Countless summers spent soaking up the sun’s rays can take a serious toll on your skin. After years of UV exposure, you may notice more wrinkles, freckles, brown spots, uneven pigmentation, or sagging skin.
Laser treatments offer dramatic, skin-rejuvenating results, but there are many different lasers to choose from. Depending on your skin type, the extent of damage you wish to treat, and your available downtime, some laser resurfacing treatments may better suit your needs more than others.
When considering whether to have laser resurfacing treatments, our experienced laser treatment specialists at Citrine Medspa in Lincoln, NE, can answer all your questions. First, it’s important to understand all your options to ensure we help you achieve gorgeous, healthy skin!
How does laser resurfacing work?
One of the most popular lasers we use at Citrine Medspa to treat many skin concerns uses two different wavelengths: ablative and non-ablative. With an intelligent energy delivery, this laser ensures precise, even, safe treatments, while remaining comfortable to you.
This unique hybrid fractional laser is called the Halo® laser, and has been widely commended for its effectiveness in medical aesthetic clinics across the country.
Ablative wavelengths remove the epidermal (surface) layer, which can produce the most dramatic skin resurfacing results. This laser promotes collagen formation and retraction of the dermis and epidermis to tighten the skin.
Non-ablative wavelengths are not nearly as aggressive, but can treat the skin for other conditions such as acne, enlarged pores, sun damage, uneven skin tone, and even reduce hair growth. Non-ablative treatments available at Citrine Medspa include Forever Young BBL™ photofacials, BBL HERO® body treatments, and SkinTyte II™.
By combining both wavelengths together into one device, the Halo laser is extremely effective for our clients who want to improve the skin on their face, neck, hands, and chest.
Who is the best candidate for Halo laser resurfacing treatments in Lincoln?
If you have begun to notice, and feel bothered by the signs of aging, things like dark pigmentation, uneven skin tone, or enlarged pores, and you do not mind a treatment that may require several days or more of downtime, you should meet with our laser treatment specialists.
Thanks to our advanced Joule X laser platform by Sciton, we can customize your Halo laser treatment entirely to your specific needs, including balancing the aggressiveness of the treatment to put you in more control of your recovery time.
During your initial consultation for Halo laser treatments, we will evaluate your health & medical history, explain the Halo treatment process, and go over all your questions to ensure you are an ideal candidate for our Halo laser treatment.
What happens during a laser treatment?
Preparation
After your consultation & thorough skin analysis, we will determine if the Halo laser will best meet your goals and schedule your appointment. We will also provide you with all necessary pre-treatment instructions.
In the time leading up to your Halo laser treatment at Citrine Medspa in Lincoln, we suggest that you:
- Avoid dermal filler injections for 1 to 2 months before and after your Halo procedure.
- Avoid waxing, facials, hair removal (threading, electrolysis, etc.), extensive sun exposure, or any other laser treatments to the area we will treat at least a week prior to your procedure.
- Stop using topical skin treatments (with the exception of a gentle cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen) three days before the treatment.
Discuss aspirin or other blood thinning medication you are taking during your consultation with your laser specialist at Citrine.
Pre-Treatment
On the day of your Halo laser treatment, you should arrive at our office with a clean, dry face and wearing comfortable clothing. We will first apply a topical numbing cream, which will remain on the skin for about an hour to minimize any discomfort the laser may cause.
The Procedure
For the laser treatment, you will sit or lie down and we will protect your eyes with special safety shields. Your laser specialist will then treat the area(s) of your skin section by section, rolling the laser device’s handpiece in a criss-cross pattern until the treatment is complete.
Note: Facial treatments take approximately 35 to 45 minutes, chest or neck treatments are approximately 20 minutes, we can treat hands in 15 minutes or fewer, and some body zones can take up to 90 minutes.
Risks, recovery, and side effects of Halo laser treatments
Since we tailor the laser procedure to each individual’s needs, each client responds differently to Halo laser resurfacing treatments at our medspa in Lincoln.
Typically, clients’ skin will appear red and swollen immediately after the treatment, and may feel like a sunburn. The skin may also appear more bronzed over the next few days while the treatment’s effects on hyperpigmentation resolve themselves.
Important post-treatment care to expect includes:
- Sleep with your head elevated to minimize swelling.
- Use cool water compresses to reduce swelling.
- Avoid strenuous exercise and sweating until skin has healed.
- Do not use any cleansing devices or brushes (i.e. Clarisonic or Foreo), exfoliating scrubs, or other topical products for at least 10 days following your treatment.
- Avoid any UV exposure for 24 hours.
- Use sunscreen (SPF 30+) religiously starting the day after treatment.
Halo procedures typically require you to take 2 to 5 days off work (or work from home!) and other social activities, depending on your healing response and the depth and extent of treatment.
Results
Most clients don’t notice results from their Halo treatment right away. Results can take a few days to appear, and the improvement process continues for many months afterward 🙌
As the skin heals and regenerates tissues and collagen, clients notice diminished lines & wrinkles, less noticeable pores, a more even complexion, and tighter, more radiant skin.
With adequate sun protection, healthy skin care practices, and regular evaluations & treatments at Citrine Medspa, clients can make the results of their Halo laser resurfacing treatments last for years!
What med spa treatments complement Halo laser treatments?
At Citrine Medspa, we can combine many of our services for harmonious effects, creating more dramatic results, and giving you beautifully healthy skin.
Keep reading for our aesthetic specialists’ recommendations for treatments that pair well with Halo laser resurfacing:
Botox® & Dermal Fillers
If you want to banish your most stubborn wrinkles, combine injectables like Botox and fillers with your laser resurfacing treatment!
Botox, a neurotoxin injectable, minimizes laugh lines & nasolabial folds, relaxes deep frown lines & forehead creases, lifts drooping brows, hides crow’s feet, and more.
Dermal fillers like Juvéderm® or Restylane® use hyaluronic acid (HA) to support and boost tissue volume. We can also use fillers to plump lips, treat wrinkles, rejuvenate aging hands, improve facial contours, and correct facial asymmetry. Some fillers, like Sculptra®, can even boost collagen production in your skin for longer-lasting results.
When should I book it?
There are different advantages to having Botox or dermal fillers injected either before or after your laser resurfacing treatments.
We typically recommend our clients have their injectable treatments performed first, since these products affect the skin’s subdermal layer, we can get a more accurate idea of where your natural folds, wrinkles, and lines lie.
It is important to wait at least 2 weeks after injection before having a Halo laser resurfacing treatment to allow the skin to heal properly.
RF Microneedling
RF Microneedling is a treatment that uses tiny needles to penetrate the skin and deliver radiofrequency energy to precise depths. When the skin is punctured and the dermal (deep) layer feels the heat, it sends your body into “repair mode” to generate new collagen and skin tissue. These effects revitalize and plump the skin over time.
Additionally, when your pores are open, they allow a much easier channel for your skin to soak up all the refreshing ingredients in the post-treatment serums we infuse into the skin.
When should I book it?
Once the skin has completely healed after a series of RF microneedling treatments, clients may choose to undergo a Halo laser resurfacing at Citrine Medspa to treat deeper sun damage, wrinkles, or scars.
Alternatively, regular RF microneedling treatments may be a great maintenance plan for clients who have had Halo laser resurfacing and wish to continue to minimize sun damage and achieve glowing, gorgeous skin.
Why visit Citrine Medspa for our Halo laser in Lincoln?
When choosing the right place for laser resurfacing treatments, it is extremely important to select a medical aesthetic venue that has the highest client safety and clinical training standards.
At Citrine Medspa, we make sure we offer our clients treatment options that will be safe and effective for them, whether it’s Halo, BBL, injectables, or a different kind of cosmetic procedure. Dr. Ashley Fratello, a board-certified physician with extensive experience and training in offering aesthetic treatments, also oversees our treatments.
Citrine is proud to be the premier medical spa in Lincoln. Trained aesthetic specialists perform our consultations and treatments, so you can rest assured knowing you are in the most skilled and practiced hands in the region.
Schedule your consultation for Halo laser treatments in Lincoln, NE today!
If you have sun damage, brown spots, wrinkles, or sagging skin you would like to address, come to Citrine Medspa today. We can help!
We offer the latest technology in laser resurfacing and we want to help you treat your concerns to achieve beautiful skin you can be proud of.
Use our online virtual consultation tool to learn more about all our treatments or request an appointment today.