CLEAR THE WAY

Pigmentation is right up there as a skin gripe. This high-tech treatment promises clearer and more radiant skin in days

THE ISSUE: Pigmentation

THE TREATMENT: Clear + Brilliant laser

WHERE TO GET IT: All Saints Skin Clinic, Sydney; allsaintsclinic.com.au.

THE LOWDOWN: Clarity is said to be a signifier of youth – even more than the lack of wrinkles and lines. So when the pigmentation from those carefree (and, yes, sometimes sunscreen-free) days of my teenage years started cropping up on my cheekbones, I booked in for a session of Clear + Brilliant to get some clarity back. This face-refreshing “baby” fractional laser treatment is a great option to add oomph to your monthly facial when you can’t schedule days of downtime. It’s perfect for buffing off pigmentation, but also helps stimulate collagen and shrink the appearance of pores. Factor in around a week of rough, sandpapery skin and mild flakiness, but even a single treatment will deliver clearer, smoother skin and a boost in radiance. To really tackle pigmentation and other skin gripes longer term, though, the experts recommend at least three treatments, one month apart.

WHAT TO EXPECT: After applying numbing cream 45 minutes before my treatment, the technician passes the specialised laser head over my face section by section to produce thousands of tiny but deep columns into the dermis. This micro-wounding prompts the skin to rebuild itself, creating new collagen and discarding unwanted hyper-pigmented cells. The numbing cream dulls the sensation to a tolerable prickly heat, which admittedly feels pretty burny after the second pass of the laser. The treatment takes about 20 minutes, so I didn’t have to brave it for too long, and the technician applied a soothing balm at the end. Day one, my skin felt hot, uncomfortable and a little inflamed. Although you could go to work (or the school gate), you probably won’t want to. But 24 hours later, I looked almost normal again, apart from a subtle ruddiness and a roughness on the surface. That lasted about a week and my skin looked dull and patchy, particularly on the areas of my face where I had surface pigmentation. Skin can flake but mine didn’t.

THE RESULTS: Two weeks after the first treatment, my skin looked brighter and clearer. People even commented that my skin was glowing; perhaps that was the collagen kicking in. I also felt a definite improvement of my skin’s texture, which felt softer and smoother to touch. And I like the fact that this treatment can be used anywhere on the body, so it’s ideal for pigmentationprone areas such as the décolletage or the backs of arms.

COST:$395 per treatment.