The short answer: HydraFacial cleanses, exfoliates, extracts and hydrates the skin on your face. Keravive brings the same approach to your scalp and adds a take-home peptide spray. They are not competing options. If your concern is dull or congested skin, you want the facial. If it is a flaky, congested scalp, you want Keravive.
Most people asking us to compare them are really asking one question: is Keravive just a facial for your head? Broadly yes, and the difference is in what it is formulated to do.
What do they have in common?
Both use the same vortex technology: a handpiece that loosens debris, draws it out under gentle suction, and infuses a serum into the cleaned surface all at once rather than in separate passes. Doing it simultaneously is the whole idea, and it is why neither leaves you red.
Both are comfortable, take between half an hour and an hour, and have no downtime. You can have either on a lunch break. Both also work better as a monthly rhythm than as a one-off, because the buildup, congestion and dehydration they manage accumulate continuously.
What does a HydraFacial do?
It runs the cleanse, exfoliate, extract and hydrate sequence across the face, then infuses serums chosen for what your skin is doing that day.
The result shows immediately. An imaging study found the outermost layer of skin was measurably smoother and more evenly structured straight after treatment (Razi et al., Skin Research and Technology). That is the glow people book it for, and it continues settling over the following days.
The acids doing the work are well understood. Glycolic acid loosens the bonds holding surface cells together, a targeted effect on cell adhesion rather than barrier damage (Fartasch et al., Archives of Dermatological Research). Salicylic acid is oil-soluble, so it works inside the pore.
For acne-prone skin, a clarifying series run over 12 weeks improved investigator-rated clarity substantially across the course of treatment (Storgard et al., Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology). Results vary, and persistent inflammatory acne usually wants a fuller plan alongside it.
We run it in three tiers. Signature is the 30-minute core sequence and the right starting point. Deluxe adds a booster serum and LED light therapy, which is where most people settle for maintenance. Platinum adds lymphatic drainage and a longer extraction phase. Dermaplaning and the Perk lip and eye treatments can be added to any tier.
What does Keravive do?
Keravive applies the same approach to the scalp: cleansing and exfoliation to clear buildup around the follicles, a peptide serum infusion, and a take-home spray to extend the effect between visits.
The reasoning is straightforward. A scalp is skin, and it congests the same way facial skin does, with product residue, dry shampoo, sebum and dead cells accumulating around the follicle. Clearing that leaves the scalp more comfortable, less flaky, and hair that feels and looks better for it.
Scalp condition genuinely matters to how hair behaves. Inflammation and buildup affect the environment the follicle sits in, and a healthier scalp is a better foundation. What Keravive is designed to do is improve that environment. It is scalp care, and it pairs well with a fuller plan when hair itself is the concern.
If hair is actively shedding, the most useful first step is working out which pattern you have. The American Academy of Dermatology distinguishes shedding, which is often temporary and follows things like significant weight loss, childbirth, illness or surgery, from hair loss with an ongoing driver (AAD). Losing 50 to 100 hairs a day is normal. Sorting out which you are dealing with is a hair restoration conversation and often a functional medicine one, and we run both here.
It is priced by coverage, meaning hairline, partial or full scalp, and it pairs well immediately before microneedling, since a clean, exfoliated scalp gets more out of whatever follows.
Side by side
| HydraFacial | Keravive | |
|---|---|---|
| Treats | The face | The scalp |
| Core sequence | Cleanse, exfoliate, extract, hydrate | Cleanse, exfoliate, nourish |
| Session length | 30, 45 or 60 minutes by tier | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Downtime | None | None |
| Best for | Dullness, congestion, dehydration, maintenance | Flaky or congested scalp, product buildup |
| Take-home component | No | Yes, a peptide spray |
| What you notice | Smoother, brighter skin immediately | A cleaner, more comfortable scalp; hair with more body |
| Recommended rhythm | Monthly | Monthly series |
Both are priced by tier or coverage. Current starting prices are on the HydraFacial and Keravive pages.
They are not two answers to one question. They are one technology answering two.
So which do you book?
Book HydraFacial if the thing bothering you is on your face: skin that looks tired, congested pores, a dullness a good routine has not fixed on its own. A monthly facial alongside a real skincare routine does more for how skin looks day to day than most people expect.
Book Keravive if the thing bothering you is on your scalp: flaking, itchiness, the residue of dry shampoo and styling product, or hair that has started to look flat at the part.
Book both if both are true. They are separate appointments on separate areas, and plenty of people alternate them month to month.
When is something else the better starting point?
- Texture, scarring and deeper pigment. These live below the surface a facial reaches. Microneedling, peels and resurfacing are the right tools, with a facial kept alongside for maintenance.
- Hair loss with a medical driver. Worth investigating properly so the plan addresses the cause. Keravive can sit alongside that plan.
- Active inflammatory acne. A facial helps congestion, and persistent inflammatory acne usually wants a fuller treatment plan.
- An irritated scalp or skin. Active infection, open skin, significant scalp psoriasis or dermatitis, and pregnancy are all reasons to talk first so we can tailor or time things properly.
Book a consultation and we'll tell you which of these fits, and when the answer is something else entirely.
