Gentle by design

Plenty of people put off facials because they picture squeezing, stinging or a few days of peeling. A HydraFacial is built to avoid all three. Everything is done through one handpiece with a vacuum tip and a patented vortex-fusion delivery system, which exfoliates the skin and feeds serums into it in the same pass.

The peel is mild. A solution of glycolic and salicylic acid, alpha and beta hydroxy acids, loosens dead surface cells while the suction cleans out the pores. There is none of the several days of healing a traditional chemical peel can ask for.
Nothing is pressed out by hand. Blackheads and other impurities are drawn from the pores by the device’s vacuum, not by metal extraction tools.
The finish is soothing. Hyaluronic acid serums put moisture back, antioxidants and peptides are worked in to protect the skin and support its collagen, and LED light is used along the way.

A hydrating moisturizer is massaged in at the end, followed by a broad-spectrum sunscreen for the freshly resurfaced skin. The whole visit takes 30 to 60 minutes, and the sensation is mild suction and pressure rather than pain. It suits every skin type, and men as much as women.

Chosen for the skin you bring in

Each treatment opens with a skin analysis and a conversation about your goals. The serums follow from what your esthetician finds: congestion and breakouts, dryness, discoloration, or the first signs of aging.

The rest of the day

Your skin looks brighter as soon as you sit up. Any redness fades quickly, and a mild tenderness, something like a light sunburn, may last a few hours. The one instruction is to leave heavy exercise until tomorrow, so a hard ride or a trail run is better saved. A slow afternoon suits it well; North Salem’s own Hammond Museum, with its three-and-a-half-acre Japanese stroll garden, is about as strenuous as the rest of the day needs to be.

Every four to six weeks

The benefits accumulate, so clinicians usually suggest repeating a HydraFacial every four to six weeks to keep pores clear and skin hydrated, and over time it reduces the look of fine lines and uneven pigment. Bellava’s membership includes one every month.

Who gives it, and the drive

HydraFacials are performed by Bellava’s licensed medical estheticians: Semira Crecco-Donnelly, who holds HydraFacial credentials and has more than 20 years in the field, and Natalina McEwan, with over 12 years in plastic surgery and medical aesthetics. Both are on the estheticians page.

From Croton Falls, take Route 22 to the Hardscrabble Road entrance and I-684 south, then the Saw Mill River Parkway and Route 117 Bypass Road to number 182: about 13 minutes without traffic. From the town’s centre on Titicus Road, allow about 19.

North Salem patients ask

Will it help with breakouts? Yes. Clearing congested pores is part of every treatment, and the serums can be chosen for acne-prone skin. For the scars old breakouts leave, ask about microneedling.

How is it different from microdermabrasion? Microdermabrasion exfoliates with fine crystals and stops there. A HydraFacial uses a gentle acid peel instead, and also cleans the pores and infuses serums.

Can I book online? Yes. Press Book Now to choose a time; Saturday appointments run from 10 am to 2 pm.

HydraFacial for North Salem, NY