I’ve always suffered from bacne (yep, back acne – you’re really getting the hang of this!). My skin is greasier than a two litre bottle of Borges Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and in the summer, you can only imagine how hard that becomes to manage.
My over-sebaceous glands have been a problem my whole life, from forcing my mum to write me a get-out-of-swimming note in year 10 PE lessons because I had a huge spot on my shoulder, to just never, ever wearing backless or strapless anything, circa…well…now. No amount of short-term exfoliators, Biore nose strips, or oil-free foundations can stop them from appearing; when it comes to annoying skincare ailments, blackheads are definitely up there.
So why oh why have I never entertained the notion of a facial for my back? I’ve spent the last 20-odd years trying to dry out my T-zone within an inch of its oily life. I’ve invested hundreds – nay, thousands – of Dirhams on carbon peels, enzyme cleanser, serums, scrubs, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and any other product that prefaces a letter of the alphabet, so why wasn’t I giving the same kind of attention to my back? Particularly when it is, in fact, one of my biggest problem areas?
Enter Facette Facial Bar, the brand-new skincare experience in a heart of Business Bay where every treatment is custom made to suit you. My bacial began by an examination of my skin and devising a treatment plan based upon my specific needs (ahem, exfoliate, extract, exfoliate, extract). After a good ol’ cleanse and clean, stripping my spine of dead skin cells and any other impurities, the therapist went in with an extractor tool, which can only really be described as a gift from heaven.
She removed any stubborn blackheads, ridding me of my plagued pores, and proceeded to wrap me up in a mask before indulging me in a mini foot massage whilst the products did their thang.
45 minutes later and my back was the most hydrated, healthy and, let’s be honest, hygienic it had ever been. If your skin is as oily as mine, Facette recommend going back every six weeks during summer, because that’s how quickly pores will clog in this sweaty heat.
Oh, and the best part? The price. For just Dhs350, you certainly get your money’s worth. I asked as many questions as I possibly could about back maintenance and my therapist’s invaluable tips are still paying dividends.