My CO2 Laser Journey

 

Full transparency, I had CO2 Laser Resurfacing around 8 weeks ago, which has flown by and it has been a whirlwind of a an experience, although it knew what I was getting my self into it still gave me a slight shock. 

I initially saw Amy and Dillon for a consultation to discuss my options and was keen on the CO2 Laser. I have always had sun damaged skin due to being a serious sunbed worshipper, which having know how much it would damage my skin and cause me to look older I would have never used them, I wish I could show my younger self what I would look like after using them for several years, a scare it would be! Along with the sun damage I know have started, over the past few years, to get crapey lines, excess skin around my eyes and smile lines (I am a super chatty and smiley person). At first they didn't bother me but they have only gotten worse with time. When I saw Amy and Dillon to go through my options they explained ageing in a way I have never been told before and gave me a thorough explanation into the harm the sun, sunbeds and not a lot of skincare can cause on my skin. I was totally blown away by the amount of knowledge these two had and felt really inspired to take some extra me time to help progress my results and make sure I get the most out of the investment into healthier looking skin. They gave me option including SkinTightTM, Deep chemical peels and CO2 Laser. I already knew that CO2 Laser would be the best choice for me. They showed me before and afters along with what downtime to expect. 

I left the consultation with some Alumier Medical Skincare which can I say wasn't as pricey as what I would have expected a high end medical skincare to be. I could even compare the prices to other higher end over the counter products. Although I have only used them for around 3 weeks I can truly say that they are one of the nicest, cleanest and result driven products I have ever used. My skin has looked healthier even with just using them for 3 weeks, I am starting to feel more like me again. 

On treatment day I was super anxious with it being my first time having anything done. Haven't even started any Botox or fillers yet! Before we proceeded Amy and Dillon discussed over the treatment again in depth and made sure I remember my aftercare. I already felt reassured and a lot calmer by this point. A mixture of numbing creams was applied prior with some cling film which stops the cream from drying out and stopping working. A perfect look for Halloween if I had only been a few weeks later! Once the numbing cream had time to do its magic it was time for treatment, the time flew by with relaxing music and nice warming yet relaxing spa scent that made me feel tranquil and relaxed. 

After the numbing cream was taken off any my skin cleansed I was ready and prepped for the treatment. For the CO2 Laser I was offered 2 types of eye shields to protect my eyes from the laser. A pair of sunbed like goggles, which would mean I couldn't have all my eyes lasered as close as I would like or some eye shields that go over my eye ball, which meant they could get super close the eyes lids / lash line without being worried about my eyes. As apprehensive as I was with the second option I went for it and can honestly say they look worse than they are and was very comfortable with the numbing drops applied prior. I wanted the best outcome possible so I went for a deeper laser than most, which was slightly uncomfortable but very manageable. The worst part was the smell of my skin burning! Although I was explained of this, I got a nostalgic feeling of the sunbed frying my skin, although this time with a positive effect and hopefully undoing some of the damage pre-existing. After my forehead was done, I could start to feel a niggling heat coming from within, which the pair had explained with trapped thermal energy from the CO2 Laser. I could only describe it as a sunburn like feel, which gradually peaked with intense heat and settled down very quick. Overall, the treatment and heat post treatment wasn't bad at all. 

My CO2 Recovery was probably the worst part of it. The CO2 Laser left my skin feeling sore, dry and itchy which with great distractions I didn’t notice too much. The CO2 Laser gave me some mild swelling and I had a bit of leakage out of my skin, Amy and Dillon did foreworn me that this is Plasma from the blood, a great cell that helps with healing. But what started out as looking rather scary turned out to be very easy to manage and settled loads by around 3 days later. 

Although I could see an initial difference from the CO2 Laser at around 2 weeks, I would honestly say that now, around 8-9 weeks post CO2 Laser treatment, my skin has never looked better. I have a constant glow, radiance and always get compliments on my skin. I would without a doubt recommend CO2 Laser at NU SKN in Hull. CO2 laser is worth every penny and Amy & Dillon are incredible!