In my blog post, The Ultimate Guide to Non-Invasive Skin Tightening and Natural Elasticity Boosters, I review all the tools I have been using for years that help promote youthful skin without the downtime and pain! After discussing some of my skin concerns with Dr. Brucker in San Diego, I decided I was ready to try out some bigger guns. He suggested using the Halo and BroadBand Light (BBL) lasers together to address my sun spots, uneven skin tone, broken blood vessels and fine lines. He explained that while both these lasers are Individually powerful, the real magic happens when these two treatments are combined for some next level results! In the past, I had been hesitant to give these bigger lasers a try because I am more prone to experiencing hyperpigmentation due to my darker complexion and thick, oily skin. Dr. Brucker suggested that I use a light Retinol cream for a few weeks prior to my procedure to help prevent any possible hyperpigmentation. If you are curious about what this tag team can do for your skin and what my personal experience was like then read on!
Procedure/Process
When combining both of these lasers in one visit, the BBL laser is done first and then they apply some numbing cream to your face and you sit for about 45 minutes until the effects of the cream kick in before starting the Halo. They don’t numb your face for the BBL because they don’t want to go too heavy on the intensity and want you to be able to feel when it is too strong so that they can scale it back if necessary. While each laser only takes about 20 to 30 minutes each, plan on being there for about 2 hours because of the numbing cream in between! As for the cost of these lasers, it was a total of $2,500 for both my face and neck. If you only do your face, you can expect to pay $1,800 to $2,000 for the duo.
BroadBand Light (BBL)
The BBL is amazing for vanishing sunspots, age spots, redness, and vascular issues. It utilizes intense pulsed light (IPL) technology to target specific skin concerns by delivering precise light energy into the skin, gently heating the targeted areas to stimulate natural regeneration. The laser settings can be adjusted to help target your individual skin concerns so that you get the best results possible. The BBL handpiece is applied to the skin to target pigmentation irregularities, stimulate collagen production and promote natural regeneration by delivering pulses of light, some heat and then a zap (which feels like a rubber band was snapped to your face). While it wasn’t super painful, there were certain areas of my face and neck that were more sensitive, especially along the jawline. When it was done, my face was a little red but nothing major.
Halo Laser
The Halo Laser is the big daddy laser of the duo because its main purpose is to inspire growth of new collagen and elastin, while also addressing fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, enlarged pores, and uneven skin tone all at once – it really gets the job done! The Halo laser, a hybrid fractional laser, has a unique dual-wavelength technology that targets both the surface and deeper layers of the skin. The process involves tailoring the treatment based on your individual skin concerns and then measuring facial dimensions to determine how long the laser should treat each section of the face. Once I was fully numb, they rolled the laser down all four sections of my face (both cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose) and my neck, creating micro-injuries to kickstart the skin’s collagen production and promote the regeneration of new, healthier skin. The way this laser rolls on your skin made it slightly less painful than the BBL, but maybe it was because there was also numbing cream involved. While there were certain areas of my face and neck that were more painful than others, the procedure went quickly and as they say, no pain, no gain right? It honestly wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It was totally do-able and less painful than the Ultherapy treatment.
What to Expect Post Procedure & Downtime:
Everyone’s experience will vary here based on their skin type and pain tolerance but my personal experience in terms of pain and downtime was pretty minimal and a lot less than I had expected. Immediately after the procedure, my skin was bright red and was BURNING. I only had this intense burning sensation for about an hour and then it just felt like a sunburn for the next day. They send you home with some steroids for swelling, hydrating water spray, heavy duty moisturizer and sunscreen. The next day, my face was only slightly red and swollen but I was able to go out in public equipped with a hat and some sunscreen. On day 2 and 3, I started to get what they refer to as coffee grounds all over my face and neck. Interestingly enough, these “coffee grounds” were all the skin damage above and below my skin that were coming to the surface to peel off. Pretty crazy but I could start to see a clearer complexion in between these coffee grounds. By Day 4, these dark spots felt rough and dry and started to peel. Day 4 and 5 were the worst because of the peeling and dry sensation of everything coming to the surface. By day 6, most of the peeling was done and my skin was looking good! Even on the worst days, I was able to go out in public and it wasn’t very noticeable – mostly because my skin is olive/dark in complexion and it wasn’t a stark contrast compared to the coffee grounds. I think if you have a fair complexion, it is likely to be more noticeable for a few days post procedure. Overall, I had planned on having to hibernate for a week but I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to carry on with my usual daily activities; I just avoided going out socially until it was over because I didn’t feel too cute!
Why Combining Halo & BBL Works
When both the Halo and BBL treatments are combined, this powerhouse combination addresses a broader spectrum of skin concerns, effectively treating both surface imperfections and underlying deep skin layer issues. Halo sets the stage for skin rejuvenation, while BBL targets specific pigment-related concerns and promotes a more even skin tone. Overall, I was very happy with the results I got from these two lasers. What I notice the most post treatment is that my complexion is clearer, skin tone is more even, fine lines softened and broken blood vessels are gone. Mission accomplished. When combining these treatments, you can expect improved texture, tone, faded pigmentation, and a beautiful glow. The longevity of results depends on your skincare routines, sun protection practices, and lifestyle factors. However, as long as you keep up with periodic maintenance treatments (suggested on an annual basis), you can keep the glow going!
