Skin is in when it comes to trending social media posts. No wonder then captions are filled with phrases such as ‘Filters are great, but great skin is better.’ ‘Your skin is 90% of your selfie.’ ‘May your coffee be strong, your SPF stronger.’ The latest skincare trend that is breaking TikTok is foundation facials.
Despite the ban on the platform in India, people are still finding ways to watch trending content through Virtual Private Network or YouTube. A video posted by aesthetician and viral TikToker Tracia C, owner of Florida-based skincare brand Skindom, about the new treatment touched 10 million views last month, spawning questions about the product, its composition, the treatment timeline, etc. The Indian moniker for the same, however, is BB Glow (Korean BB Glow occasionally) and it’s gaining ground.
Foundation facial is a cosmetic procedure in which a micro-needling pen is used to deliberately wound the skin, triggering its self-healing mechanism to cure scars and textures previously present. In the next step, pigmented stem cells and hyaluronic acid (a natural lubricant found in the human body) are infused using a nano-needle. This provides a light coverage to further camouflage scars and blemishes. The procedure is then wrapped up by exposing the area to a few minutes of LED light therapy. The result is an illusion of a tinted moisturiser, also known as the ‘no makeup’ makeup look.
Dermatologist Dr Karthini Baba, who consults for Tamanna Skin and Haircare in Hyderabad, says, “Foundation facial is the same as BB (Beauty Balm) Glow facials, which is a non-surgical procedure that uses tinted pigments to reduce dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles, and is already popular in India. Foundation facial uses an infusion of foundation, which is a semi-permanent pigment, into the skin,” she says, adding that while many aestheticians recommend this procedure, dermatologists believe that it doesn’t treat problems such as pigmentation or scarring. “It is popular only for camaflouaging the issues for three to four months, a stop-gap treatment so to speak. One of the side-effects of this facial is dermatitis (skin irritations) and I have treated patients for this after the facial. As a dermatologist, I am not so keen to recommend this as it is also not FDA approved,” she adds.
The Benefits The procedure is aimed at those who need to constantly put on makeup for professional reasons, such as those in the fashion and entertainment industry. It is like getting permanent makeup etched on, which cut-shorts the time to do makeup in the mornings. Those suffering from melasma or redness from pimple scars also may benefit from the treatment.
Swarnika Karamcheti, an NRI TV news presenter who works for a Telugu news channel from Dallas in the US says, “My work demands that I connect live from Dallas in the middle of the night to match the Indian news timezone. I got the BB Glow facial treatment during my visit to India in January. The new look does not necessitate much makeup. I draw kohl and dab some lipstick, and I am good to go.
Earlier I would take 45 minutes to get ready—with my toner, moisturiser, primer, foundation, compact, concealer, highlighter and contour pencil routine—but now it’s barely seven or eight minutes,” she says. Karamcheti, however, thinks the effects will wear away in six or seven months and she may need to get a fresh session in her current city of residence.
Typically, the foundation facial takes about an hour, including skin prep time, procedure, mask, and light therapy. It takes about four sessions with one-week intervals for marked visible differences in the look and feel of the skin. The cost of each session at most skin clinics starts at Rs 6,000.
Risk factors Says Bengaluru-based dermatologist Dr Anand Ramavath: “Needling is a crucial part of the treatment and technicians/beauticians who do this need to be trained adequately, as any slight deviation could mean the injected material getting into the deeper layers of skin, which is undesirable. Titanium dioxide is predominantly used in this procedure. While TiO2 is super popular as an external beauty aid (used in compact powder), it can wreak havoc if injected into deeper layers of skin.”
He says those with acne, eczema, lesions or other aberrant skin conditions need to wait till their primary problem is resolved before they can opt for this treatment. The facial promises fewer blemishes, fine lines and crow’s feet.
“I advice patients to go for the treatment in top, certified skin institutes and not neighbourhood salons, which add such procedures as an after-thought,” he says.
Pros ● Easy to achieve that no-makeup look ● Fewer blemishes, fine lines and crow’s feet ● Helps those suffering from melasma or redness from pimple scars
Cons ● Doesn’t treat problems such as pigmentation or scarring ● Can potentially lead to skin irritation ● Not suitable for those with inflammatory skin diseases like eczema
