HydraFacial
A machine facial that cleanses, exfoliates, extracts and hydrates in one pass.
From £120Skin
Dull, congested skin
Skin that looks flat in photographs and feels rough under the fingers, with blocked pores across the nose and chin. The most treatable concern on this list and the cheapest to fix.
- Treatments that address it
- 4
- Starting from
- £50
VISIA 3D Skin Analysis, per session - Assessment
- Free, 45 minutes, written plan by email
What it actually is
Dullness is mostly a surface problem. Dead cells that should have shed sit on top and scatter light rather than reflecting it, which reads as grey. Congestion is the same material blocking the follicle opening, showing as blackheads and the small closed bumps that never come to a head.
What causes it
- Slower natural shedding, which happens with age, in winter, and after any period of poor sleep.
- Dehydration in the outer layer, which is different from oily or dry skin and can happen to either.
- Heavy or occlusive products, including some mineral sunscreens and most long wear foundations.
- Smoking and air pollution, both of which are measurable and both of which show up first as dullness.
Before you book anything
Persistent central facial redness with visible vessels and flushing is more likely rosacea than congestion, and it needs a different plan. Say so at consultation and we will change direction.
Nothing on this page is a diagnosis. It is what we would say in the room, written down so you can read it before deciding whether to come in.
What treatment can do
Clear the surface, extract what is blocking the openings and put water back into the outer layer. This is the one concern where a single appointment produces a visible change on the same day, which is why it is what people book before an event.
What it cannot do
It does not last. A single clearing treatment holds for three or four weeks and then the skin returns to whatever its baseline is. If you want the baseline itself to change, that is a homecare routine and a course, not one appointment.
Treatments for dull, congested skin
Dermaplaning
A surgical blade used at an angle to remove dead surface skin and fine facial hair.
From £65BioRePeel
A two phase peel that resurfaces without the visible flaking of a traditional peel.
From £110VISIA 3D Skin Analysis
Multi light imaging that measures what is happening under the surface, before you commit to anything.
From £50What a course usually looks like
Most people book monthly for three months to reset, then every six to eight weeks. Before a wedding or anything photographed, book the last one at least five days before rather than the day before, because a small percentage of skins purge for forty eight hours afterwards.
Course pricing is lower than the same sessions bought one at a time, and spreading the cost is available over three months on anything above £300.
Often alongside
Looking for something else?
Or just ask
If it is not on the menu, or you are not sure what to call it, say so in your own words and the team will answer. Ask about this concern.
Where to start
Bring a photograph of it at its worst.
Most concerns look different in clinic lighting at eleven in the morning than they do at home at night. A photograph on your phone is genuinely useful and we would rather see one than take your word for it.