Written by : Mary Mireles, L.E
Morphues8, Halo and Neogen. What do these three procedures have in common? If at all familiar with these treatments, patients know to expect downtime and often see these as the treatments that work. However, what patient’s often don’t think of is how important it is to properly prepare the skin for these procedures.
I often find that patient’s will prioritize intense treatments over the less expensive ones such as Hydrafacial and Diamond Glow. The reason most people do this, is that the more intense treatments provide drastic results. However, I would argue that while the intense treatments are necessary in the maintenance of younger looking skin, the less invasive treatments are also vital in preparing the skin. When the skin is properly exfoliated the treatments are able to treat the alive skin cells instead of addressing the already dead skin.
Skin Preparation/Maintenance:
Exfoliation: Consistent cell turnover is key when preparing the skin for a laser treatment. When the skin is properly exfoliated the laser is able to treat the healthy skin cells, as opposed to being blocked by the dead skin buildup.
1. Treatments such as Hydrafacial or Diamond Glow pr
ovide exfoliation, cleansing, and hydration to the skin. With the manual exfoliation from the tips, as well as the light chemical peel step, these are perfect treatments to do about a week prior to your laser treatment.
https://lalongevity.com/diamondglow-vs-hydrafacial-same-same-but-different/
(Click here to read the difference between these two treatments!)
2. Retinols are also important to get on a couple of months prior to your procedure. Our office favorite, SkinBetter’s Alpharet, will kickstart the cell turnover process. Just be sure to follow your providers instructions about stopping the application of these types of products a few days prior to procedure as your skin might need a break.
Collagen and Elastin Production: Collagen and elastin are the building blocks of healthy skin. When these processes are accelerated prior to your procedure, the results from the treatment are amplified.
1. Products such as TNS Essential Serum target specific forms of collagen in your skin and increase collagen production from a topical product. This product is often referred to as “Botox in a bottle” since the results include reduced fine lines and wrinkles, as well as improved skin texture.
2. Procedures such as SkinPen microneedling are perfect for maintenance in between the larger procedures, as they stimulate collagen and elastin production. Think of this as getting your tires rotated before you have to get new ones.
Getting laser treatments without proper homecare and skin preparation, is like going to the gym five days a week, but then coming home and eating pizza and ice cream every night. Our skincare membership allows you to receive monthly services and maintain a proper skincare routine by regularly having appointments with one of our skilled estheticians.