Medical-grade facials in London

What a medical-grade facial means

A medical-grade facial is a clinical facial built around professional skincare, chosen for your skin concern and delivered in a clinic rather than a salon. The products are more active than typical salon or high-street products, and the treatment fits into a wider skin plan, so each appointment builds on the last.

At our Islington clinic, medical-grade facials and skin peels use NeoStrata professional skincare, in which Dr Vishal Patel is trained, alongside HydraFacial and LED light therapy where they help. Through our pharmacy partner we can also supply the popular professional and dermatological brands, including ZO Skin Health, SkinCeuticals, Obagi, La Roche-Posay and Heliocare, so your home routine matches your treatment.

Is medical-grade skincare actually a thing?

The term is not legally defined, so it is fair to be sceptical. In practice it means professional-only products and higher-strength actives, used by trained practitioners with a proper skin assessment. What matters more than the label is whether the treatment is matched to your skin, and whether someone will tell you honestly when a facial is not enough.

We use the phrase because people search for it, but we would rather you judged a clinic by three plainer questions. Does someone assess your skin properly before treating it? Are the products and strengths chosen for your concern, rather than for the menu? And will the clinic tell you when a facial is the wrong tool, and point you towards something that will work, including your GP or a dermatologist where medical treatment is needed?

How a medical-grade facial differs from a salon facial

• Assessment first. We look at your skin and ask about your routine, recent treatments, medicines and sensitivities before deciding what the facial should do.
• Active ingredients. Professional products with higher-strength actives, such as exfoliating acids and antioxidants, chosen for a specific concern rather than for relaxation.
• A plan, not a one-off. Each appointment is part of a sequence, so the second facial builds on the first, and the home routine supports both.
• Clinical oversight. Every skin plan is overseen by a clinician with experience in facial aesthetics, who can recognise when a concern needs more than a facial.

A salon facial can be pleasant and worthwhile. A medical-grade facial has a different aim: a measurable change in a specific concern, over a planned number of appointments.

What it can help with

• Dullness and uneven tone: controlled exfoliation and brightening actives to refresh the surface.
• Congestion and enlarged-looking pores: exfoliation and careful extraction, with products that help keep pores clearer between visits.
• Pigmentation: a course of peels and a disciplined home routine with daily SPF, set out in a written plan.
• Sensitivity and redness: gentler formulations and, where it helps, LED light therapy to calm the skin.
• Mild breakouts: alongside appropriate skincare, and with a referral where acne needs medical treatment.

Who should wait or adapt the plan

Active treatments need healthy, settled skin. We will usually postpone or change a medical-grade facial if your skin is sunburnt, broken, infected or in an active flare, if you have recently had a strong peel or laser treatment elsewhere, or if you use strong prescription skincare that makes the skin more reactive. Redness-prone skin, including skin affected by rosacea, often needs a gentler approach, and sometimes medical treatment first. Please tell us at booking about any medicines, recent treatments or known sensitivities, so we can plan safely.

None of this is a reason to avoid treatment. It simply means the plan starts where your skin is, rather than where a menu says it should.

Which facial is right for you

• Medical-grade facial (from £160): a tailored clinical facial for dullness, congestion or uneven tone.
• HydraFacial (from £160): a standardised three-step cleanse, extract and hydrate.
• Illumi facial (£180): our combination facial with a targeted LED stage.
• Skin peel (from £160): for texture, pigmentation and breakouts, as part of a course.

If you are unsure, that is a reasonable place to start. We will look at your skin and recommend the option that fits, which is sometimes the simplest one.

HydraFacial or medical facial?

HydraFacial is quicker and highly consistent, and ideal for a glow before an event. A medical-grade facial is more tailored, and better when you have a specific concern such as congestion, pigmentation or sensitivity. Our guide to HydraFacial vs microdermabrasion vs chemical peel compares the surface treatments in more detail. We will recommend the one that fits your skin.

The two are not rivals. Many of our skin plans use both: a course of medical-grade facials or NeoStrata peels to work on a specific concern, with HydraFacial in between for hydration and clarity. A course of six HydraFacials is £800, and you can read more about pricing in our HydraFacial cost guide.

What happens at your appointment

1. Skin check. We talk through what you want to change, your current routine, any medicines and recent treatments, and look closely at your skin.
2. Preparation. The skin is cleansed and prepared so that the active stages can work evenly.
3. Treatment. Depending on your plan, this may include exfoliation, a professional peel, extraction and targeted serums, with LED where it helps.
4. Protection. We finish with products suited to your skin and SPF.
5. Plan and aftercare. We explain what to expect over the next few days, how to adjust your home routine, and when your next appointment should be.

Downtime and aftercare

Most medical-grade facials have little or no downtime. Skin may look slightly pink for a short time afterwards. Where a peel is part of the treatment, you may see anything from no visible peeling to a few days of flaking, and we will tell you which to expect before we start.

• Keep your routine gentle for a day or two after treatment.
• Pause strong acids, retinoids and scrubs for as long as we advise.
• Avoid saunas, steam rooms and very hot exercise for a day or two.
• Wear broad-spectrum SPF every day; during a course of peels it is essential.

Results and how many appointments

A single facial can leave skin brighter and clearer straight away. Lasting change in texture, congestion or pigmentation comes from a course, usually spaced around a month apart, together with a consistent home routine. The number of appointments depends on your skin and your concern, and we agree it with you at the start. Results vary from person to person, and we do not promise a particular outcome. For deeper texture concerns, our laser rejuvenation page describes the options beyond facials.

When a facial is not enough

Facials work on the surface and upper layers of the skin. They will not lift sagging skin, soften deep lines or replace lost volume. If firmness is your concern, see our guide to Morpheus8 alternatives. Where those are the main concerns, we would rather say so at the beginning and talk about treatments such as microneedling, Profhilo or skin boosters after a consultation. Where a skin condition needs medical treatment, we will suggest you see your GP or a dermatologist, and support that care rather than replace it.

Cost of a medical-grade facial

A medical-grade facial is from £160 per session. HydraFacial is from £160, the Illumi facial is £180, and a skin peel is from £160. If you would like a fuller assessment before choosing, a skin consultation is £65 and is redeemable in full against treatment. Every price is confirmed before you book, and there is no pressure to commit to a course.

Why have it with us

Every skin plan is overseen by Dr Vishal Patel, who has ten years of experience in facial aesthetics and is trained in NeoStrata clinical skincare. We have been on Essex Road in Islington, N1, since 2009, and we are rated 4.7 stars from more than 300 Google reviews. We are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm, by appointment.

The clinic is at 222 Essex Road, Islington, London N1 3AP, two minutes from Essex Road station and a short ride from Angel, Highbury, Canonbury, Hackney and Stoke Newington. Buses 38, 56, 73, 341 and 476 stop on Essex Road. Many patients cycle or use a Lime or Forest e-bike.

Clinically reviewed by Dr Vishal Patel · BDS · MSc Aesthetic & Restorative Dentistry · GDC 103127. Last reviewed 1 October 2026.

Clinical leadDr Vishal Patel, GDC 103127

Experience10 years in facial aesthetics

TrainedIFAAS · IBSA · NeoStrata

Rated4.7★ · 300+ Google reviews

Clinic222 Essex Road, N1 · since 2009

Who treats you

Dr Vishal Patel

Clinical lead · Sole aesthetic prescriber · 10 years in facial aesthetics

BDS Liverpool · MSc Aesthetic & Restorative Dentistry (Manchester) · GDC 103127 · International Fellowship in Advanced Aesthetic Science (IFAAS) · Facial anatomy and cadaver course with Dr Ali Pirayesh, University of Amsterdam · Harley Academy · IBSA and NeoStrata trained

We will tell you when a treatment is not the right answer. That honesty is part of the treatment.

Read Dr Patel’s profile →

Further reading

• How to Build a Skin Care Routine in Your 20s, 30s, 40s and Beyond