Signature vs Platinum Hydrafacial: Which One Is Right for You?

This is probably the question I get asked more than any other: "Should I go for the Signature or the Platinum?" The honest answer is that both use the same core technology and both give you an immediate glow with no downtime. The difference is what I add on top — and whether your skin, your schedule, or what you're hoping to achieve makes that extra £60 worth it.

What You Get with the Signature

The Signature is the core three-step Hydrafacial. It takes 45 minutes and costs £130. These are the three steps I take you through:

1. 1.Cleanse & Peel — gentle resurfacing that removes dead skin cells and primes the pores
2. 2.Extract & Hydrate — painless vortex suction that clears congestion while infusing hyaluronic acid
3. 3.Fuse & Protect — peptides, antioxidants, and growth factors saturated into the skin

You walk out with clean pores, properly hydrated skin, and a genuine glow — all in under an hour. It's a brilliant treatment on its own, and it's what I recommend for monthly maintenance once your skin is where you want it to be.

What You Get with the Platinum

The Platinum is 75 minutes and costs £190. You get everything in the Signature, plus three extras that I really love:

1. +Lymphatic drainage — I do this by hand before we start the machine work. It reduces puffiness, gets your circulation going, and means your skin absorbs the serums much better
2. +Personalised booster serum — I choose a targeted booster for you (brightening, firming, acne-calming, or hydrating) based on what your skin needs that day. This replaces the standard serum in the Fuse & Protect step, so you're getting something tailored to you.
3. +LED light therapy — 10 minutes of either red light (stimulates collagen — great for anti-ageing) or blue light (targets acne bacteria). Most of my clients go for red.

What I love about the Platinum is how the three extras work together. The lymphatic drainage means your skin is primed to soak everything up, the booster targets exactly what's bothering you, and the LED locks in the result. You really can see and feel the difference.

Side-by-Side Comparison

When I'd Recommend the Platinum

I tend to suggest the Platinum when:

• You've got an event coming up — the lymphatic drainage takes down puffiness and the overall result lasts longer. I always recommend it before weddings, parties, or holidays
• You're focused on anti-ageing — the red LED and peptide booster stimulate collagen production, which is something the Signature doesn't include
• You have something specific you want to tackle — the personalised booster lets me target your exact concern rather than using the standard serum
• You can't come as often as you'd like — if you're booking every couple of months rather than monthly, the Platinum gives you more in each visit

If your skin is already in good shape and you're coming monthly, the Signature is perfect. It keeps everything ticking over — clean, hydrated, glowing.

What I'd Suggest for Your First Visit

If it's your first time, I'd genuinely lean towards the Platinum. Not because the Signature isn't brilliant — it is — but because that first appointment is where I really get to know your skin. The personalised booster lets me tailor things to what you actually need, and the LED can address concerns that the core steps don't reach.

That said, if you'd rather try the Hydrafacial before committing to the full Platinum, the Signature is a lovely place to start. Plenty of my clients do exactly that — book a Signature first, love it, and upgrade next time.