New me, New Hela!

I traveled to Chevy Chase, Maryland, yesterday to go the Hela Salon and Spa to review another facial service. And, like the first time, it was wonderful and I recorded my adventure!



CLEANSING
Sedi, my esthetician, carefully removes oil and dead cells. You can feel you pores starting to become open.

EXFOLIATION
The second step in my facial was a mask that was an exfoliator and smelt heavenly! This mask removed more oils, but also dead skin cells. During this time as well, a device blows out stream on your face. This opens up your pores and readies them for extraction

MASSAGE
With most facials, you receive a massage. This one was focused on my upper body and mainly my face. The oils left my skin feeling smooth and baby-bottom soft. The movements during the massage start to bring up all the grime in your pores.

EXTRACTION
Beauty is pain. I told Sedi to not stop and just get everything out! Extractions are down by hand. In some cases, little tools may be used to make deep black heads and cores come up to the surface.

HYDRATION
After everything is complete, a toner is sprayed to remove anything remaining on top of the skin and then you are "sealed" with a moisturizer.

All in all, a simple hour is all it takes to make your skin be able to breathe and for you to feel relaxed and refreshed.

The Abba, 50 minutes, $130. Hela Salon and Spa at The Collection at Chevy Chase.

My First Time At Hela

My first visit to Hela was fantastic. The atmosphere was calm and pleasant.

The reception area.

Here is how it went:

I arrived and was greeted by a very nice young lady at the front desk. She escorted me to the soothing waiting area until my aesthetician was ready for me.

The waiting lounge.

Beverages available while you wait: water and warm tea.

From the opposite side of the waiting lounge.

Hela asks you to respect fellow spa-goers.

When my aesthetician was ready, she came into the waiting area and escorted me to her treatment room.

A Hela Spa facial treatment room.

The facial was simply heavenly! My aesthetician was very well trained. She was from Denmark and went to school for two years. The facial include twenty minutes of a cleansing massage. The machine with the long arm at a forty-five degree angle blew steam on your face to bring up white heads and black heads so that when she performed her extractions - all done by hands - she could get everything out with very minimal pain.

The extraction process included her squeezing out the impurities. The tougher ones she was able to use a small tool to bring the black head or white head to the surface as to not cause any discomfort to you.

The extraction process lasted roughly fifteen minutes. Since everything had risen up to the top layer of the skin, my facialist was able to swiftly remove everything.

During this whole time though, your hands have been moisturized and place in warming mittens as to keep the moisture locked-in.

And so, fifty minutes later you have this:

Ryan Charchian and Hela Spa aesthetician 

My face may be slightly red, but it is glowing. This means you have been proper cleansed!

Thank you again Hela! To book your life-changing facial, click here!