A facial is one of those things people either book every month without thinking about it or never book at all because they cannot work out what they would be paying for. Both positions are reasonable. What follows is my honest answer, with every price on the page.
I am Natasha, and I do every facial at House of Glam HQ myself, in Southsea. Seven facials, £45 to £115, every price published, where most Portsmouth clinics quote only after a consultation.
Is a facial really worth it?
It depends entirely on what you want out of it, and I would rather be straight about that than sell you one.
A facial is worth the money if you want your skin cleaner, smoother and better hydrated than you can get it at home, and you want to feel like that by this evening. If the deciding factor is your diary rather than your budget, here is how long each facial takes, from 30 minutes to an hour and a half. Extractions done properly, a blade that takes the dead surface off, a mask that actually sits on the skin for the right length of time. That is a real result and you will see it the same day.
It is not worth the money if what is bothering you is acne scarring, deep lines or pigmentation that has been there for years. A facial works on the surface. Those things sit deeper, and no facial is going to shift them however much you spend. If that is you, the honest answer is microneedling or a peel, and I would rather tell you that than take £65 for something that will disappoint you.
What does a facial cost in Portsmouth?
Here, between £45 and £115, depending on how long it is and what goes into it.
| Facial | Price |
|---|---|
| Dermaplaning Express, 30 minutes | £45 |
| Rejuvenating Facial, 35 minutes | £50 |
| Steam and Extraction Facial, 35 minutes | £50 |
| Dermaplaning Deluxe, 40 minutes | £65 |
| Ultimate Glow Facial, 45 minutes | £65 |
| Signature Skin Booster Facial, 60 minutes | £110 |
| Halo Ritual, 90 minutes | £115 |
Those are the prices you pay. There is no product upsell at the end and no membership to join. Klarna spreads any treatment over three monthly payments if you would rather.
What you are actually paying for
Time and hands, mostly. The reason a 90-minute facial costs more than twice a 30-minute one is not that it uses twice the product. It is that the massage is long enough to matter, the mask stays on properly, and nothing is rushed.
The other thing you are paying for is somebody looking at your skin and telling you the truth about it. I will say if a treatment is wrong for you. That conversation happens at the start of whatever you have booked, with no separate fee.
Is dermaplaning worth the extra?
Dermaplaning is the one treatment where you can see exactly what you paid for, because it comes off on the gauze. A sterile single-use blade lifts the dead surface layer and the fine vellus hair, and skin feels smoother the same day. Makeup sits flatter afterwards, which is the reason most people book it before something.
Express is £45 for 30 minutes and is the blade and not much else. Deluxe is £65 and adds steam, ice globes and a mask. If you have never had it done, Express tells you whether you like it for £20 less.
The hair grows back exactly as it was. It does not come back thicker or darker, whatever you have been told, because shaving the shaft does not change the follicle.
What are the downsides of getting a facial?
Your skin will be pink afterwards, sometimes for a few hours, and that is normal rather than a problem. Extractions can leave small marks for a day or two. If you are prone to congestion, a good clear-out occasionally brings something to the surface in the following week before it settles.
Dermaplaning leaves the skin bare and more exposed to sun for a few days, so it needs SPF and it is not the thing to have the morning before a beach day.
And the real downside nobody mentions: one facial does not change your skin. It cleans it and improves how it looks and feels for a couple of weeks. If you want a change rather than a lift, you are looking at a course of something, and it will cost more than one facial.
What a facial will not do
It will not remove acne scarring. It will not fill a line. It will not lift anything. It will not clear long-standing pigmentation, and a single facial will not fix acne, though regular extractions genuinely help keep it under control.
It will not last. Two to four weeks is the honest span for how long skin holds the result, which is why people who care about it book every four to six weeks rather than once before a wedding.
How often should you have a facial?
Every four to six weeks is the rhythm that suits most skin, because that is roughly how long the surface takes to turn over. Monthly is fine. Weekly is not, whatever you have been told.
If you are booking for one occasion, book it five to seven days before rather than the day before. That leaves room for any pinkness to go and for a breakout to surface and settle if one is going to.
Age does not change the answer much. Skin in its fifties and sixties is usually drier and gets more out of the longer, more hydrating facials, but the interval is the same.
When a facial is the wrong spend
This is the section I would want to read. If any of these is what is bothering you, spend the money elsewhere:
Acne scarring or texture. Microneedling from £80, usually as a course of three at £215, because it works into the skin rather than on it.
Pigmentation, sun damage or dullness that will not shift. A chemical peel, Jessner face £70 or BIEN TCA face £80.
Skin that is dehydrated everywhere rather than congested. A skin booster, Seventy Hyal 2000 £165 or Profhilo £185.
Lines you can see when your face is still. That is filler territory, not skincare, and it is a different conversation.
A facial sits underneath all of those rather than competing with them. Plenty of people have one between courses to keep the skin comfortable.
So is it worth it, or not?
If you want your skin to look and feel better for the next few weeks, and you would quite like forty-five minutes lying down, then yes, and £45 to £65 buys a good one. If you are hoping to fix something structural, no, and I will tell you that when you get here rather than after you have paid.
If you are unsure which one suits your skin, the facials page sets out what each of the seven involves, or book a £15 skin consultation and I will look at it properly. The £15 comes off your treatment if you go ahead.
Book a facial in Southsea, Portsmouth
The clinic is at 1A Auckland Road East, Southsea, Portsmouth PO5 2HA, with free street parking nearby. Open Tuesday 10am to 5pm, Wednesday 12pm to 7pm, and Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10am to 4pm. Closed Sunday and Monday.
- Book Dermaplaning Express — £45
- Book Rejuvenating Facial — £50
- Book Steam and Extraction — £50
- Book Dermaplaning Deluxe — £65
- Book Ultimate Glow — £65
- Book Signature Skin Booster — £110
- Book Halo Ritual — £115
Or message me on WhatsApp and tell me what is bothering you about your skin. Call 07831 846273 if you would rather talk.
