Surface Work

“Performing synergistic treatments backto-back can provide even better results than doing each service separately.”

FOR TREATMENT OF TEXTURE, BROWN SPOTS AND SAGGING SKIN, YOUR BEST BET IS ONE OF THESE DERMAPPROVED DEVICES.

Laser Resurfacers

Those looking to improve skin’s texture can choose from a wide variety of lasers, both ablative (which remove thin layers of the skin) and nonablative (which leave the skin’s protective top layers intact). Clear + Brilliant, a nonablative laser, is one of the most popular treatments at Dr. Lupin’s practice. “It helps treat sun damage and improves the health and look of the skin,” he says. “It makes the skin stronger, not weaker, and minimizes pores and fine lines with no real downtime.”

PAIN LEVEL: 3/10. Arrive early to apply numbing cream.

DOWNTIME: Minor redness for a day, then roughness or flaking for about a week

TIMELINE: Your skin will glow in one week, but you will see best results after three treatments, each spaced three weeks apart.

COST: $ 300 per session

ColourCorrecting Lasers

If sun and age spots are dulling your complexion, or you’ve simply lost the even tone you once had, consider trying a picosecond laser, like Picosure or Pico Genesis. These tools blast hyperpigmentation into small particles, which are then eliminated by the body’s natural processes.

PAIN LEVEL: 2/10 DOWNTIME: Minor swelling and redness for a day or two TIMELINE: After one or two sessions, brown pigmentation is destroyed for good, though you’ll need to wear sunscreen daily to help prevent new brown spots. COST: $ 350 and up per session

Tighteners

To firm up sagging skin nonsurgically, a practitioner will use high levels of heat to target beneath the epidermis into the deeper dermis and subdermis. This is typically performed via Thermage, a radio-frequency device. “When you produce heat in the skin, you induce the formation of fibroblasts; these cells make collagen, which is a protein that promotes skin firmness and elasticity,” says Dr. Kellett. The heat will also tighten existing collagen fibrils, reducing skin laxity.

PAIN LEVEL: 5/10. A light sedative is usually required. DOWNTIME: None TIMELINE: Results last two to three years after one treatment. COST: $ 3,900 for the face and neck