your Forehead
Facial cupping works by creating suction on the skin. What is another name for a mark on your skin caused by suction? A hickey. While it can provide some temporary de-puffing benefits, the technique requires a lot of skill. If you leave the cup in one place for even a second too long, or if the suction is too strong, you will create a perfect, circular bruise. It’s a tool with a very high margin for error and a significant risk of causing unsightly and sometimes permanent damage.
If you’re still using a tool without understanding the proper technique, you’re better off not using it at all.
A Power Tool with No Instruction Manual
Imagine being handed a powerful, complicated new power tool, like a table saw, with no instruction manual and no training. Trying to use it would be incredibly dangerous. You would be far more likely to injure yourself than to successfully cut a piece of wood. A skincare tool is no different. If you don’t take the time to learn the proper technique—how much pressure to use, which direction to move, how often to use it—you are wielding a tool that could potentially do more harm than good.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that at-home lasers are as strong as the ones in a doctor’s office.
A Laser Pointer vs. a Laser Cutter
An at-home laser device is like a small, handheld laser pointer. It emits a low-energy beam of light that is safe for consumer use. A professional laser in a dermatologist’s office is like a massive, industrial laser cutter that can slice through steel. They both use “laser” technology, but the power, the mechanism, and the results are in completely different universes. For safety reasons, at-home devices are legally required to be thousands of times weaker than their in-office counterparts.
I wish I knew that chemical peels come in different strengths and types for different skin concerns.
The Different Grits of Sandpaper
When you are sanding a piece of wood, you don’t just use “sandpaper.” You choose a specific grit based on your needs. You might use a coarse, heavy-duty grit to remove an old layer of paint, and a very fine, gentle grit to create a smooth, polished finish. Chemical peels are the same. There are many different types of acids (glycolic, salicylic, TCA) and they all come in different strengths (“grits”). An expert can choose the perfect one to treat your specific issue, whether it’s acne, pigmentation, or fine lines.
99% of people make this one mistake: not realizing that their new medication could make them a poor candidate for a laser treatment.
The Hidden Flammable Material
Imagine a firefighter is about to perform a controlled burn. They need to know if there are any hidden, flammable materials in the area. A patient taking a medication like Accutane, which affects the skin’s healing process, is like a house that is secretly filled with flammable gas. If the firefighter doesn’t know this and starts the burn, the result could be a catastrophic explosion. You must disclose every single medication you are on to your provider, as it can dramatically affect your skin’s reaction to heat and light.
This one small action of taking a “before” picture will help you realistically assess the results of a new tool or treatment.
Watching a Tree Grow
If you stand in front of a newly planted tree and stare at it for an hour, you won’t see any growth. It’s happening too slowly for the naked eye to perceive in real-time. You might even convince yourself it’s not working. But if you take a picture of that tree once a month, after a year you will be shocked at the incredible transformation. Your skin is that tree. A “before” picture is the only way to truly and objectively track the slow, steady, and significant progress from your new routine.
Use a sterile lancet for a whitehead, not your dirty fingernails, if you absolutely must pop a pimple.
A Surgeon’s Scalpel vs. a Rusty Nail
When you use your fingernails to pop a pimple, you are essentially trying to perform a delicate procedure by squeezing the skin with a blunt, bacteria-covered, and uncontrolled tool, like a rusty nail. This approach tears the skin, drives the infection deeper, and guarantees scarring. A sterile lancet, when used properly, is the surgeon’s scalpel. It creates a tiny, precise, and clean opening that allows the contents to escape without any of the brute force trauma and collateral damage.
Stop choosing a professional treatment based on what your friend got. Do get a personalized consultation.
Your Friend’s Eyeglass Prescription
If your friend gets a new pair of glasses and can suddenly see perfectly, you wouldn’t just take their prescription and order the exact same pair for yourself. You know that your eyes are unique and you need your own specific, customized prescription. A skin treatment is the same. The laser or peel that worked wonders for your friend’s skin type and concerns might be completely wrong, or even harmful, for yours. A professional consultation is your “eye exam” to determine your own perfect prescription.
Stop using abrasive tools if you have rosacea or sensitive skin.
A Harsh Wind on a Sunburn
Imagine you have a painful, inflamed sunburn. The last thing you would want is to stand in a harsh, whipping wind that is full of sand. That abrasive friction would be agonizing and would only make the inflammation and damage a thousand times worse. If you have a condition like rosacea or generally sensitive skin, your skin is already in a state of inflammation. Using an abrasive tool like a spinning brush or a scrub is like that sandpaper-wind on your already-raw skin.
The #1 secret for better filler results is finding an injector with an artistic eye, not just a medical degree.
A Portrait Painter vs. a House Painter
A house painter and a master portrait artist both know how to use paint and a brush. But one is a technician, and the other is an artist. A good injector needs to be more than just a medical technician who knows how to operate a syringe. They need to be a portrait artist who has a deep, innate understanding of light, shadow, anatomy, and proportion. The secret to beautiful, natural-looking results is not in the filler itself, but in the artistic eye of the person who is wielding the brush.
I’m just going to say it: A good esthetician can be just as valuable as a dermatologist for your skin’s health and appearance.
A Personal Trainer and a Doctor
If you want to get in shape, you need two experts. You need a doctor to diagnose any underlying health issues, and you need a personal trainer to work with you every week, manage your “workout” routine, and help you reach your aesthetic goals. A dermatologist is your “skin doctor” for diagnosing medical conditions. A good esthetician is your “skin’s personal trainer.” They are the hands-on coach who can guide your routine and provide the regular “workouts” (facials, peels) that keep your skin in peak condition.
The reason you need a conductive gel for radiofrequency or microcurrent devices is that they use electrical currents that need a medium to travel through.
The Water in a Power Plant
A power plant uses turbines to generate electricity, but it needs a medium—water or steam—to actually turn the turbines. The energy has to be transferred. Radiofrequency and microcurrent devices are the power plant. The conductive gel is the water. It creates a safe, effective medium that allows the energy from the device to travel smoothly and deeply into your skin to stimulate the “turbines” of your muscles or collagen. Without the gel, the energy has nowhere to go.
If you’re still using a skincare tool with visible rust or cracks, you’re risking infection.
The Rusty Knife in the Kitchen
You would never prepare your food with a knife that is covered in rust or has deep cracks in the handle where bacteria can hide. You know it’s a dangerous source of contamination that could make you very sick. Your skincare tools require the exact same standard of hygiene. A tool with rust or a cracked surface is a compromised, porous object that can harbor bacteria and introduce it directly into your skin, potentially causing a serious infection. It must be thrown away.
The biggest lie you’ve been told is that you can “sweat out toxins” in a facial steamer.
Opening the Window to Take Out the Trash
Your body’s sophisticated “trash collection” system is run by your liver and your kidneys. A facial steamer is like opening a window in your house to let in some fresh, humid air. It feels nice, and it can help to soften the debris in your pores (the dust on your floor), but it does absolutely nothing to signal the trash collectors to come to your house and empty the bins. Sweating is your body’s cooling mechanism, not its detoxification system.
I wish I knew to stop all exfoliants for a week before and after getting a wax.
Don’t Sand the Floor Before Ripping Up the Tape
Imagine you are going to put down some strong tape on a wooden floor and then rip it up. You wouldn’t take a power sander to the floor right before you do that, would you? The sanding would weaken the top layer of the wood, and when you rip the tape off, you would likely pull up a huge chunk of the wood’s surface along with it. Exfoliating is that sanding. Waxing is that tape. You must ensure the “wood” of your skin is strong and intact before the “tape” is applied.
99% of people make this one mistake: overusing their at-home devices, thinking it will speed up results.
Overwatering a Plant
If a little bit of water is good for your plant, then a lot of water must be better, right? Wrong. Overwatering is one of the fastest ways to kill a plant by drowning its roots and causing rot. Your skin is the same. More is not always better. Using your LED mask for an hour instead of 10 minutes, or your microcurrent device twice a day instead of once, will not speed up your results. It will just lead to irritation, inflammation, and a “drowned,” damaged skin barrier.
This one small habit of watching a tutorial from a licensed esthetician before using a new tool will ensure you’re using it correctly.
The Professional Driving Instructor
When you are learning to drive, you don’t just get in the car and figure it out. You have an experienced instructor who teaches you the rules of the road and the proper techniques to operate the vehicle safely and effectively. Before you use a new skincare tool, like a gua sha or a high-frequency wand, you should seek out your “driving instructor.” Watching a detailed tutorial from a licensed professional ensures that you are using the tool in a way that will give you the best results without crashing.
Use filler in your temples, not just your cheeks, to achieve a more youthful and balanced “lift.”
The Frame of a Painting
As we age, we lose volume in our temples, and our face shape can become bottom-heavy. Focusing only on the cheeks is like only restoring the center of a painting. But a master art restorer knows that the frame is just as important. The temples are the upper, outer “frame” of the face. Adding a small amount of filler there is like restoring the frame. It helps to support the “canvas” of the skin, subtly lifts the brows and the outer corners of the eyes, and restores a more balanced, heart-shaped, youthful proportion.