I have been documenting my skin issues on the blog since I started blogging over 4 years ago! Most recently, Kendall Jenner has been in the news talking about Laser Genesis. Over the last six-months, I’ve been learning a lot about lasers – how they work, why they work, and this has lead me to trying a few key treatments, one of which has been fractional laser at Pure Light Laser. I have some acne scarring which has left me with noticeable texture, and I’ve been working with Rita, the owner of Pure Light Laser, to reduce my problem areas. I’ve found her knowledge to be so powerful for me, so I wanted to get her insight on lasers, skin care and treatments for YOU! Catch up with my process, and read my first post about my treatments, here.

Who is a candidate for laser skin resurfacing?

Skin resurfacing has changed the last 8 years. The new non-ablative fractionated technology allows all the work to be done underneath the skin. Having the laser non-ablative allows every skin type and colour to be a candidate. This includes the currently popular Laser Genesis, which resurfaces the skin over time. The 1540 fractional laser that we do for resurfacing has very little down time and is very safe with amazing results. 1540 fractional is like a bingo dabber – it lightly touches the skin up and down and is almost 40% less painful than other fractionated technologies, yet extremely effective at treating texture related concerns.

What are the different types of laser you offer?

All the lasers we have a Pure Light laser are safe . We have intense pulse light laser (IPL) for Photofacials – this works well on sunspots and tiny capillaries. It absorbs the sunspot and brings it up to the surface and then it flakes off without having to burn into the skin, so there is less time healing is involved.   Pure Light Laser also uses IPL  for laser hair removal . We started off in the industry with intense pulse light, and I prefer it because we can get all the stages of hair growth with this technology. Some technologies only work on thicker darker hair, but this technology also works on softer and light brown hair. My laser also  has a chiller which is patent by Palomar and most lasers do not have this technology. This offers a more comfortable experience when doing laser hair removal. Most clients find my laser less painful.

What is the one product every woman needs in their routine? 

The one product every woman needs is a 10% Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) cream (we sell ProDerm, and the 10% night cream is phenomenal). It truly brightens up your skin because of the exfoliation properties in less than three days and you need very little so it last you a long time.

How can we age gracefully? How do lasers and skin care fit in to this process?

We can age gracefully by remembering to exfoliate our skin. The clients that come in for regular microdermabrasions with me for the last 20 years they truly have aged very well. Microdermabrasion is a facial that uses a diamond head to exfoliate vigourously. If you use  products at home like a AHA or Glycolic to exfoliate, and Vitamin C to remove the dead skin, the skin will stay more youthful. Vitamin C not only exfoliates, but it is a strong antioxidant to stop the free radicals from damaging the skin. Laser Genesis treatments with the 1540 Fractional Laser is something to consider using to boost the collagen and control texture.

How should someone deal with pigmentation scars? What about texture in the skin, whether that be scars, or fine lines?

Pigmentation scars can only be treated with a take home product not by laser . The take home product I recommend is the Zo Brightenex that is developed by a dermatologist .

Textures and scars in the skin can be treated effectively by the 1540 fractional. Usual 2-4 treatment are needed once a month .

Rita, you are a small business owner and I’d love to hear why you do what you do, who your clients are, what drives you!

I love helping boost up people’s confidence. I came into this industry 23 years ago when  I also suffered from acne. I know firsthand how it feels to be not as confident inside and how this effect you daily. I was one of the first laser cosmetic technologists in Vancouver and the industry has changed a lot since the time I started. Some of the changes have been positive others not as positive and I find some clinics  push things on clients that perhaps they do not truly need. I always give very accurate truthful advice and guide people to what they are wanting to achieve. I opened my own clinic to offer more affordable prices to clients wanting to seek out scar revision and acne reduction treatments because I truly want my service to be a solution.  I love when my clients give me the biggest hug when they see how much their skin has improved. This truly drives me!

Would you consider lasers? I hope this has helped demystify some of it for you!