In our office, there's an ongoing debate about whether or not facials are worth it.

One camp loves them and has regularly scheduled appointments at various spas. They talk about the relaxing experience, the deep cleaning their skin gets, the glow they have when they leave, on and on...

The second group just doesn't understand the appeal of plonking down a hundred dollars (or more!) for someone to wash, exfoliate, and massage your face. Their argument: "Uh, can't you do that yourself at home?"

Click here to find out 8 secrets your esthetician won't tell you.

The debate may never be settled completely, but to help (and to give both sides some new ammunition), we got the inside scoop on facials from Arielle Snyder, an esthetician at Club Prive Salon in Los Angeles. We fired all of our burning questions at her, and she actually had the guts to give us honest answers.

Read on to find out the real reason why facials are so dang expensive, the disgusting truth about extractions, and why getting a peel may be the worst thing you ever do. Then tell us, which side are you on in the facials debate? Did any of these secrets make you switch teams?

Image via Imaxtree

As Snyder mentioned earlier, not all estheticians are thoroughly trained on extractions and other potentially scar-inducing procedures. If you leave the salon with irritated or scarred skin, that means your esthetician messed up and used products or techniques that weren't right for you. The bottom line: Ask about your facialist's training or get recommendations from friends before you lay down on the table.

Well, almost. Snyder points out, "Human touch is extremely healing, so there's nothing like having a good esthetician work on you." But, she also concedes, with the right tools and guidance you can do an at-home facial and get great results.

She says that while most of her clients come in every four to eight weeks, others only come in every few months or even once a year. They can get away with this by doing things right at home.

"If you have a proper routine going at home and do your own mask treatments, you don't need to come in that often," Synder says. "One tip I encourage for the client that doesn't come in often is to incorporate a facial massage into their cleansing routine. While applying cleanser, massage your face in upward circles; spending an extra couple minutes doing so can help tone the muscles, remove toxins via your lymphatic system, and improve circulation. Fresh blood flow to the skin is what nourishes the cells and maintains a healthy [cell] turnover."

A good esthetician will want to set you up with the right at-home routine, so don't be surprised when she recommends products. Snyder points out that estheticians do a lot of research on the product lines they use, and you might as well use that knowledge to your advantage. But at no point should you feel pressure to buy, Snyder says. "I don't pressure anyone to buy anything, the decision is completely theirs! But a good at-home [skin care] program is crucial in caring for your skin."

Another red flag: If your esthetician recommends enough products to cleanse an army. "Less is more," Snyder says. "Many of my clients are surprised to learn how easy it is to get on a good at-home program that doesn't break the bank." She points out that so many skin care products are very similar, so (with your facialist's help) you should be able to put together a simple regimen that's within your budget.

"I can't speak on behalf of all estheticians, but I personally enjoy 'popping pimples,' or what we professionally call extractions," Snyder says. However, Snyder points out that extractions aren't taught in detail at most schools -- which means some estheticians aren't well trained in the skill. She says it's up to individual estheticians to get additional training on this -- particularly if they're just starting out -- so it's worth asking your facialist if she's well trained before she starts popping.