First, the Run Down on Laser...

So let's start with "Magic"..

My personal forte is working with lasers. Lasers are magical. These days technology is advancing and new devices are hitting the market every year. At Northwest Laser Institute & MediSpa, my place of work, we carry a Sciton platform. This thing is crazy. With this platform you can add several attachments and accessories to increase your spectrum of services. We currently carry their BBL and Halo Hybrid Fractional Laser. Now most of you don't work with lasers so you have no idea what either of those are, let me explain briefly, MAGIC.

The BBL (BroadBand Light) is a form of Intense Pulsed Light, or IPL,  but basically BBL is the smarter, better, faster, cooler sibling of IPL. With our Sciton BBL we can do hair removal (with killer results), vein therapy, acne treatments, hyperpigmentation (age & sun spots) removal,  treat rosacea and even tighten skin. These treatments come with a very small price of a short amount of pain similar to rubber band snaps that leave very few side effects. Personally, the rubber band snaps are so worth it. After going through a series of hair removal treatments on my legs, my life has actually changed. I feel so much more confident letting these babies hang out in public! I can also go camping for days without even the slightest worry about finding a razor to dry shave with. Five minute showers are now acceptable. If you have never had laser hair removal I highly recommend you try it out.

*Important Tip: Do your research about the type of laser being used for treatments before purchasing a package at an office. Look up reviews online and testimonials. People are typically pretty honest behind a computer.* 
**Warning**DO NOT BUY A DEAL FOR ITS PRICE. SHOP FOR THE BEST TECHNOLOGY AND BEST RESULTS** Cause why not give yourself the very best?

Now, lets move onto the other fabulous options when it comes to this BBL, like hyperpigmentation removal. A good percent of people get freckles or dark brown spots from extended sun exposure (I hope you wear sunscreen!). This is actually a build up of melanin in your skin and it can be removed! We offer "Foto-Facials" in which we use a specific series of settings to remove melanin build ups and even out skin tone. I have seen it work extremely well for some and I have seen others have a hard time getting desired results. As with most things you will come accross in a medical spa, multiple treatments are ideal. It took years for that melanin to build up and even though a Foto-Facial takes about 15-20 minutes of your time, not all damage can be removed in that one session. If you stick with it though, the benefits are incredible. Even, healthy looking skin that will maintain its smooth soft texture. Dr. Patrick Bitter Jr., MD has actually developed a Forever Young BBL treatment method and the results are impressive to say the least. You can check out some videos explaining the treatment and how it works as well as see some before and after success stories at:   http://foreveryoungbbl.com/

Alright, enough about the BBL, although its pretty cool. Let's talk about the Halo Hybrid Fractional Laser. So this is the latest and greatest. Literally, the world's first hybrid fractional laser. That won't mean much to most of you. So with laser technology, specifically resurfacing, there is one of two categories a laser treatment falls into: ablative or wounding which actually removes layers of the skin, and nonablative or nonwounding that works under the layers of the skin for stimulation without removing any layers. Halo is the first laser to fall into both categories. It is both ablative and nonablative in one treatment. This gives you all the resurfacing benefits possible. You get removal of damaged surface layers while stimulation of collagen and elastin production occurs underneath. This treatment is perfect for individuals that did not take steps in the direction of prevention of aging early on in life.  Its a way to reverse a lot of damage. It can improve the look of lines, wrinkles, discoloration and scarring. Like magic. It brings back a healthy youthful glow to the skin that everyone admires.

So there you have it, a breakdown of only 2 of the many different types of technology available these days in a medical spa. Sadly it would take characters that this blog doesn't have space for to describe each type of laser out there, but this is a good place to start! Sciton, in my professional opinion, is the leading company in the laser industry providing skin care professionals with the most advanced technology possible.

*Important Tip: Avoid being treating by any laser older than 5 years..not because it won't be effective but because it will hurt like H**L!*  

For patient reviews or more information on the Sciton BBL visit: http://www.realself.com/review/denver-co-ipl-sciton-broadband-light

Coming soon: Cosmetic Injections! Myths, Stories, and Actual Facts