hyperpigmentation, acne scars and fine lines – be gone!
Whether you have hyperpigmentation like me, acne scars or fine lines and wrinkles that you'd like to get rid of, one of the fastest ways to get the job done is through laser treatments. Hyperpigmentation has haunted me all of my life and I'm constantly on a quest to brighten my skin. A few years ago, I tried Fraxel, which unless you have severe acne scarring, I would never recommend. It was brutal (see post here) and while my skin looked very clean after the healing, all of my hyperpigmentation eventually came back. Enter PicoSure, a laser that was recently FDA approved for facial resurfacing with seriously, no downtime.
When publicists ask me to cover the latest and greatest "lunchtime facial," that involves lasers, I laugh at the idea as there's really no such thing. However, this treatment is the closest I've ever found to it.
I've been working on removing an unwanted tattoo (maybe you saw on InstaStories) with Dr. Jeremy Brauer at the Laser and Skin Surgery Center of New York. He's been using PicoSure and even though my tattoo has been a bit stubborn, it's almost gone. During a recent visit, Dr. Brauer mentioned the same laser was FDA cleared for facial resurfacing and asked me if I wanted to try it. I was immediately skeptical, because I would never put my skin through a Fraxel-like treatment for hyperpigmentation again. As a beauty writer, I'll try anything a dermatologist recommends at least once and was cautiously optimistic.
Before
I arrived for my appointment an hour early and a numbing cream was applied to my face. After about 45 minutes, it was wiped off and Dr. Brauer preformed the treatment, which took a total of ten minutes. He used the same PicoSure device that he's been using for my tattoo removal, but the difference was in the focus lens. It works by injuring the skin in areas of evenly spaced high and low level energy (like Fraxel), but heals rapidly.
Pre & Immediately Post Treatment
Immediately after the procedure, my face was red like a sunburn and a bit swollen (see above). I ducked into the subway and hid behind a pair of oversized sunglasses. An hour later, it was back to normal and I was able to meet Joe out for dinner without worrying about looking like a burn victim. The next morning, my skin appeared brighter, the fine lines around my eyes were less noticeable and my pores were smaller.
The Day After
The difference in my skin after one treatment wasn't jaw dropping, like it was with Fraxel (after a week of downtime), but I appreciated the fact that there really wasn't any downtime or peeling. This type of facial resurfacing, depending on the severity of what you're trying to fix, takes several treatments in order to make a big impact. I plan on doing it again in four to six weeks to keep improving my skin's brightness and texture.
