Clear your skin with the carbon laser facial
Sponsored post in collaboration with Dr Nestor’s Medical & Cosmetic Centre
Think Hollywood skin is the sole preserve beautiful, and wealthy, celebrities? Think again. The newest facial on the block at Dr Nestor’s Medical & Cosmetic Centre will give you a red-carpet glow, minus the downtime…
The impact of lasers on the beauty industry can’t be underestimated, and for the last decade, the number of column inches dedicated to these light-emitting wonder tools has soared exponentially. Credited with the ability to do everything from target lines and wrinkles, renew cell turnover and plump and tighten skin through to minimising and healing imperfections and preventing future breakouts, they are skincare’s hardest working tools. The downside to lasers? The cost.
Now though, there’s a new facial in town that puts lasers to good use, without the prohibitive price tag – and boy, does it deliver. Also known as ‘The Hollywood Peel’, the carbon laser facial is quick, affordable, highly effective and, best of all, unlike a host of other laser treatments, it comes with no downtime, so you won’t find yourself hiding under a peaked cap for days afterwards.
I’m unsure what to expect from the first of my trio of sessions (three treatments are recommended for optimum results) but my therapist, Helen, is chatty, friendly and quickly puts me at ease, rightly reassuring me that this treatment is far less invasive (read: nippy) than many of its compatriots.
She removes my make-up, then applies a layer of carbon paste all over my face, allowing it to penetrate deep into my pores. The carbon’s job is to absorb any skin-dulling and breakout-causing contaminants and impurities, gripping onto them so that they can be effectively blasted away when the laser is applied.
The laser is then run across my face, causing the carbon particles, and the nasties they’ve gripped onto, to ‘explode’ for a deep cleansing and exfoliating effect. The process also stimulates collagen production and shrinks pores for an instantly plumper, smoother complexion. And the experience? Well, the noise is loud – which could prove off-putting and does make me jump a little initially – while the burning smell omitted by the carbon is a little unnerving. But even on the most sensitive areas of my face, such as around my nose, it’s entirely bearable and the whole process lasts mere minutes.
“The Carbon Laser Facial Peel is rapidly becoming one of our most in-demand treatments since we launched them in March, and it’s easy to see why,” says Helen Cowan, lead skin therapist at Dr Nestor’s.
“It’s quick and incredibly effective, and the results are instantaneous, improving with every session. It’s suitable for all ages, and works for a variety of skin complaints and conditions, including tightening the pores and reducing their size, improving the skin’s tone and texture, exfoliating the skin, deep-cleansing the pores, killing acne bacteria, helping to reduce pigmentation, blackheads, congestion and oil flow. It’s certainly a multi-tasker!”
In the immediate hours after my first treatment, I do notice a little exaggeration of the pigmentation marks around my hairline and on my nose, but that reduces quickly, while a couple of angry hormonal spots that had been threatening to make an appearance quickly retreat too. By the following day, my skin feels tighter and brighter, and by the end of my third session, my pores are noticeably reduced in size and my skin looks firmer and more lifted.
It’s easy to see why the treatment is proving so popular and, while it will never be the most relaxing appointment you’ll experience, the effects achieved are well worth the half hour time commitment and far exceed the accessible price point. Carbon? I’m a convert…