PART ONE
Part Two-Halo Laser Treatment -Review
Part Two-Halo Laser Treatment -Review
In office skin preparation included a thorough cleaning (alcohol/gauze) administered by a friendly staff gal-and then a half hour hanging out with our face rather thickly covered with a topical numbing cream made of Lidocaine/Tetracaine-a white pasty compound made for Dr. Schwartz. We also took one Advil and one Tylenol though other patents opt for drowse inducing Valium or Percocet to ward off anrticipated pain.
The actual treatment is done while lying prone in a comfy room equipped with the Scion laser machine (looks like a space worthy command console)-with a robotic arm ending in a handpiece/tip where the laser emerges.
Our face was measured 2 x-by the Scion apparatus and Dr. Schwartz's ruler...with the data relayed to the HALO's built in tracking software. Accurateness of treatment assured-it's all high tech impressive! Once we donned the most comfy goggles we have ever worn in a laser session, the about 25 minute laser treatment began-starting with the forehead-which tends to be the most sensitive area-treated first.
Dr. Schwartz looks at how the skin reacts to the Halo laser---since this is a customized treatment-there isn't a standard for how many 'passes' a particular area gets 'zapped' (our expression). IMO-also underscores the need for an experienced Doctor who knows what he/she is doing when it comes to a skin treatment that is not a 'lunch time' no healer session.
PAIN-O-METER: Our 20% HALO treatment level was squirm free...earning a rating of one to four on a 1-10 scale (ten being Ultherapy worthy ouch-ness). The area above our lips -turned out to be the most sensitive part-but since there's a cooling technology built into the HALO laser (plus the topical anesthetic)-our procedure was very tolerable-and fast. Afterwards a burning sensation kicked in--eased by about 15 minutes of post procedure icy gauze applications (mask-like)...and an application of Avene's Cicalfate-a non-irritating post procedure moisturizing cream that is much nicer than that thick oitment-Aquaphor.
We were good to go 20 minutes afterwards...but some patients hang out longer for more icing protocol.
Lookwise, redness ruled our face for the first 40 or so hours post treatment....reminiscent of how our face looked after a day of snowboarding in the high altitude Rocky Mountains when -after a few AM face plants-we forgot to re-apply our sunscreen. Healing wise=similar, a day of crustiness followed by meaningful flaking skin (day 3), with the redness subsiding as the new skin emerged.
TIP:
The first night's burning which completely vanished in about 10 hours- was alleviated by sleeping with a fan blowing on our face. Additional icing wasn't necessary for us- but-as recommended in a detailed post procedure print-out from Dr. Schwartz's office-a 3x a day for the next 2 days (for us), we (re)applied Avene's Cicalfate after cleansing sensitive skin with soothing micellar water saturated cotton balls- and a spritz of Avene's thermal water. A non-irritating cleanser is recommended protocol-as is applications of sunscreen-a no brainer.....we always prefer physical block ones...Dr. Schwartz has an easy spread, zinc-oxide one we used, layered under a tinted one from Tizo. Minor swelling -a common side effect for a day or three-can be eased by sleeping with the head elevated and an anti-inflammatory like aspirin.
The only minor annoyance we had-was a bit of itching during the skin shedding phase-but not enough to scratch-which DUH-is a big no-no as is manually peeling off loose skin before it's 'natural' flake-off time.
IMO-the results after seven days-brown spot free skin :-) that's fresh looking-and the relative ease of the whole HALO treatment-we resumed our regular routine by the second day...are comparable to what one gal pal endured after an entire multi-month series of intense chemical peels. BUT our done in one, faster healing procedure seemed less risky, more accurate and yielded better (faster) results that we expect to prevent further signs of sun damage (with sunblock applications)-our reason for the session ...when the deeper- not visible skin layer rejuvenates. For another friend with deep facial wrinkles -and meaningful visible sun damage-we could imagine her benefiting from a series of more aggressive HALO treatments in addition to injectable fillers -which would be done two weeks prior-according to Dr. Schwartz -(one week for Botox).
NOTE: For skin right under/over the eye...a different kind of laser is used. And interestingly-men typically get a lighter HALO treatment...according to Dr. Schwatrz...as guys don't 'hide' under makeup.
COST of treatment-around $1500....
The 411 on HALO treatment-DR. SCHWARTZ including more before/after pictures.
The actual treatment is done while lying prone in a comfy room equipped with the Scion laser machine (looks like a space worthy command console)-with a robotic arm ending in a handpiece/tip where the laser emerges.
Our face was measured 2 x-by the Scion apparatus and Dr. Schwartz's ruler...with the data relayed to the HALO's built in tracking software. Accurateness of treatment assured-it's all high tech impressive! Once we donned the most comfy goggles we have ever worn in a laser session, the about 25 minute laser treatment began-starting with the forehead-which tends to be the most sensitive area-treated first.
Dr. Schwartz looks at how the skin reacts to the Halo laser---since this is a customized treatment-there isn't a standard for how many 'passes' a particular area gets 'zapped' (our expression). IMO-also underscores the need for an experienced Doctor who knows what he/she is doing when it comes to a skin treatment that is not a 'lunch time' no healer session.
PAIN-O-METER: Our 20% HALO treatment level was squirm free...earning a rating of one to four on a 1-10 scale (ten being Ultherapy worthy ouch-ness). The area above our lips -turned out to be the most sensitive part-but since there's a cooling technology built into the HALO laser (plus the topical anesthetic)-our procedure was very tolerable-and fast. Afterwards a burning sensation kicked in--eased by about 15 minutes of post procedure icy gauze applications (mask-like)...and an application of Avene's Cicalfate-a non-irritating post procedure moisturizing cream that is much nicer than that thick oitment-Aquaphor.
We were good to go 20 minutes afterwards...but some patients hang out longer for more icing protocol.
Lookwise, redness ruled our face for the first 40 or so hours post treatment....reminiscent of how our face looked after a day of snowboarding in the high altitude Rocky Mountains when -after a few AM face plants-we forgot to re-apply our sunscreen. Healing wise=similar, a day of crustiness followed by meaningful flaking skin (day 3), with the redness subsiding as the new skin emerged.
TIP:
The first night's burning which completely vanished in about 10 hours- was alleviated by sleeping with a fan blowing on our face. Additional icing wasn't necessary for us- but-as recommended in a detailed post procedure print-out from Dr. Schwartz's office-a 3x a day for the next 2 days (for us), we (re)applied Avene's Cicalfate after cleansing sensitive skin with soothing micellar water saturated cotton balls- and a spritz of Avene's thermal water. A non-irritating cleanser is recommended protocol-as is applications of sunscreen-a no brainer.....we always prefer physical block ones...Dr. Schwartz has an easy spread, zinc-oxide one we used, layered under a tinted one from Tizo. Minor swelling -a common side effect for a day or three-can be eased by sleeping with the head elevated and an anti-inflammatory like aspirin.
The only minor annoyance we had-was a bit of itching during the skin shedding phase-but not enough to scratch-which DUH-is a big no-no as is manually peeling off loose skin before it's 'natural' flake-off time.
IMO-the results after seven days-brown spot free skin :-) that's fresh looking-and the relative ease of the whole HALO treatment-we resumed our regular routine by the second day...are comparable to what one gal pal endured after an entire multi-month series of intense chemical peels. BUT our done in one, faster healing procedure seemed less risky, more accurate and yielded better (faster) results that we expect to prevent further signs of sun damage (with sunblock applications)-our reason for the session ...when the deeper- not visible skin layer rejuvenates. For another friend with deep facial wrinkles -and meaningful visible sun damage-we could imagine her benefiting from a series of more aggressive HALO treatments in addition to injectable fillers -which would be done two weeks prior-according to Dr. Schwartz -(one week for Botox).
NOTE: For skin right under/over the eye...a different kind of laser is used. And interestingly-men typically get a lighter HALO treatment...according to Dr. Schwatrz...as guys don't 'hide' under makeup.
COST of treatment-around $1500....
The 411 on HALO treatment-DR. SCHWARTZ including more before/after pictures.
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| SOURCE before/After-HALO treatment---Dr. Schwartz |