I had my first Affirm SmartSkin CO2 treatment in early February of 2009 about one month after the laser became available for clinical use in the United States. I made the decision to have my first treatment because I had significant sun damage and hyper-pigmentation issues. I was also experiencing loss of volume around my mouth area; AKA: the nasolabial fold.
While I am not opposed to injections of filler, however as a laser aesthetics professional I would prefer to have the benefits of repairing old collagen, stimulating new collagen production, repairing sun damage, tightening the skin and the overall rejuvenation of my skin. The results from my first treatment were so remarkable I have certainly not felt the “need” for another one. Did I WANT another Affirm SmartSkin CO2 treatment? YES!!
With the big 5-0 around the corner and looming I want to repair as much as I can, prevent further photo-damage and aging, and look my very best!
I had my second Affirm SmartSkin Co2 treatment on August 28th, 2010. We did my entire face, neck and chest. We used a medium-high setting on my face and lowered the setting for my neck and chest to medium-low setting. We used a medium setting around the eye area.
Below: Before Photos:
Before -Left Side View
Before - Right Side View
Before Affirm SmartSkin CO2
As a skin care professional I take good care of my skin every day. However, I still pre-treated my skin for 30 days prior to my treatment with a professional strength exfoliating cleanser, Vitamin C serum, Rx HQ cream, and lots of those all important peptides!
Immediately after my treatment I experienced what most people do – a heat sensation for about an hour. On a scale of 1-10 with 1 being “insignificant heat” and a 10 being “extreme heat” – I would have said it was 3 or 4. It passed quickly and the rest of the evening my skin felt a little “prickly” and tight. I did not put anything on it that night other than a post laser ointment right before bed. I slept through the night with no problems.
Below are my “Day One Photos:
Day One - Front View
Day One - Left Side
Day One - Right Side
When I got up the morning of day one my skin was mildly red, dry and “sandpapery”. I had no discomfort or swelling to speak of with the medication we use for repressing the swelling. I washed my face with a hydrating gentle cleanser, applied a stem cell protein moisturizing product, and went about my day mostly staying home, but active with house chores and catching up on email. I applied moisturizer periodically during the day to keep my skin hydrated. I also applied cold washcloths when my skin felt “hot” or “prickly” – which it did several times throughout the day. Nothing very significant. In the evening I washed again with hydrating gentle cleanser, and applied the stem cell protein moisturizer again. For the most part I had very little discomfort on day oneand had no signs of peeling.
Below: Day Two Photos:
Day Two - Front View
Day Two - Left Side
Day Two - Right Side
On day two I was still mildly red, dry, “sandpapery” and tight. Truthfully, it was hard to stay indoors – I felt just fine and had no discomfort worth noticing. I spent my day organizing and catching up on paperwork….
I continued the same post care regimen of hydrating gentle cleanser, stem cell protein moisturizer, and a professional peptide cream AM/PM. I did not need to use cold compresses at all. There were no signs of peeling at this point.
Below: Day Four Photos:
Day Four - Front View
Day Four - Left Side
Day Four - Right Side
On day four I began peeling and sloughing. I had our esthetician do an exfoliation treatment, aloe vera masque, and LED light treatment for me. She applied anti-oxidant serum as well as significant hydration after the LED light treatment. I was not done peeling, but it helped to get the “dead” skin moving and sloughing off more quickly. I had not discomfort during the facial and found it quite pleasant and my skin looked really good afterward! I went back to work immediately after my post treatment facial on day four. I continued the exact same regimen as above, but added a hydrating enzyme masque in the evening before bed to assist with continued exfoliation. I had absolutely no discomfort at this point at all other than wanting the peeling to be done!
The peeling on my face was mostly done by day five, but the neck and chest took about 10 days to completely peel.
I had mild pinkness on my chest continuing into day ten, other than that I had no visible signs of the laser treatment past day five.
Below: Day Ten Photos:
Day Ten - Front View
Day Ten - Left Side View
Day Ten - Right Side
By day ten the healing and overall progress has barely begun! The visible signs of the treatment that might cause some downtime were minimal and are gone, however the best is yet to come!
Already, I have been getting asked; “What did you do? Your skin looks great!”
The overall tone, texture, pore size, and tighteness has improved already. The pigmentation from summer is gone! With the repair of the old collagen and the new collagen re-modeling I will see over the next three months….it is only going to get way better from here!
I will post a 30 day photo here when we get there….but here is one taken on Friday September 17th – day 20 after the treatment.
Cheers to the Affirm SmartSkin CO2! What would we do without you?!
Day 20 - With make-up
