Every now and then a treatment is invented and brings us a step closer to dreamy complexions of Korean popstars. In this case I was even more amazed because the treatment came in the comfort of a photofacial, without any downtime.
I won’t lie, I think I am a facial addict. Fact is for a small price every 3 to 4 weeks, I have a facial done to reset things a little for my skin – to clean out my pores and to brighten my skin. These days, facials have been thoroughly re-invented and unlike just the usual scrub, extraction and mask, some medi-spas now incorporate safe, quick, medical-grade skin fixes for skin problems or anti-aging ultrasound, radiofrequency or light-based treatments.
Read more: What Really Happens To Your Post Pregnancy Body
SW1 Clinic’s Red Carpet Illumi Facial
The Illumi Facial is a 90-minute photofacial. For those of you who don’t know, photofacials are skin treatments that use light-based technology (most frequently the intense pulsed light, IPL) for various skin rejuvenation objectives. And in case you haven’t heard, there is a better and more advanced version of the IPL, the broadband light (BBL). Now why the BBL is so good warrants a separate post. In essence, it harnesses the power of light to remove or lighten pigmentation, brightens skin instantly. Hmm I know what you are thinking, doesn’t that sound like the IPL? What sets the BBL apart is that it is truly the multi-tasking light device. In addition to the ability to treat different pigments, it also has an anti-aging infra-red module as well as a special wavelength to treat acne.
After some basic cleansing, my therapist applied some numbing cream on my face. She explained that the treatment is actually quite comfortable without any real need for numbing, so this step is solely to ensure comfort. 10 minutes later, I was brought to one of their four spacious laser rooms for my BBL treatment. Cold gel was applied generously to my face – it was so cold but I knew that this would protect my skin further from the heat of the treatment. She then started the BBL treatment, going about my cheeks, chin and my forehead once, and then there was a short pause, and then focused on my lower face with swift, upright motions from jawline to cheekbone. Apparently the second treatment was the infra-red Skin Tyte module of the Forever Young BBL, which has been shown in studies to actually rejuvenate ageing genes of the skin, resulting in reversal of wrinkles! Because it was infra-red, the handpiece felt warm (but not hot), rather like a hotstone massage or gua-sha facial, but with a gentler touch.
I was then led back to my private suite where 2 masks were applied, the first was for firming and lifting (with a lovely hand massage) and the second was an aloe vera gel which would calm my skin down quickly. This was followed by sonophoresis of 2 vitamins, cleverly using sound waves to enhance penetration. My therapist chose Vitamin C for healing and whitening and hyaluronic acid which would plump up my skin with hydration and soften my skin further.
Finally, LED red light was applied for approximately 20 minutes for anti-aging and skin brightening benefits.
Read More: Anti-aging secrets of the ultra-rich
My Results
I definitely noticed a tighter jawline (wow!) and a glow I hadn’t noticed before. The skin felt soft and looked nourished – like I just got back from a lovely winter holiday and had tonnes of sleep! If only I could wake up looking like this everyday, I wouldn’t need to wear any makeup.