The Treatment: Fractional Laser

Summary: When you want to add horsepower to your monthly facial but don’t have the bandwidth for days of downtime, this face-refreshing fractional laser treatment helps nix pigmentation, stimulate collagen and shrink the appearance of pores in as little as one session. You will notice a more airbrushed look after one session, but to really tackle pigmentation and a list of other skin gripes, a course of three to six treatments, one month apart, will give you impressive returns.

Results: On day one, our skin feels hot and uncomfortable, but 24 hours later, it looks almost normal again, aside from some subtle ruddiness and a sandpapery roughness on the surface that lasts about a week. There was some light flakiness after a few days, but we could definitely get on with life after this laser treatment. A week after the first treatment, our skin looks noticeably less pigmented and brighter. This treatment also gets bonus points for smoothing out our fine lines and improving skin texture. We also like the fact that this laser can be applied anywhere on the body, making it ideal for pigmentation-prone areas, such as the décolletage.

The Treatment: Thermage FLX

Summary: The best time to get radio-thermoplasty (excuse the doctor-speak) is when you start to notice sagging. The treatment is a form of thermal resurfacing that delivers radiofrequency energy deep into the skin. This causes the collagen to heat up and immediately contract, and then over time (and this is where the treatment really delivers bang for your buck) actually stimulates more collagen so looks significantly firmer.

Results: Halfway through the appointment (which took 1.5 hours), we peeked at the side of our face that had been treated. Our skin looked a little firmer on the day, but more noticeable results were visible about four months later, when our skin looked significantly less soggy, especially along the jawline. To maintain results dermatologists recommend annual treatments, which we’ve already started saving for.

The Treatment: HydraFacial

Summary: This treatment hits that sweet spot between a spa facial and in-office procedure —and since it only takes 30 minutes, it’s perfect if you’re time-poor. It’s often described as hydradermabrasion because, rather than blasting skin with gritty particles as is the case with traditional dermabrasion, a small handpiece has a kind of whirling technology in its tip that simultaneously sucks away dead skin cells and delivers a variety of active ingredients onto the skin.

Results: Our face is flushed for about an hour, but not uncomfortable. After the treatment, we peer into the mirror and note the reflective quality of our freshly resurfaced skin. But it’s the next morning that we really understand the hype of this award-season treatment: our complexion is lit-from-within radiant and feels baby-smooth. The treatment suits all skin types (except for those who are rosacea-prone) and we would absolutely consider bolting it onto our next in-office IPL or laser treatment.

The Treatment: Microdermabrasion

Summary: Once our skin is double-cleansed, the skin is buffed with an ultra-fine diamond micro-dermabrasion. Leftover debris was then swept away with a gently zingy lactic acid peel. Next,  a hyaluronic mask was melted into skin using super-relaxing ultrasound. This is followed up by a firm and toning massage. To boost our radiance up another notch or three, we’re also treated to a sheet mask and 20 minutes of light-therapy.

Results: When we leave, it’s as if our fine lines have literally melted away and our skin shines with near euphoric inner glow. If you want to ditch foundation, this is the treatment for you.

The Treatment: Restorative/ Nourishing Facials

Summary: If your skin is stressed, overly sensitive or dehydrated, a nourishing and restorative facial can help by restoring the skin barrier with soothing lipids. Over time, this will not only fortify skin, but may also allow more sensitive complexions to graduate to previously intolerable stronger actives and treatments.

Results: Afterwards, our skin feels soft and calm, and looks luminous. For some, this might be enough to graduate to stronger actives; others may need several sessions before skin feels truly resilient.

The Treatment: Rescue Facials

Summary: If stress is showing up on your skin, a delicate rescue facial for stressed skin is the quickest route to get both mind and complexion back to Zen. Stress rescue facials in the likes of Spa Esprit’s tend to be ultra-soothing and gentle, lest the treatment agitates your skin any further. It’s often combined with  deeply relaxing head and neck massages which can lull you into deep sleep and give your skin the glowing benefits you’d expect from a week’s holiday in just one hour.

Results: Post treatment, our complexion looks toned, lifted and near-impossibly hydrated, and is gleaming for days.

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