I chase beautiful, glowing skin like it’s my job. {Technically it is.}
Recently my aesthetician was raving to me about a treatment her office was beginning to offer. She’s brilliant and never pushes me to something she knows I don’t need or won’t love - so I knew it had to be special. When I found out it’s the same non-invasive laser that so many celebrities are using on their gorgeous skin, my interest was piqued. {I love to hear about anything that will give a glow and doesn’t involve a needle or a knife.}
I’ve always been generally content with my skin. That being said, years of living as a southern girl chasing the sunshine has left me with my fair share of sun damage and hyper pigmentation. But good makeup can cover a multitude of sins so I had always worked to make my skin look great - from the outside.
I’m not someone who obsesses over looking young or not aging. I think women who age beautifully {with confidence and great style} are so stunning, it isn’t something I try to run away from. I ascribe to both embracing each stage of life and also looking your best while you’re in it - basically the French approach to beauty. I read in a great New York Times article : if there is a secret to aging well, French women must know it. I love their approach to aging : instead of trying and failing to look permanently young, they aspire to be the best version of the age that they are. It’s a huge part of my beauty philosophy : I try to help women celebrate the way they look by enhancing the best parts of themselves, not necessarily by trying to make them appear younger.
And so realizing there was room for improvement in my skin, I found myself saying yes to this new treatment. Halo is the first Hybrid Fractional Laser that basically gives you incredible results without surgery. It’s geared towards someone who is wanting to improve on skin tone and texture, stimulate collagen and reduce fine lines, wrinkles and pores (I know, basically everyone). And the “downtime” is minimal - most people have their treatment before the weekend and return to work on Monday.
The day of the procedure I went in to the office where they applied a topical anesthetic. After an hour numbing I was brought in to begin the treatment. I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect - apparently people experience a wide range of sensations based on their varying pain thresholds. Most patients don’t feel any discomfort at all during the treatment, but I tend to be quite a baby about the mere suggestion of pain. My experience was like a sensation of a sparkler being held close to my skin. It wasn’t painful, more like a bit uncomfortable. But after twenty short minutes, the treatment was over.
And then the heat began. When I stood up from the chair my face was absolutely on fire. They assured me it would only last for about an hour and sent me home with an Evian spray and promises of how much I was going to love the results. Once the heat subsided it was so much more bearable, as if I had only been sunburned - it was tight and very warm. {When my husband first saw me at home he said it looked like I had been floating on a raft in the middle of the ocean for three days - to which I responded, “That’s exactly what it feels like.”}
DAY TWO : I woke up and momentarily wondered what I’d done. My face was very red and swollen and there were little black specks everywhere {which are referred to as “peppering”}. This was the most satisfying part though, when the pigmentation is working its way out of your skin and fresh skin is being regenerated. I had been sent home with post procedure products and I followed the directions from cleanser to serum, hydrating as often as possible because I can’t stand for my skin to feel dry.
DAY THREE : My skin felt super tight and a little itchy. It was even more peppery than the day before and felt like sandpaper to the touch.
DAY FOUR : Flaking like crazy. This was my worst day for going out in public. You’re allowed to wear makeup at this point but honestly, wearing it looks worse than not wearing any at all. I could see little patches of fresh skin though and it was the smoothest, prettiest skin I’ve had since I was a baby.
DAY FIVE : I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The flaking was almost gone and I was no longer wondering what I had done to myself but realizing why this is the new go-to for great skin. My skin was plumper and glowing. I didn’t even want to put on foundation because my skin was evened out and didn’t need it.
This treatment gives what they call the “Halo Glow” because it stimulates collagen production and restores a glow to dull skin. And the amazing thing is, the results last. You do have to commit to protecting your new skin with sunscreen (which I now carry on my person like an epi-pen), but this isn’t a treatment where the results fade after a few weeks - they actually continue to improve. I ended up having two treatments - the number of treatments is based on your skin tone and texture and your desired result. But I can’t believe what it did to my skin. All the melasma from my pregnancies, all the damage from years of trying to get just a little “sunkissed,” all the smile lines that had been working their way down my cheeks, all the redness that had made my skin perpetually uneven is just GONE.
Working in the beauty industry I tend to not be easily impressed by things that claim to be new, exciting or promise transformative results - but this time you can color me impressed. The truth is we’re all going to continue to spend money on bottles of anti-aging, lightening, brightening this or that for years to come. It makes sense to invest in something that will actually yield visible results, something that makes your skin look like it lost a few decades.
The French have a beauty rule : skin first, makeup second. They establish such regimented skincare routines and in the long run need less makeup because of it. I’m here for it - and now I definitely feel like I’m rocking the best version of my skin in my 40‘s.
***applies sunscreen while ordering a latte + a croissant***
***My aesthetician is Cheryl Houser at the office of Dr. Jason Hall, Knoxville Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery. https://drjasonhall.com/
CREDITS :
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/fashion/15French.html
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/what-french-women-get-right-about-aging-well