HALO Skin Laser is the HOTTEST skin-laser on the market today. It diminishes sun damage, fine lines & wrinkles, hyperpigmentation & improves skin texture! I did it last month!
I had the HALO Skin-Laser Done! Let’s talk…..
Ok party people! You know how much I LOVE all things skin care and skin beautifying! The fanciest clothes and all the make-up in the world are no match for flat-out fresh, healthy, glowing skin!
I mean, given the choice between a great pair of shoes or a skin-care treatment…..Skin care wins, hands down. I try…..no, I DO take super good care of my skin with a combo of Skin-Care Basics + monthly facials + an annual smattering of in-office procedures that include lasers (like the HALO), peels, MicroNeedling and the like. Ugh – I know. It sounds more exhausting than it is. I think.
Let’s talk HALO!!
The HALO skin-laser is THE hottest skin-laser on the market today. Top Derms and Cosmetic Surgeons are absolutely gushing over it because of the results it gives their clientele – many of whom happen to be celebrities, if you care. I had been hearing a lot of buzz about it, so of course I had to look into it and see what all the hype was about….and then I actually did it!
Here’s What it Does:
+ Halo is a Hybrid Fractional Laser, that combines an ablative laser (removes top layer of the skin) and non-ablative laser (heats up the underlying skin so your body produces more collagen, in a single pass.)
+ Having both ablative and non-ablative going at the same time gives more dramatic results & minimizes downtime. Sold!!
Here’s Why You’ll Love It:
+ It diminishes the appearance of sun damage, sun spots, uneven skin tone & texture, and hyperpigmentation.
+ It reduces visible signs of aging, like deep wrinkles, creases and age spots.
+ It improves scarring from acne, chickenpox, blemishes or injuries.
A friend of mine had the HALO with amazing results! Her skin literally improved by a good 30-40% after just one treatment. I practically twisted an ankle running to grab my phone to make a consult-appt with Brittany, my go-to Laser RN at La Jolla Cosmetic Surgery Centre, in San Diego.
After looking at my skin, we decided that the HALO would address hyperpigmentation (brown spots on my face that bug!) improve my chest redness plus improve the overall tone and texture of my skin. Yay!
Oh – I also wanted to fix some minor skin laxity on my neck and under my chin. I wanted to nip that sucker in the bud before it got really obvi ;-/ To tighten-up the skin on my neck and under the chin – she suggested the Ultherapy Treatment which is a non-surgical treatment to lift and tighten those areas! Fortunately, I was able to do BOTH at the same time which is a big deal to me – I hate downtime!
Here’s What Happened – The No Bullshit Scoop!
Per the usual – I don’t pull any punches on sharing! Here’s the real-deal inside scoop of my experience, followed by ALL the nitty-gritty deets you’ll need to know!
+ I HAVE ARRIVED
I arrived 1 hour before my scheduled 9:30am procedure. They took “before” photos, then led me into the procedure room where I changed into a gown. Not that kind of gown.
+ IT’S BRITTANY
Next, Brittany, my skincare RN (Nurse) came in to greet me with a big plate of cookies & bottled water. We were off to very good start. Next, she applied a topical numbing cream to the areas being treated, patiently walking me through a step by step timeline of what to expect, which I so appreciated! Even though she had gone over it with me prior – I was still nervous, so going over it again was super soothing and put me at ease! Oh, and the cookies didn’t hurt. Just sayin’.
+ DRUGS & NUMBING CREAM
….oh, and I downed the plate of cookies ;-/
Since I was also having the Ultherapy Treatment done, which is supposed to be umm, f***ing painful – I told her that I wanted every legal pain med known to woman – ha! No, seriously. So, she also administered a valium + a shot of Demerol, a pain medication. I think I dropped a couple f-bombs in the process. She claims not to remember, but I think she was just being nice. As the Demerol set it, I finished the whole plate of cookies. Ugh.
Ok – pics below are obviously no make-up & completely unfiltered, so that you can see a truthful representation of what’s going on. The pic on the left is what my skin looked like “before.” You can see that I have some light brown spots on cheeks & nose plus visible pores in between my eyebrows. On the right – they’ve slathered me in numbing cream!
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FEELIN’ HOT…NOT! -
LOTS of NUMBING CREAM PLEEZZZ!!
+ I CHILLED FOR 40 MINUTES:
I chilled for about 40 minutes as the Demerol and numbing cream took effect, and omg – it was fricking HI-LARIOUS!! The Demerol felt like a warm jacuzzi going through my body, then I just started to feel really wasted.
I thought this would be a great time to video-document my experience, but I kept forgetting what I was saying mid-sentence. A few times I just fell asleep in the middle of the video and the phone dropped – you know, basically a Saturday night in your 20’s.
+ Let the Gams Begin! THE PROCEDURES:
First, she performed the Ultherapy, which I basically slept through (thank god!). Didn’t feel a thing because of the Demerol. Without drugs, Ultherapy is very painful according to most anyone you talk to. I will always, always have drugs with this one. No shame in my game.
Next, we took a quick 5-minute restroom break before starting the HALO Laser procedure.
The HALO didn’t hurt a lick because of the Demerol. If you’re getting just the HALO on its own – the numbing cream might be sufficient, depending on your pain tolerance. Lasers on the face most always hurt, even with numbing cream. The HALO is very intense, so I honestly suspect that numbing cream isn’t strong enough if you don’t want to be gripping the sides of the chair. If you DO want something stronger than just numbing cream, ask. You’ll have to have a driver though, fyi.
+ HOW LONG DID IT TAKE?
Total time – from the time I literally walked into the office until walking out, was about 3.5 hours. That included checking in, time for the drugs to take affect (40-minutes), plus the 2 back to back treatments with a 5-minute break in between. Because of the pain meds, they require you have a driver for obvious reasons. So, Oliver drove me to and from my appointment. Good hubbie!
Side-note on the Cookie sitch…..
After pontificating that I wouldn’t need the cookies, because I try to stay away from sugar… I fricking scarfed down the entire plate, then grabbed 6 more from the cookie-tray in the lobby and stuffed them in my handbag. I just remember Oliver looking at me like, “what the heck are you doing?”
The 411!
Price + Downtime + Healing Process
+ THE PRICE
The HALO procedure was $2,575 for face, neck and chest. If you just want to do your face, it would be less. You don’t have to do all 3 areas. You can mix and match!
The Ultherapy Treatment was $3,500 for the lower face and full neck. Again, the price will depend on what areas you want done – neck, lower face, full face or a combo like I did.
Total cost for the Halo & Ultherapy procedures together = $6,075. I know, it’s not cheap. Prices will vary depending on where you live and the provider you use. This pricing is for La Jolla / San Diego, CA. I also went to a super reputable, well-known facility. Their pricing is fair given the market, experience and reputation.
+ THE DOWNTIME
I was not fit for public viewing for 5-7 days. During that time, I was super red, puffy, itchy, scratchy. NO going outside. The skin is raw and you cannot wear sunscreen. Only use the approved products they send home with you. After 4 days, I was still red and healing but it was no problem to at least go out and grab a coffee. See me below at Days 4 and 7……
Below – unfiltered, no-makeup (obvi)…. 4-days after, face is still slightly swollen. MENDS all over my face – those are tiny dark spots & bronzed skin appearance after Laser. It’s part of the healing process – tissue is working its way out of the body making way for regeneration of new fresh skin. We like that!!
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4-days after. Clearly I’m OVER IT! -
7-days after. Logi still loves me.
+ HEALING PROCESS
SKIN IS TIGHT, BRONZED & SPECKLY (like above) This is good & part of the healing process. The bronzing and brown speckles are called MENDS….this is basically unwanted pigment under the skin, coming to the surface. It’ll sluff off, revealing clearer, prettier skin. Skin is tight and itchy, feels like sandpaper. Clearly, I am OVER feeling itchy and gross!
+ NO MAKE-UP
I know. After a week you just want to feel normal again. Brittany gave me the green-light for make-up around day 7.
Below is DAY 10. You can see I’m still super flakey (and being a smart-ass, per the usual). I was out walking the dogs, and since it was way sunny I made SURE to slather myself in SPF 50, hide under a hat that’s bigger than me & scarf myself up like a mummy……I kinda looked like Cousin “It.” You know, all hair and a big hat.
+ 2-WEEK POST HYDROFACIAL!
My facility requires (which I appreciate) a 2-week post procedure check-up, to ensure proper healing and make sure you’re a happy camper! At that time, they give you a nice Hydrofacial to help restore moisture balance to the skin. Nice!
30-day VERDICT:
As I write, I am 30-days post-HALO. Even though you look totally normal, it takes a good 2-months for skin to truly re-balance & heal such that you can truly assess final results. Honestly, I can see that the light brown spots are lighter even now, and my skin tone & texture are definitely looking good!
If given the choice to do it again – without a doubt, I’d do it again. It’s good maintenance (I call it “keeping the dust off the windshield). I am planning to do it again next year – they say that optimally, once a year is great for maintenance. I hope they have the same cookies!!
I will post FINAL SKIN PICS at Month 2, so you can see!
Have you had the HALO or been thinking about it? Share your feedback below. Have a question for me? Just ASK
LOVE IT