Facial for melanin-rich skin in Melbourne, FL
At Karisma Esthetics in Melbourne, a facial for melanin-rich skin starts with the Signature Customized Facial, $125 for about 60 minutes with a consultation included. When your skin is ready for resurfacing, the Advanced Glow Facial is $225 for about 90 minutes. Kay Woodson's aim on deeper skin tones: control inflammation and avoid any injury the skin does not need.
Published · Written by Kay Woodson · Results vary.
What makes a facial right for melanin-rich skin?
Not a special product line. It is how much force goes into each step. Melanin-rich skin answers inflammation with pigment: in a study cited by Davis and Callender, 65.3% of African American acne patients developed dark marks after breakouts. A facial that scrubs too hard, extracts too roughly or peels too deep can trade one concern for another.
Light spots are the other risk people rarely hear about. The AAD notes that light patches on brown or black skin can follow a rash, a wound or a cosmetic procedure. A good facial for deeper skin tones aims to avoid both.
Step by step: what changes on deeper skin tones
The middle column is what the evidence says. The right column is how Kay handles that step.
| Step | Why it matters on darker skin | At Karisma |
|---|---|---|
| Consultation | Your history of dark marks after pimples, bites or procedures predicts how your skin will react | Included in the $125 Signature |
| Products | The AAD says cocoa butter has no proven effect on skin tone and can cause acne, and that oily hair products cause pomade acne along the hairline | Circadia professional skincare |
| Exfoliation | The AAD calls microdermabrasion safe for all skin colors, but warns that skin prone to dark spots after acne has a greater risk of new ones | Kay sets microdermabrasion pressure one client at a time, since each skin has its own sensitivity |
| Extractions | The AAD warns that picking or squeezing breakouts raises the risk of scars | An enzyme softens the clogs first. Kay keeps pressure light and never works the same spot over and over |
| Peel | The Skin of Color Society says superficial peels are the type most often used on skin of color, and deeper peels can cause dark or light patches | Superficial only, inside the Advanced Facial, picked from the peels Kay carries after she has seen your skin |
AAD and Skin of Color Society pages listed under Sources, read October 29, 2026. Studio column from Kay's answers, November 2026.
How does Kay adjust a facial for melanin-rich skin?
Kay Woodson does every facial at the studio herself, at 1542 S Wickham Rd in Melbourne. Her rule for deeper skin is short: "control inflammation and minimize unnecessary injury to the skin."
In practice, that shows up at extractions. Kay avoids excess pressure and does not keep reworking a stubborn pore, because repeated manipulation can trigger post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), the flat dark mark that can outlast the breakout by months. A clog that will not release today can wait for the next visit.
The facial covers your face and your décolleté, the neck and upper chest, so the skin below the jaw gets the same care. Afterward, the sunscreen Kay prefers is an SPF 37, worn every day while the skin settles.
Signature or Advanced for your skin right now?
Both have their own page: the Signature facial and the Advanced anti-aging facial.
| Signature, $125 | Advanced, $225 | |
|---|---|---|
| Choose it when | It is your first visit, breakouts are active, or a dark mark is still fresh | Your skin has calmed, and older flat marks or rough texture remain |
| What it includes | A consultation, then Circadia products chosen for the skin in front of Kay, with careful extractions | One exfoliation picked for your skin that day: microdermabrasion, a superficial peel or an enzyme |
| Wait if | You have deep, painful cysts: a dermatologist first | You took isotretinoin in the past 6 months, per the AAD, or your skin is sunburned or freshly waxed |
Four questions before a facial on deeper skin
How often do you treat skin as deep as mine? Which acid is in the peel, and how strong? What do you do if my skin darkens afterward? Can we start gentler and build up? The AAD advises people with skin of color to choose a peel provider with real expertise in darker skin, because without it, pigment problems can last for good. Ask Kay the same four at your consultation.
A facial can help with
Clogged pores and small breakouts, dull or rough skin, and flat marks from breakouts that have already healed. Results vary, and flat marks fade over months, not in one visit.
See a dermatologist for
Cystic acne, patches you think may be melasma, a light or dark patch that appeared with no clear cause, and any spot that grows or changes. Lasers and medium or deep peels are outside a Florida facial specialist's license and not offered here.
Questions about facials for melanin-rich skin
What type of facial is right for melanin-rich skin?
One that cleans and resurfaces without irritating, since irritation is what triggers dark marks on deeper skin tones. At Karisma, that usually means starting with the $125 Signature and moving to the $225 Advanced once Kay has seen how your skin responds.
Can deeper skin tones get a TCA peel?
A low-strength TCA peel was one of the superficial peels in a 2018 study of 473 peels on skin types III to VI, where 3.8% caused a side effect. Stronger TCA peels reach deeper and belong with a dermatologist. Karisma does not offer medium or deep peels.
Is a HydraFacial good for dark skin?
Karisma has no HydraFacial machine. The HydraFacial vs regular facial guide explains the difference between that branded treatment and a facial built by hand.
Which lasers are safe for dark skin?
That is a question for a dermatologist. The Skin of Color Society says not all lasers can be used on darker skin and a test area may be needed. Lasers are outside an esthetician's license in Florida, so Karisma does not offer them.
How much is a facial for melanin-rich skin in Melbourne, FL?
At Karisma Esthetics, $125 for the Signature Customized Facial with the consultation included, or $225 for the Advanced. New clients leave a $50 reservation fee. See the pricing page.
- Cosmetics and skin rejuvenation, Skin of Color Society, Chere Lucas, MD, no date shown, read October 29, 2026
- Davis EC, Callender VD. Postinflammatory hyperpigmentation in skin of color. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2010;3(7):20-31, July 2010, read October 29, 2026
- 10 tips for clearing acne in darker skin tones, American Academy of Dermatology, no date shown, read October 29, 2026
- Microdermabrasion: Overview, American Academy of Dermatology, read October 29, 2026
- Microdermabrasion: FAQs, American Academy of Dermatology, read October 29, 2026
- Chemical peels: FAQs, American Academy of Dermatology, read October 29, 2026
- Treating light spots in brown or black skin, American Academy of Dermatology, last updated August 18, 2021, read October 29, 2026
- Vemula S et al. Assessing the safety of superficial chemical peels in darker skin: a retrospective study. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2018;79(3):508-513, September 2018, read October 29, 2026
- Desai M, Gill J, Luke J. Cosmetic procedures in patients with skin of color. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2023;16(3):37-40, 2023, read October 29, 2026
- Rule 61G5-18.00015, Florida Administrative Code, effective October 20, 2021
- Karisma Esthetics services and Signature length, GlossGenius, read October 29, 2026