Hi everyone!
It's been a while since I've blogged, and I'm excited to tell you guys about a recent treatment I did with Halley Medical Aesthetics; Pico Power of 3 Laser Treatment. If you haven't heard about Halley yet, they're an aesthetic clinic located in orchardgateway. They offer various treatments for the face such as face rejuvenation, lifting & contouring, acne & acne scar treatment, tattoo and hair removal. Their sister clinic, Halley Body Slimming Clinic offers body treatments such as weight management, fat reduction, body firming and muscle toning.
My skin has been suffering quite a bit the past few months, mostly from maskne and regular acne on my forehead, so Dr Mark Lim recommended the Pico Power of 3 Laser Programme for me. This laser treatment features 2 machines that treat the skin at 3 types of wavelengths; the Fotona StarWalker PQX Pico Laser provides both short (532nm) and long (1064nm) laser wavelengths while the PicoSure laser provides the 755nm wavelength.
This pico laser treatment is suitable for the following skin issues:
- Pigmentation (melasma, freckles and sunspots)
- Acne scars and blemishes
- Wrinkles and fine lines
Additionally, it helps to improve skin tone and texture, as well as rejuvenate the skin.
For my new readers, I used to work as a freelancer in the film industry, which meant a lot of irregular hours and potentially prolonged exposure to the sun and dust. Not to mention, long hours of mask wearing combined with perspiration. For the previous two months, I was also working at a cafe, so although it was indoors, the prolonged mask-wearing and perspiration really did not bode well for my skin!
I'd say I still have combination skin, but it's dry for the most part now, when previously I used to have oily-combination skin. I don't really think your skin type contributes to how the laser treatment will affect you, but I thought putting this piece of information in would be useful for those of you considering this treatment!
Watch the video below to see my consultation with Dr. Mark Lim and the treatment process!
Here, Dr. Mark is taking a look at my skin.
There were certain scars that he mentioned he would be going over with the longer wavelength. And you're probably wondering about what the different wavelengths treat, so here's a short breakdown:
532nm: Targets skin concerns like freckles and sunspots.
755nm: Rejuvenates the skin, removes fine lines and targets unwanted pigmentations on the skin. It will reduce the visibility of wrinkles and scars, while leaving the skin more refreshed and elastic.
1064nm: This penetrates the skin the deepest, mostly to target the deeper-lying pigments. It sounds scary but it is gentle enough for most delicate and Asian skin types.
They started the treatment off by cleansing my face.
And then going in with a layer of numbing cream.
For those of you who do not know what numbing cream feels like, I can tell you now, it's quite a bizarre feeling! I didn't realise how funny it would be to not feel your face - especially your lips! I'd describe is as a feeling that's similar to how you'd feel when you're just really bloated for the day, though I'm sure you wouldn't look like you're bloated - you just feel that way.
This was also my first experience with it, so I was definitely nervous but everyone at Halley was very warm and gentle, and I was able to take my time to ease in. They let the cream sit for a good 15minutes so I had a nice time relaxing while waiting for it to sit into my skin.
And the treatment began!
I wasn't sure what to expect, but all I can describe it as is: tiny pricks on your skin.
Some people describe it as being slapped by a rubber band multiple times, some say it's similar to multiple ant bites. I'm guessing my facial pain threshold is generally lower than other people because I did feel myself tear a tiny bit when Dr Mark went in with the longer wavelength. Then again, it was bearable and after a while, you get used to it. I also think the numbing cream really helped!
After the treatment, they went over my face with the Halley’s Brilliance Super Recovery Cream which helps to speed up skin healing especially after a laser treatment. It was followed by a sunblock to protect my skin against UV rays post-laser treatment.
Dr Mark mentioned to me that the downtime in general was about 1-2 days, and that I shouldn't wear makeup right after the treatment, but I could the very next day. How amazing is that downtime?! I was surprised that I wasn't red and swollen from the treatment as well. I did however, feel a lot of prickly sensations as the numbing cream wore off but it didn't really bother me too much.
2 Month Update:
I may have new acne spots but in general, you can see the complexion is brighter and the scar on my cheek has improved quite a bit!
I did document some of the progress on my instastories under 'Pico Laser', and I think the difference from my first and second treatment is pretty obvious! In the video above, you can definitely see my visible scars and pigmentations before treatment as well!
I'm actually quite amazed, I wasn't sure what to expect so seeing the changes happen by the first session was really a mood lifter. I didn't realise how much my skin's condition affected my self-confidence because I'm almost always wearing my mask instead of just slapping on makeup in desperation to cover the blemishes up. But seeing my skin look a lot clearer just made me feel better about myself!
I definitely recommend this treatment to those of you who are struggling with pigmentation or acne scars. I also had a huge scar from a mole removal when I was younger, which was a little red and itchy for about 3+ days, but after a while the redness went down and I could really see a difference.
Halley Medical Aesthetics
277 Orchard Road #03-15
orchardgateway
Singapore 238858
Opening Hours
10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Contact
Tel: +65 6737 8233
Website: www.halley.com.sg/jp
Facebook: www.facebook.com/halleymedicalaestheticsjapanese
Instagram: www.instagram.com/halleymedicalaestheticsjapan
I hope you guys enjoyed this blogpost! Thank you Dr Mark for being patient with my questions and for treating my skin!