A professional facial at Nazuri follows 8 steps: skin consultation, makeup removal and cleansing, skin analysis, exfoliation, steam, extraction (for congested skin), treatment serum and mask, and finishing with moisturiser and SPF. The full process takes 60 to 75 minutes. Each step builds on the previous one, and the products used are chosen based on your individual skin analysis at the start of the appointment.

If you’ve never had a professional facial before, the uncertainty about what actually happens can be enough to put you off booking. What are they going to do to my face? Will the extraction hurt? Will I look red walking out? Do I need to wear anything specific?

These are legitimate questions, and this guide answers all of them. Below is a complete, step-by-step walkthrough of what happens during a professional facial at Nazuri Lashes & Beauty Studio in Sector 65, Gurugram — from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.

Before You Arrive: What to Do (and Not Do)

Getting the most from your facial starts before you reach the salon.

Do arrive with a clean face. You don’t need to — your esthetician will cleanse your skin as part of the treatment — but arriving without heavy makeup means more time spent on the actual facial rather than makeup removal.

Don’t use retinol for 48 hours before. Retinol thins the skin’s outer layer and makes it more reactive. Using retinol right before a facial can make exfoliation and extraction more sensitising than necessary. Skip it for two nights before your appointment.

Don’t wax or thread your face the day before. Freshly waxed or threaded skin is more sensitive. Give it at least 48 hours before a facial.

Do disclose any medications. Some medications — particularly blood thinners, Accutane, and certain antibiotics — make skin more reactive to certain facial ingredients and techniques. Tell your esthetician at the start of the appointment. This is not a bureaucratic formality; it directly affects which products and techniques are safe for you.

Step 1 — Skin Consultation (5 Minutes)

Every professional facial at Nazuri begins with a consultation. This is not a sales pitch — it’s a genuine information-gathering session that determines everything that follows.

Your esthetician will ask:

1. What are your current skin concerns? (Breakouts, dullness, dryness, pigmentation, ageing, sensitivity)
2. What products are you currently using at home?
3. Have you had any recent skin treatments? (Peels, laser, microneedling)
4. Do you have any known allergies?
5. Any medical conditions affecting your skin?

The answers shape the entire treatment. A client with active acne gets a different facial than a client with dry, dehydrated skin — even if they’re both booked for a “deep cleanse facial.” The consultation ensures the treatment is personalised rather than generic.

Tip for first-timers: Be honest about your skin, even if you think certain issues are embarrassing. The more accurate the information, the better the result.

Step 2 — Makeup Removal and First Cleanse (5–7 Minutes)

The esthetician removes all makeup, sunscreen, and surface products using a gentle micellar water or cleansing milk, working across the face, eyes, and lips with damp cotton pads or a soft cloth. This is a thorough but gentle process — no tugging or rubbing.

This is followed immediately by a first cleanse using a professional-grade cleanser selected for your skin type: gel or foam for oily and acne-prone skin, cream for dry or sensitive skin, balm for combination. The cleanser is massaged across the face, neck, and décolletage, then removed with warm damp cloths or a steamer cloth.

At the end of this step, your skin should be completely product-free — no trace of the day on your face.

Step 3 — Skin Analysis Under Magnification (3–5 Minutes)

With the face clean and under good lighting (at Nazuri, we use a magnifying lamp with a daylight-spectrum bulb), your esthetician examines your skin closely to assess:

1. Skin type in different zones (many people are oily in the T-zone and dry on the cheeks — this affects product selection)
2. Level of congestion — the number and depth of blackheads, whiteheads, and clogged pores
3. Active breakouts and their type (comedones vs inflammatory vs cystic)
4. Dehydration lines (fine surface lines that indicate moisture loss, not ageing)
5. Pigmentation, sun damage, or post-acne marks
6. Sensitivity indicators — visible capillaries, redness, reactive patches

This step typically surprises first-time facial clients — most people have never had a close, professional look at what’s actually happening on their skin, and the analysis often reveals concerns they weren’t aware of (like dehydration in skin they thought was oily, or congestion in areas that didn’t feel blocked).

Your esthetician explains what they see and how the treatment plan accounts for it.

Step 4 — Exfoliation (5–10 Minutes)

Exfoliation removes the dead skin cell layer from the surface, preparing the skin to receive the active treatment products in the steps that follow. Without exfoliation, serums, masks, and treatment products sit on top of the dead cell layer rather than penetrating to live skin.

There are two types of exfoliation used in professional facials:

Physical exfoliation — a fine scrub (not the coarse walnut or apricot particles found in drugstore scrubs, which can cause micro-tears) massaged gently across the skin. Professional physical exfoliants are calibrated for facial skin specifically.

Chemical exfoliation — enzymes (from papaya, pineapple, or pumpkin) or low-concentration AHAs (glycolic or lactic acid) applied to the skin and left to dissolve dead cell bonds without manual rubbing. Enzyme exfoliation is particularly gentle and effective for sensitive skin.

The type used at Nazuri depends on your skin analysis. Oily, thicker skin can tolerate a light physical exfoliant. Sensitive or reactive skin gets enzyme exfoliation instead.

After exfoliation is removed with warm cloths, skin immediately looks brighter and feels smoother to the touch.

Step 5 — Steam (5–10 Minutes)

Professional facial steam is applied using a steamer that emits continuous warm, fine-mist steam directed at the face. The client lies back comfortably with eyes closed — it feels warm, calming, and slightly like breathing in a hot shower.

What steam does:

1. Opens pores by softening the sebum plugs that block them
2. Increases circulation in the skin
3. Softens blackheads and comedones, making the following extraction step more effective and less uncomfortable
4. Hydrates the surface layer of skin
5. Creates a relaxed state in facial muscles

Steam runs for 5 to 10 minutes. Clients with very sensitive or rosacea-prone skin may skip steam or receive a shorter, cooler application.

Step 6 — Extraction (5–15 Minutes)

This is the step that people have the most questions about — and the most misplaced anxiety about.

Extraction is the manual removal of blackheads, whiteheads, milia (small white cysts under the skin), and congested pores that cannot be cleared by cleansing or exfoliation alone. Your esthetician uses a combination of gloved fingers wrapped in tissue, a comedone extractor tool, or both.

What it actually feels like: A small amount of pressure. Most extractions produce a sensation that is mildly pinching at most — not painful. Well-steamed skin releases congestion much more easily than cold, unprepared skin, which is why the steam step comes first.

What it doesn’t feel like: Squeezing pimples at home. Home extraction without proper technique, hygiene, or skin preparation causes more damage than it clears. Professional extraction at Nazuri is controlled, hygienic, and targeted.

Not every facial includes extraction. Clients with very sensitive skin, active inflammatory acne, or cystic breakouts may skip this step entirely or have it modified. Active cysts should never be extracted — they need to be treated with anti-inflammatory products instead.

After extraction, a post-extraction toner or serum (often containing salicylic acid, tea tree, or calming niacinamide) is applied to minimise the pores and reduce any temporary redness.

Step 7 — Treatment Serum and Mask (15–20 Minutes)

This is the most customised part of the facial — the step where the products chosen specifically for your skin type and concerns are applied.

Serum application: A concentrated treatment serum is applied — vitamin C for brightening, hyaluronic acid for hydration, niacinamide for pores and sebum control, peptides for anti-ageing. In some treatments, low-level ultrasound or galvanic current is used to push the serum deeper into the skin than topical application alone can achieve.

Facial massage: A gentle facial massage is performed while the serum is worked into the skin. The massage serves multiple purposes: it improves circulation and lymphatic drainage, relieves tension in facial muscles, and assists product absorption. Most clients find this the most enjoyable part of the treatment.

Mask application: A professional treatment mask formulated for your skin concern is applied and left on for 10 to 15 minutes. You rest quietly while the mask works. Common mask types used at Nazuri:

1. Clay or kaolin masks for oily and acne-prone skin
2. Hydrating hyaluronic acid sheet masks for dehydrated skin
3. Vitamin C brightening masks for dull or pigmented skin
4. Calming aloe or centella masks for sensitive or redness-prone skin
5. Collagen or peptide masks for anti-ageing concerns

The mask is removed with warm damp cloths or, for sheet masks, peeled away cleanly.

Step 8 — Finishing: Toner, Moisturiser, and SPF (5 Minutes)

The final step rebalances and protects the skin after treatment.

A toner or essence suited to your skin type is applied first to rebalance the skin’s pH after the previous steps. This also prepares the skin to absorb the moisturiser more effectively.

A moisturiser is applied — lightweight gel for oily skin, richer cream for dry or dehydrated skin. This seals the treatment serums in and restores the skin’s surface barrier.

Finally, and non-negotiably, a broad-spectrum SPF is applied. After exfoliation and extraction, skin is more photosensitive than usual. Leaving a facial without SPF and walking into daylight undoes some of what the treatment achieved. At Nazuri, we always finish with SPF — this is non-negotiable.

What Skin Looks Like Walking Out

Most clients leave looking noticeably more radiant than when they arrived. Skin is brighter, smoother to the touch, and has more even tone.

There may be mild redness around areas where extraction was performed. This typically fades within 2 to 4 hours. If extraction was minimal or skipped, there is no redness at all.

Do not apply makeup immediately after a facial. Give skin at least a few hours — ideally the rest of the day — to breathe and absorb the treatment products. Applying foundation over freshly extracted pores reverses some of the clearing work.

The 24-hour aftercare: Avoid heavy exercise, steam rooms, swimming, and direct sun for 24 hours. Keep the skin clean and moisturised. Avoid touching the face unnecessarily.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How long does a facial take at Nazuri?
A standard facial takes 60 to 75 minutes. Some specialised treatments (bridal facial, oxygen facial, anti-ageing) run 75 to 90 minutes. Arrival 5 minutes early is recommended for first-time clients to complete a brief intake form.

Q2. Will I break out after my first facial?
Some clients experience a breakout 2 to 5 days after their first professional facial. This is called a purging response — the deep cleansing and extraction bring congestion to the surface faster than it would emerge on its own. It’s temporary and a sign the treatment worked. By the second and third facials, this response diminishes significantly.

Q3. How often should I get a facial?
Every 4 weeks is the professional standard. Skin renews itself on approximately a 28-day cycle, so monthly facials align with this rhythm for maximum benefit.

Q4. Can I get a facial if I have a sunburn?
No. Sunburned skin is inflamed and damaged. A facial — particularly steam and exfoliation — will worsen a sunburn significantly. Wait until the sunburn has fully healed.

Q5. Should I tell my esthetician if I’m on Accutane?
Yes, absolutely. Accutane (isotretinoin) thins the skin and makes it extremely sensitive to exfoliation and extraction. No extraction and no chemical exfoliation should be performed on skin actively using Accutane. Your esthetician will modify the treatment accordingly.

Book your facial at Nazuri Lashes & Beauty Studio, Shop No. 53–55, Ground Floor, AIPL Joy Central, Sector 65, Gurugram. Call or WhatsApp: +91 98997 20000. Open Monday to Sunday, 10:30 AM – 8:30 PM.

Also read: Which Facial Is Best for Your Skin Type? | How Often Should You Get a Facial?