Butt Facials Are the Skincare Trend Gay Men Are Booking Now
A butt facial is exactly what it sounds like: a facial, done on your backside. It uses the same skincare steps you would get on your face, aimed at clearer, smoother skin below the belt. Not the first place you would think to pamper, we know.
But gay men and bottoms are booking them in growing numbers, and aestheticians say the appeal now stretches well beyond any one group.
What Is A Butt Facial?
“It’s facial-grade skincare for the butt,” says Michael Aronwits, a registered aesthetic nurse at Bespoke Surgical, a New York practice focused on anal health. Basil Russo, founder of Bar Beauty Medical in Toronto, says it fixes a real problem, and it usually is not acne.
“It’s usually folliculitis, which is inflamed hair follicles, or keratosis pilaris, those little rough bumps, plus ingrown hairs, congestion, and the dark marks all of that leaves behind,” he says. “We clear the congestion, calm things down, and the marks fade over a few visits.”
Expect a consultation first, then a proper routine. That means a double cleanse, a chemical exfoliant with enzymes or acids, a steam, and extractions for clogged pores. Depending on your skin, you might get a salicylic, mandelic or glycolic peel, plus an LED or high-frequency device to settle any active breakout. It finishes with a calming mask and moisturiser, and you go home with a regimen for your booty. “It’s a treatment, not a fluffy spa buff,” Russo says.
In Toronto, Russo charges $200 for a 60-minute session. In New York, Bespoke Surgical starts at around US$250, more for customised work.
Both warn that bargain versions tend to skip the good part. “If it’s dirt cheap, it’s the scrub and the mask,” Russo says, meaning no extractions or peels, the steps that actually shift things. Cut-price clinics can also raise your risk of infection.
Is It Safe, And When Can You Have Sex?
With a licensed provider, the treatment is low-risk. Aronwits lists the usual after-effects as “temporary redness, mild sensitivity, or slight irritation.” Trouble tends to come from overdoing it, so skip the home scrub between visits.
On deeper skin tones, over-exfoliating can leave dark marks, which is why a proper consultation matters.
And sex? Give it a beat. Aronwits recommends waiting 24 to 48 hours before receptive anal sex so the skin barrier can recover, and longer after a stronger treatment.
Sweat from sex or the gym in that first day can irritate freshly worked skin or introduce bacteria. Book it with a little breathing room before a big weekend, and your skin will thank you.
