About face: A primer on the buzzy facials you might be considering before your holiday parties

All the invites to glittery parties may have you thinking about visiting the spa for skin that looks just as shiny. If you don't normally venture beyond the standard facial, the plethora of offerings might have you mystified. With needle, light, oxygen and the latest in scrubbing treatments to choose from, which treatment should you try? Here's a roundup of the hottest in (mostly) non-invasive, skincare treatments, therapies and facials and what each is all about. If you do find one worth trying, just remember to ask about any downtime and schedule it a few days before your parties, as some treatments result in redness, and others require you to go without makeup for a day or two afterwards.

Micro-current Facial

The hottest facial technology for millennials (and models and celebrities, like Jennifer Aniston), a micro-current facial is like a workout for your face. Using electrical stimulation, muscles are gently toned and features appear more lifted. While the process can be a bit uncomfortable, it's not painful and the promise is a more youthful look, like a tiny facelift without going under the knife.

Microdermabrasion + Serum Infusion

If you've never had microdermabrasion, now's the time to try it. A combination vacuum and exfoliating wand (diamond-tipped is the best) sloughs off the dry, dull skin cells that are preventing your complexion from truly shining. Boost the treatment with a serum infusion. There's a new wand that exfoliates and infuses the newly clean skin with serums chosen for your skin type.

Oxygen Infusion

The best beauty combination? Microdermabrasion followed by oxygen infusion. Madonna is a famous fan of oxygen facials, where pure, medical grade oxygen is sprayed onto skin along with a skin boosting serum. Oxygen helps skin heal, improves the look of fine lines and wrinkles, and the combination of oxygen and serum infusions leaves skin looking plumper and more youthful.

LED Light Therapy

LED light therapy can improve the look of your complexion without anything ever touching your skin. A panel of lights is lowered over your face and you just relax while they do all the work. There are four different colours, or wavelengths, of light and each has a different benefit. Red can help speed up healing of skin and collagen production. Yellow helps reduce inflammation and can improve the look of acne and dark circles. Green improves redness and is great for calming skin issues like eczema and rosacea. Blue light kills acne-causing bacteria. Violet light increases blood circulation and is very relaxing, for your complexion and your mind!

Mesotherapy

Have you ever been curious to try injectables but too scared to put chemicals into your body? Mesotherapy is a series of tiny and quick injections of skin-nourishing natural or synthetic ingredients (depending on who does it) that instantly give your complexion a glow. Some treatments use homeopathic formulas, others inject hyaluronic acid — a substance naturally found in the body that helps skin stay hydrated, vitamins and antioxidants into the skin. The result is brighter, smoother, more youthful-looking skin with minimal pain.