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Come Peel Away, Come Peel Away, Come Peel Away With Me
laser technology
Non-ablative Skin Resurfacing, Skin Rejuvenation with Picosure Focus Array
That title may sound slightly intimidating… I mean what exactly does non-ablative skin resurfacing mean and what is the heck is a focus array? Well this blog post is meant to give you some insight on how our laser technicians work their magic to reveal your skin’s most luminous complexion ever! The truth is, it’s not actually magic… it’s skin science! Though the name may be a mouthful, it’s not nearly as intimidating as it might sound. In the world of laser skin treatments, it’s actually quite the opposite. The Focus Array treatment is fast, quite comfortable and there is very minimal downtime. The short story is that the Picosure focus array will help to:
- Even out your skin’s pigment, lessening or eliminating hyperpigmentation
- Soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Improve the texture of your skin (think pore sizes, mild scarring and ‘crepey’ texture).
All of this combined will give your skin a healthy luminosity that will have your friends asking what your secret is!
If you are like us and need to know all the nitty gritty details behind the treatment, continue on to the section below. If we had you at “most luminous complexion ever”, give us a call and our amazing team will hook you up!
So how does it work?
Before we delve into what makes skin rejuvenation with the Focus Array Lens so amazing, here’s some background info on our amazing laser system, the Picosure.
Picosure is the first ever cosmetic picosecond laser. It uses a pulse so fast (a trillionth of a second to be exact!) it produces a photomechanical action rather than photothermal action in the skin. Why does this excite us? It means less heat, inflammation and damage to any tissues surrounding the treatment area, making it more comfortable with very little downtime in comparison to other methods of skin resurfacing. It also allows us to treat darker skin tones safely, which is something that many lasers cannot do. Non-ablative means that there is no injury to the surface of the skin, also helping to minimize downtime post treatment. The really cool part for us laser technician nerds, is that when we attach the Focus Array Lens to the Picosure laser, it takes the laser light beam and breaks it into microbeams (between 120-250 tiny beams of light energy in each pulse). The energy is then directed into the skin in tiny columns, creating pressure waves and small laser induced optical breakdowns (LIOBs) in the layers of the skin where new skin cells are produced. This happens close to the junction between the epidermis and the dermis. These LIOBs create a healing response in the skin. This response sends signals to specialized cells in the dermis to increase collagen and elastin production which leads to tighter and fuller skin. The healing response in the skin also speeds up cell turnover, increasing the amount of new healthy skin cells being produced creating that healthy natural glow. And if that’s not enough, as an added bonus, the pressure waves created by using the Focus Array Lens work to shatter excess pigment into smaller particles that can be easily absorbed by the body’s immune system and eliminated.
Lasers and arrays and beams… Oh My!
Ok, so that may still sound kind of scary but trust us, there’s nothing to fear. Most people find this treatment to be quite comfortable, comparing the sensation of the laser energy on the skin to a mild snapping of an elastic band type of sensation. Immediately after your treatment there will be some redness and possibly some mild swelling but that usually begins to subside within a few hours. If skin texture and boosting collagen/elastin production is your main goal, patience is the real key. It takes time for our skin to remodel. Skin texture will start to improve after the first treatment, but best results can be seen 2-3 months following the final session. When we talk about tackling uneven pigmentation in the skin though, results are often seen sooner. Areas of the skin with darker pigment can look even darker for 7-14 days post treatment. Don’t panic, this is completely normal! They will then begin to lighten with best results visible between 1-2 months post treatment. For best results, we typically recommend a series of 4 focus array treatments at intervals of 6-8 weeks, however because everyone’s skin is unique, your laser technician will let you know the best course of action for your skin during a free, no obligation consultation.
Is that it?
Well yes and no. In order to maintain your results you have to help us help you. Our skin is always aging and changing, so good home care and periodic maintenance treatments will help optimize the results from professional skin treatments. Unfortunately there are no miracle treatments out there that have lifetime results, but a little TLC at home and periodic visits to see your laser technician will help to keep your skin looking great and prevent premature aging.
Here’s our tips for keeping your skin looking fabulous after Focus Array treatments:
- Sunscreen, the absolute best product for slowing the skin aging process. UVA and UVB rays are the main culprits behind premature aging and uneven pigmentation, so we recommend the use of a mineral sunscreen (better for your skin than chemical sunscreens) with an SPF of 30 or higher. Use your SPF everyday. Yes, everyday and yes, even in the winter! We love AlumierMD’s line of mineral sunscreens.
- Of course this next one seems like a no brainer, but daily use of professional skin care products at home. I mean, would you go to your dentist and then not brush your teeth in between appointments? Maintenance is the key. The same rules apply to skin care. Your laser technician can recommend the best treatment products for your specific skin concerns, so if you’re going to invest the time and money into professional treatments, make sure that you are complementing those treatments with a good daily skin care regime.
- After completing your series of treatments, coming back in for 1-2 treatments a year will also help to maintain your results. After all, our skin is aging every single day (we know, we hate it just as much as you do). Some people even opt to repeat a series of 4 treatments every few years.
So if that wasn’t enough to get you excited or maybe you just skimmed all of the above and would like to talk with one of our technicians directly, we encourage you to give us a call and book your own free consultation so we can assess your goals and concerns.
Of course if all of the above did get you excited, then what are you waiting for!? Our operators are standing by eagerly awaiting your call! Okay, we don’t have operators and we’re only in during our scheduled hours, but we’d still love to hear from you to start you on your journey to healthier, smoother and brighter looking skin!