This Game-Changing Facial Transformed My Acne-Prone Skin Overnight—Here’s What No One Tells You About DiamondGlow

Ah, summer—the season that promises endless sunshine, beach days, and breezy evenings. But hold on a sec… why does my skin suddenly decide to throw a summer tantrum? One minute I’m basking in that glow, the next I’m battling a swirl of dry patches and stubborn breakouts, all while drowning under layers of sunscreen. Sound familiar? Well, you’re not alone. This summer, my skin felt like it had hit a wall—gritty, clogged, and downright cranky. So, when I caught wind of the DiamondGlow facial, a treatment boasting deeper exfoliation and an instant radiance boost, I was curious enough to dive in. Could this be the glow-up my summer skincare routine desperately needed? Let’s find out. LEARN MORE

Summer vacation, summer breeze, summer love—the season is rife with positive associations. But frankly, it’s a weird time for my skin.

My complexion is naturally on the dry side, but I still deal with acne. And as the barometer rises and I sweat and apply layer upon layer of sunscreen, those breakouts only seem to get worse. This summer, my skin has been feeling extra gritty and clogged. I was in need of a new solution—and I’m always game to try the latest noninvasive treatments in pursuit of dewier, glass-like skin. I’ve experimented with a lot of them, but when I heard about the DiamondGlow facial—and its promise to deliver deeper exfoliation and an immediate glow—I was intrigued. This was a road I hadn’t yet traveled.

Meet the experts: Edyta Jarosz is a licensed aesthetician at Shafer Clinic in New York City. Dendy Engelman, MD, FAAD, is a board-certified dermatologist at Shafer Clinic in New York City.

DiamondGlow isn’t your typical spa facial where they layer on dozens of serums, oils, and creams (usually a mess for my pimple-prone skin). Instead, it focuses on really buffing the skin and a streamlined selection of serums that target your specific concerns. I gave it a try a few weeks ago at Shafer Clinic in NYC—and let me tell you, the results were impressive (check out my before and after pictures below).

Here’s everything you need to know about this popular facial so you can decide whether it’s worth trying.

What exactly is the DiamondGlow facial?

DiamondGlow is a skin resurfacing treatment that exfoliates, extracts gunk from your pores, and infuses skin with powerful SkinMedica Pro-Infusion serums , explains Edyta Jarosz, the licensed aesthetician who performed my treatment. “Unlike traditional facial treatments that rely on chemical exfoliation to treat skin at surface level, DiamondGlow has a diamond-tip wand that deeply cleans and rejuvenates the skin.” And Jarosz isn’t kidding: The device’s tip is made from actual diamonds—six different types, in fact.

From a dermatologist’s perspective, DiamondGlow operates on a pretty fascinating principle. “The unique tip gently buffs away dead skin cells while simultaneously vacuuming out debris from the pores—almost like a deep polish and cleanse in one,” explains Dendy Engelman, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist at Shafer Clinic. The six different tips range from ultra-smooth to gritty, allowing your provider to customize based on your skin’s needs. For my treatment, Jarosz alternated between a medium-grit tip (which she says is perfect for refining texture and clearing buildup without irritation) and a flat, grit-free tip around the eye area (which is very delicate).

As the skin is exfoliated and cleared, serums are applied—and they penetrate more deeply than they would on untreated skin. “This process helps stimulate circulation, supports cell renewal, and leaves skin more receptive to hydration and nutrients, so you’re treating beneath the surface,” Dr. Engelman says.

My experience with the DiamondGlow facial.

My 60-minute session was a mix between a relaxing spa break and a hard-core treatment protocol. I’d say you had to be there, but if you read my play-by-play below, you really didn’t. Here’s how it all went down:

Deep Cleansing

Jarosz started with a thorough cleanse to remove surface impurities and prep my skin for what was coming next. Fairly standard.

Exfoliation and Suction

This is where the DiamondGlow technology comes in—using the special diamond-tipped wand, Jarosz exfoliated away dead skin cells, while a suction-like action extracted debris from my pores. What did it feel like, you ask? Well, I barely felt it all—no unpleasantness. The closest thing I can liken it to would be a Hydrafacial. After, she slathered on serums, choosing the hyaluronic acid-rich SkinMedica HA5 Hydra Collagen Pro-Infusion Serum for hydration and the SkinMedica Pore Clarifying Pro-Infusion Serum—with pore-flushing salicylic acid and brightening niacinamide—to address my congested areas.

Add-Ons

My treatment concluded with two add-on treatments, an oxygen infusion to help with serum absorption, followed by LED light therapy. The oxygen infusion basically blows a lot of cold air onto your face (this part, not gonna lie, gave me a bit of anxiety for some reason), and the light therapy was super chill. Jarosz used red light to stimulate collagen and blue light to target my breakout-prone areas.

The benefits of a DiamondGlow facial.

As you can see, that was a lot to pack into an hourlong session. And there are a lot of potential benefits to your complexion as a result. According to Dr. Engelman, chief among them are the following:

• Brightness: The diamond tip gently exfoliates your complexion removing dulling dead skin cells for a noticeable glow.
• Smoothness: The suction mechanism clears pores of oil, buildup, and debris, which helps to reduce breakouts and blackheads, leaving you with a more uniform texture.
• Customization: Your esthetician will choose specific serums that target your skin’s unique concerns. As mentioned, I was dealing with congested pores and dryness, so a pore-clearing salicylic acid was paired with a uberhydrating hyaluronic acid.
• Immediate Results: I noticed an instant glow boost, increased plumpness, and improved texture. Oh, and I could go about my day without worrying that my face appeared completely red or irritated.

Bottom line, this facial is great if you need a deep exfoliation treatment and want to look and feel refreshed. But it does require some upkeep: Jarosz typically recommends a series of 4 to 6 treatments, spaced approximately 2 to 3 weeks apart, if you’re aiming to treat issues such as hyperpigmentation, fine lines, or dullness.

Are there any risks to getting a DiamondGlow facial?

DiamondGlow isn’t an invasive treatment, making it gentle and safe for most skin types, including sensitive and acne-prone skin. But if you’re experiencing active, inflamed breakouts, rosacea flare-ups, or little nicks and cuts, you might want to skip a treatment until things calm down. People with melasma should also talk to their dermatologist before trying DiamondGlow. “We may need to customize your serum choice and intensity level carefully, as overstimulation can sometimes trigger even more pigment production if you have melasma,” Dr. Engelman says.

As for side effects, they’re typically minimal. In rare cases, some people may experience mild skin redness or tightness post-treatment, which typically subsides quickly, notes Dr. Engelman. As with all treatments, it’s important to manage your expectations. DiamondGlow is a great maintenance option, but it won’t replace lasers or deep peels for more advanced concerns, Dr. Engelman says. So if you’re dealing with severe acne scarring, significant sun damage, or deeper wrinkles, you may need more intensive treatments to see an improvement.

The results I experienced from DiamondGlow.

I can’t say that one DiamondGlow facial solved my pigmentation issues or cleared my acne, but my skin did look noticeably brighter and felt smoother than it ever had in years. The gritty, uneven texture I’d been complaining about was significantly improved, and it especially showed when my makeup went on more seamlessly the next day. I’d say that was the biggest benefit.

My skin also felt pretty plump and hydrated. The smoothness lasted about a week before my skin started returning to its cranky, complicated self, though it still looked and felt better than it did before the treatment.

Writer April Benshosan before (left) and immediately after (right) her DiamondGlow facial treatment.

The bottom line: Should you try DiamondGlow?

Here’s the thing about DiamondGlow—it delivers what it promises, but you need to have realistic expectations about what that is. It won’t dramatically change your skin after one session, but if you’re looking for an immediate glow-up with no downtime, want to address surface-level concerns like dullness and congestion, or need your skin to look its best for an event, it’s a solid option.

Just be prepared for the price tag—treatments typically range from $150 to $300, depending on your location and provider. Yes, that’s a splurge, but if you’re someone who regularly gets facials anyway, the results may justify the higher cost. If you can afford it and your skin concerns align with what DiamondGlow does best, it’s worth trying at least once.

So, go one, shine bright like a…you know.

April Benshosan is a New York City-based writer and editor. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Publishing from Pace University, and her byline appears on LIVESTRONG.com, Eat This, Not That!, Business Insider, MSN, Yahoo!, OK! Magazine, and Travel Squire. In her free time, you can catch April lifting weights, spending time with her pup, or planning her next vacation.

Brian Underwood is beauty director at Women’s Health, where he oversees content strategy for the brand across all platforms, including digital, print, and social. Underwood previously served as beauty and wellness director at Oprah Daily and O, The Oprah Magazine. During his tenure leading beauty content for the Oprah brand at Hearst, stories Underwood commissioned were awarded the Skin Cancer Foundation Media Award and a Fragrance Award for Editorial Excellence (his second). He was the launch Beauty Director of Dr. Oz THE GOOD LIFE, and has held additional editorial positions at Fitness, Organic Style, Good Housekeeping, Life & Style Weekly, and Woman’s Day and has written for Self, Shape, Seventeen, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, and many more. Underwood previously served on the Skin Cancer Foundation’s gala committee and as partnerships director of the Trans Beauty Clinic, a New York-based charitable organization that provided beauty services and workshops to the city’s trans community.