How to prepare for your session
Very little is required of you, and the few things that are make a real difference. Here is what to pause in the days beforehand, what to bring, and what to say before we begin.
- No preparation required for most sessions
- Arrive ten minutes before your time
What do I actually need to do before my session?
Almost nothing. Come as you normally are, make-up included — every session opens with a full cleanse, and seeing your skin in its everyday state tells your therapist more than a freshly scrubbed face would. Arrive ten minutes early, and give yourself a little space afterwards rather than rushing straight into a meeting.
The one thing worth planning is your actives. Strong acids, retinoids and scrubs in the two days before a session leave the surface more sensitive than it needs to be, which quietly narrows what can be done in the room. Pausing them is the single most useful piece of preparation there is.
COUNTING DOWN
How does the week before a session look?
Four small steps. None of them takes any extra time.
- 01
Seven days before — mention anything unusual
Tell us at the time of booking about sensitivity, pregnancy, a recent procedure elsewhere, or a new prescription-strength product. It changes the protocol, and we would rather build around it than discover it on the day.
- Waxing, threading and laser count as recent procedures
- So does a course of anything new from a doctor
- 02
Three days before — no waxing on the same area
Hair removal on the area being worked leaves the surface tender. Give it three days of space in either direction and everything is comfortable.
- Brow shaping is booked separately for this reason
- 03
Two days before — pause strong actives
Retinoids, high-strength acids and physical scrubs all rest for the forty-eight hours before your session. Your usual cleanser, hydration and sunscreen carry on as normal.
- Keep hydrating — well-watered skin is easier to work with
- 04
On the day — come as you are
Make-up is fine. Eat something beforehand so you are not lying down hungry, drink water, and arrive ten minutes early so the consultation is unhurried.
- Bring your daily products if it is easy — not required
- A high-necked top is worth avoiding for facial sessions
TIMING
What should I pause before a session, and when?
| What | Pause from | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Retinoids | 2 days before | Leaves the surface calmer, so more of the protocol is available |
| Strong acids (AHA, BHA) | 2 days before | Same reason — one surface step at a time |
| Physical scrubs | 3 days before | Micro-abrasion makes everything sting more |
| Waxing or threading, same area | 3 days before | Tender skin narrows what can be done |
| Sunbathing or a burn | 7 days before | A sunburnt face means rescheduling, not adjusting |
| A trial of any brand-new product | 5 days before | So a reaction is not mistaken for one of ours |
| Caffeine, before a massage-led session | The morning of | Optional — it simply makes it easier to settle |
Retinoids
- Pause from
- 2 days before
- Why it matters
- Leaves the surface calmer, so more of the protocol is available
Strong acids (AHA, BHA)
- Pause from
- 2 days before
- Why it matters
- Same reason — one surface step at a time
Physical scrubs
- Pause from
- 3 days before
- Why it matters
- Micro-abrasion makes everything sting more
Waxing or threading, same area
- Pause from
- 3 days before
- Why it matters
- Tender skin narrows what can be done
Sunbathing or a burn
- Pause from
- 7 days before
- Why it matters
- A sunburnt face means rescheduling, not adjusting
A trial of any brand-new product
- Pause from
- 5 days before
- Why it matters
- So a reaction is not mistaken for one of ours
Caffeine, before a massage-led session
- Pause from
- The morning of
- Why it matters
- Optional — it simply makes it easier to settle
If you have already done one of these, tell us rather than cancelling — most sessions can be adapted on the day.
What should I tell my therapist before we begin?
Four things, and none of them will surprise us. Any allergy, including to fragrance or to plasters. Anything you are pregnant, planning or nursing through. Any product a doctor has put you on. And the honest version of your routine — not the one you keep meaning to start.
It is also worth saying what you would like to feel afterwards, and whether you would prefer the room quiet. Both change how a session is run, and neither is something we can guess.
BEFORE THE DAY
Preparation questions guests ask
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You do not need to. Every session begins with a full cleanse, and arriving as you normally look gives your therapist more information, not less — how your make-up sits, where it separates, where skin is shiny by afternoon.
Anything comfortable. For facial sessions a lower neckline is easier, since work often continues onto the neck and shoulders. A wrap is provided, and there is a private space to change.
Something light beforehand is a good idea. Lying still for an hour on an empty stomach is not restful, and a glass of water before you arrive helps too.
Yes. Skin can be a little more reactive in the days beforehand, so mention it and your therapist will keep the protocol gentler. Nothing needs to be cancelled.
Five to seven days before the event is the sweet spot for anything with surface work, and skin looks its best right in that window. If you can only come the day before, tell us — we will run a calming, hydration-led session instead.
No — just tell us on arrival. The protocol shifts towards hydration and away from surface work, and you still leave with the session you came for. Hiding it is the only thing that causes a problem.
Only if it is easy. Photographs of the ingredient lists work just as well, and mean you are not carrying bottles around. It is genuinely useful for anyone whose skin has been unpredictable lately.
Nothing. Wraps, headbands, fresh linens and everything used in the room are provided. Some guests bring a hair tie and their own sunscreen for the walk home, which is sensible but not necessary.
Most guests do. There is somewhere to leave your bag, somewhere quiet to sit for a few minutes, and the cleanse at the start of the session takes care of a whole day on your face.
Message us and we will tell you honestly whether the full protocol still fits. A shortened session run properly is better than a full one rushed, and we would rather adjust than hurry.
What the studio provides
- Fresh linens for every guestWraps, headbands and towels, single-use where it matters
- A private space to changeAnd somewhere quiet to sit before and after
- Gentle alternatives on handFragrance-light options available on request
- An unhurried consultationTen to fifteen minutes before anything begins
PLACEHOLDER FOOTAGE
What you are walking into
If this is your first visit, the most useful preparation is knowing the pace. This is placeholder footage while our own is filmed, but the tempo is right — slow hands, few products, and long pauses where nothing appears to be happening.
Placeholder footage — not filmed at NOMAD.
Not sure whether something on your shelf or in your week is a problem? Ask before you book rather than on arrival — it takes a minute and it shapes the whole session.