This is one of the most practical questions I get asked before someone books, and it is usually asked for a reason. People want to know whether a facial fits into a lunch break, whether they can get one done before school pick-up, or how much of a Saturday it is going to cost them.
So here is the straight answer. At House of Glam HQ in Southsea, a facial takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on which one you book. The shortest is Dermaplaning Express at 30 minutes. The longest is the Halo Ritual at 1 hour 30. Most people land somewhere in the middle, at 35 or 45 minutes.
Below is every facial on my list with its actual time and its actual price, so you can work out what fits before you pick a slot. Every price is published, where most Portsmouth clinics quote only after a consultation.
How long does a facial take at House of Glam HQ?
Seven facials, seven different lengths. The time is the time in the room with me, not an estimate.
| Facial | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Dermaplaning Express | 30 mins | £45 |
| Rejuvenating Facial | 35 mins | £50 |
| Steam and Extraction Facial | 35 mins | £50 |
| Dermaplaning Deluxe | 40 mins | £65 |
| Ultimate Glow Facial | 45 mins | £65 |
| Signature Skin Booster Facial | 1 hour | £110 |
| Halo Ritual | 1 hr 30 | £115 |
| Skin consultation on its own | 15 mins | £15 |
How much time should you actually allow?
The booking time and the time you need to put aside are not quite the same thing, and this is where people get caught out.
If you have booked a facial, the consultation happens at the start of that appointment and there is no separate fee for it. That conversation is included in the time above, not added to it. What I would add is a few minutes at each end. Arrive a little before your slot, and allow a minute or two at the finish, because SPF goes on before you leave.
So for a 35-minute Rejuvenating Facial, put 45 minutes in your diary and you will not be rushing. For the Halo Ritual at 1 hour 30, allow closer to an hour and three quarters.
There is no downtime to plan around. Skin may be pink for an hour or two and it settles on its own. Most people go straight back to their day. The one thing I would say is no makeup for the rest of the day if you can manage it, so if you are going somewhere straight afterwards, think about whether you mind a bare face.
Is a 30-minute facial worse than a 90-minute one?
No, and I would rather say that plainly than sell you the longest thing on the list.
The shorter facials are not cut-down versions of the longer ones. They are doing a different job. Dermaplaning Express at 30 minutes does one thing properly: a sterile blade lifts dead skin cells and the fine vellus hair, the peach fuzz, from the surface. Skin looks smoother and brighter straight away and skincare sinks in better. That is the whole treatment, and 30 minutes is how long it takes to do it well.
The extra time in a longer facial buys you extra steps, not a better version of the same step. The Halo Ritual at 1 hour 30 is a double cleanse, steam, dermaplaning, skin needling, a short neck and shoulder massage, a cooling mask and a finishing serum. That is six or seven things in sequence. If you want all of them, it takes 90 minutes. If you want one of them, it takes 30, and you keep £70.
Where the longer appointments genuinely earn their money is when your skin needs more than polishing. The Signature Skin Booster Facial at 1 hour combines a double cleanse, dermaplaning and skin-booster microneedling in one session, which is why it takes twice as long as the Express, and why the hydration goes into the skin rather than sitting on top of it.
Which facial should you book for a first visit?
The Rejuvenating Facial, £50, 35 minutes. A deep cleanse, tone, facial massage, exfoliation and a mask.
I suggest it for a first facial because it tells me how your skin behaves without asking much of it, and 35 minutes is an easy amount of time to commit to something you have not had before. It is also the one I keep coming back to as a quiet monthly reset.
If you already know what you are dealing with, pick on the concern rather than the clock. Oily, congested or breakout-prone skin wants the Steam and Extraction Facial, £50, where warm steam opens the pores and then I extract blackheads, whiteheads and congestion properly. Dull, tired or uneven skin that needs a full reset wants the Ultimate Glow Facial, £65, which adds steam, exfoliation, dermaplaning and a nourishing mask across 45 minutes.
And if you are going somewhere and the date is close, the timing matters more than usual. The Rejuvenating Facial puts moisture back in 35 minutes with no downtime, so it can sit close to the date. The Signature Skin Booster Facial wants a few days to settle, so book that one a week or so ahead.
Dermaplaning: 30 minutes or 40?
Dermaplaning is the one where the time difference is a genuine decision, because there are two versions of it and the gap is ten minutes and £20.
| What is included | Express, 30 mins | Deluxe, 40 mins |
|---|---|---|
| Sterile blade over the surface | Yes | Yes |
| Steam | No | Yes |
| Ice globe massage | No | Yes |
| Cooling mask | No | Yes |
| Price | £45 | £65 |
The Deluxe is the Express plus steam, an ice-globe massage to bring down puffiness and a cooling mask. If your face feels puffy in the mornings or you just want the longer, slower version of the same appointment, the ten minutes is worth having. If you want smooth skin and you are back at work at two, book the Express.
What a facial will not do
A facial works on the surface. That is worth saying out loud, because it sets what 30 or 90 minutes can reasonably achieve.
It will take off dead skin, clear congestion, put moisture back and leave you looking brighter the same day. It will not change the structure of your skin, and it will not hold for months. The smoothness from dermaplaning typically lasts three to four weeks. If what you actually want is a change in skin quality over time rather than a reset this week, that is a course of something rather than one appointment, and I would say so at the consultation rather than sell you a facial every month and let you work it out yourself.
It is also not a treatment for a skin condition. If your skin is cracked, itchy, inflamed or sore, a facial is the wrong appointment and a pharmacist or your GP is the right one. If something is not right for you, I will say so rather than go ahead.
Can you have a facial if your skin is sensitive?
Usually, yes. I adjust the products and the pressure to your skin on the day rather than running the same protocol on everyone, and there is a facial here for skin that reacts to most things. If your skin is very reactive, I would start you on the Rejuvenating Facial and see how it settles before adding steam or needling into the mix.
That assessment is part of the appointment. You do not need to book a separate consultation first unless you want to talk it through before committing to anything, in which case a standalone skin consultation is £15 on Fresha and it comes off your treatment if you go ahead.
How often do people come back?
Most people book every four to six weeks. Dermaplaning and the Ultimate Glow are the two that tend to become a monthly thing, because the result is visible the same day and wears off at roughly the same rate. Oily or breakout-prone skin usually does best on a regular booking rather than a one-off when it flares.
If you only want one facial, before an event or because you have never had one, that is a completely reasonable way to use it. Nobody needs to be on a schedule.
Book a facial in Portsmouth
I carry out every facial at House of Glam HQ personally, at 1A Auckland Road East, Southsea, Portsmouth PO5 2HA. Pick the one that fits the time you have:
- Dermaplaning Express, £45, 30 minutes
- Rejuvenating Facial, £50, 35 minutes
- Steam and Extraction Facial, £50, 35 minutes
- Dermaplaning Deluxe, £65, 40 minutes
- Ultimate Glow Facial, £65, 45 minutes
- Signature Skin Booster Facial, £110, 1 hour
- Halo Ritual, £115, 1 hour 30
Not sure which one? The full list, with what each facial is for, is on the facials and skin treatments page, or message me on WhatsApp at wa.me/447831846273 or ring 07831 846273 and tell me how long you have got and what is bothering you. I will tell you which one fits.
