page 99 X metropolitan weddings X Summer / fall 2021
What is Erbium laser ? It is a surface level resurfacing designed to help lines , wrinkles and damaged skin . It can be used not just on the face , but also : neck , chest , hands and legs . The ' laser peel ' resurfacing removes the outermost layer of the skin , revealing your smoother and younger appearing skin underneath . This procedure would also be great for acne scars , age spots or overall dull skin . It also stimulates the production of collagen and elastin ! Hello collagen , bring on the youthful fullness !
Procedure Prep : There may be pre-procedure stuff to go over , but this will be different for each individual . When you book your appointment , they will give you the info you need to prep . I didn ' t have much to do prior . My first step was to wake up and get out the door which was super easy , because for this treatment I needed a clean face and no makeup ! Once I got to the office , they had me take some ' before ' pics before doing a facial cleansing and applying a numbing cream . I hung out and checked my emails for a bit while that cream did it ' s job , then when I felt pretty numb – it was time !
The Procedure : I was actually a little nervous , because I hadn ' t done this before and I didn ' t know what to expect using a laser ... but like I said ... so much trust . It ' s about a 20-30 min . process , so they had me lay down . Next , they removed the cream and cleansed my face again . Since they use a laser you will wear goggles ( like you would at a tanning bed ). After getting those adjusted , it was time to get zapped . I know you are going to have a hard time believing this , but really I felt nothing at all ! It was painless . There was zapping noise and this magical cooling wand that puffed cool air – like an ethereal cloud – on my face periodically . That was pretty much the whole process . They completed my face and neck , then it was time to go . It was that easy .
pro tip
You could bring your earbuds and listen to your favorite playlist to drown out the sound of the zapping if you are really thinking ahead !
Post Procedure : I had a dull headache and my eyes were blurry from wearing the goggles , but both of those side effects were minimal and short lived . I was completely fine and able to drive myself home after a couple of minutes . We ran through a couple of reminders to keep my skin healthy during the healing – things like : use a fresh pillow case , keep my hands clean to touch my face . They even cleaned my phone .
Night One : Now , I am not going to lie . I looked a little red – OK a lot red . I am fair skinned and get really sunburned when I go outside so I am not sure how red everyone will get , but I was pretty red . The next couple of hours were really the only parts I could have lived without . Oh , the things you will do for youth ... right !? At the 2 hour mark , my face was cooling off and started to feel a bit tight . I would describe it as a mild irritation . For the rest of the day , I applied the products from the epionce essential recovery kit .
In the recovery kit , there were different products and an instruction sheet for when to use them along the road to healing . Keeping your face hydrated is essential and it feels amazing so you will be happy to apply the products .
pro tip
Stick with the many hours of research that has been done perfecting these post procedure products . Following the instructions , ( and not going rogue with your own products ) will reduce your healing time and produce the best possible results .
Day Two : Thank goodness , woke up the next day about 70 % less red ! No pain , but my neck was a touch tinder still . I was however starting to peel . This is a great thing , but also not my ' most attractive ' day . The top layer of skin was coming off to reveal the new dewy skin underneath . Continuing with all of the recovery kit products anytime my face felt tight again , I went about my day as normal . Felt fine !
Day Three : Today the redness was really more just in spots here and there . My face was a light pink , but probably most noticeable to me . The neck took the longest to return to my natural color for sure . Continuing on with the products – No pain !
Day Four & Five : By day four or five – my neck was the only part still really red . I was finishing up healing still as skin was still peeling off at it ' s own pace . I was excited to see the dewy skin revealing itself underneath though ! I felt like my skin looked fresh , my pores actually appeared smaller and I was excited about the results ! I called this part the heal , peel and reveal .
For questions or to find out about other treatment possibilities
right for you , contact the office of Dr . Bharat Shah : 417.742.7424 www . shahplasticsurgery . com