Adventures in Beautyland: My IPL Experience at La Papillon Spa

I've been doing everything from micro needling to peels to potions to get rid of my sun damage and nothing was really working. And by really working, I mean giving me super clear, creamy gorgeous perfect skin. Ok, I would settle for less blotchy, but much less blotchy. After all, I can be realistic! I decided to look into doing a more serious procedure to give me more serious results. After some thoughtful consideration, I decided to try IPL.

IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) is a relatively easy and mainly painless way to remove splotches, blotches and redness from the skin. Think of it as a way to wipe a window clean. If you have redness on your face from capillaries or rosacea, or brown spots from sun damage or aging, this may be what you are looking for. If you are looking to improve the texture of your skin, this isn't the right treatment.

Two weeks ago, I opted to undergo IPL (also called photorejuvenation) at La Papillon Spa to finally attack the sun damage that peels and potions would not fix. I've gotten some results with peels, micro needling and creams, but they haven't been able to go deep enough to get to the root of the problem. Photorejuvenation is a way to reach deeply into the skin without disrupting its surface. Because the surface of the skin isn't damaged, you'll have virtually no downtime, almost zero discomfort and, in a few weeks, clear, fresh skin will be revealed.

Sounds great, right? There are a few things you should know before taking the leap into IPL. There are different lasers of different strengths used by different people, which will yield different results. A medical director should oversee the facility that does the IPL. Less expensive lasers, that lower customer costs, may not give you the same results you would receive if the process was done by a medical professional. Think of it as the difference between a $10 haircut and a $100 haircut.

Especially in this case, cheaper isn't better. I urge you to research where you opt to get this done before making a decision. You should also skip this treatment if you have any injuries to the face or are planning a special event in the near future. Your skin will look slightly worse before it gets better, so you'll want to plan accordingly. Here is my face the day before I had my IPL appointment.



(My face under a daylight lamp, the day before IPL)



(More photos of my face the day before IPL, shot under the same day light lamp.)


I turned to La Papillon Spa in Timonium, Maryland for my photorejuvenation treatment. La Papillon works with Dr. Noelle Sherber, a Harvard- and Hopkins-educated board-certified dermatologist. After explaining what to expect from the treatment, we got busy with the laser.




We started by cleansing my face to make sure all of my makeup was removed. Dr. Sherber then examined my skin closely. We discussed what areas I wanted treated to make sure we didn't get rid of any freckles I considered beautiful. She then added a thin gel to my face to help the laser target the skin. This was not a numbing cream - I didn't use one. Next, I was asked to put on special (read: sexy) goggles to protect my eyes from the light the laser emits. Then the zapping began. I was given two squeeze balls to hold on to, just in case I needed to squeeze something.




Dr. Sherber began treating the areas on my left cheek. She was careful to make each treated circle slightly overlap to avoid the dreaded tracks effect, where spots are missed because the person doing the treatment doesn't evenly target the affected areas. The first laser zap was a little surprising, as I didn't really know what to expect. It felt like a little static electricity zap to the skin, or like a rubber band snap.



(One cheek down, one to go! Plus a forehead and chin...)

It wasn't painful, but I wouldn't do it  for fun on a random Sunday afternoon. I was thankful that the laser we were using, by Palomar, gets rid of both brown and red spots in one pass. I would not have been happy if we had to go over each area treated twice.



 (Getting ready for a nose zap. I didn't particularly care for those. By this time, my cheeks were starting to feel sunburned and the ice packs felt lovely.)

While I didn't find the procedure painful, I will give you a little warning about the areas around the nose; specifically where the nose meets the face. That area is a little more tender than the rest of your face. That said, I am certain that not having capillaries showing through my makeup will make me very happy in the long run.

My total treatment took less than thirty minutes, from start to  finish. IPL may not give you perfect results after one treatment and you may need to return a few weeks later for another session. Of course, I'm hoping for very noticeable results with this treatment, fingers crossed!



(Moments after finishing the treatment.)

My face was red immediately after, but otherwise I was fine. It did feel like I had a bad sunburn for a few hours, but it was such a minimal thing I almost stopped at Sephora on the way home to pick up a peach blush I have had my eye on.



(Four hours after the treatment, dark spots are emerging on my face. They will all be lessened in a week or two.)

The next morning, my face was a tiny bit swollen and the sunspots were much darker than ever before, a sign they will start getting lighter very soon. I put a cool washcloth on my eyes for a few minutes and the swelling was basically gone.



 (Moments after I rolled out of bed I was a little swollen. Five minutes later, I was fine.)


Madeleine, the owner of La Papillon, sent me home with a skincare regimen that was really simple.  I asked if I could wear makeup on my skin to cover the darkened bits and she suggested wearing a mineral makeup.

After cleansing, I applied Josie Maran Sunscreen with 40+ SPF to help quell the dry skin that can sometimes be a side effect of IPL treatment. I then let my skin "dry" and got ready to do my makeup. I prefer to wear liquid foundation lately and haven't really touched my BE Matte Foundation in more than a year. I am fortunate that I don't usually have to do a lot of concealing, but I do own BE's Bisque. I figured I would give it a try, not expecting great results.



(A CU of how I looked 45 minutes after the above early morning photo above. Pretty good!)

Because I am hyper-concerned about protecting my skin from sunlight, especially while I'm driving, I used BritePrepFX by Cover FX (FCP 50) and then concealed all of my dark spots, which were starting to look a little like Morgan Freeman in Robin Hood. I used the Bisque by BE to conceal (SPF 20) and finished up with BE's Matte Foundation (SPF 20). I followed up with BE's Mineral Veil. When you include the SPF I applied initially, I think it's safe to say I was protected from the sun!



(This is me about 45 minutes after the above slightly swollen photo.)

I got to work where I sit in an office with two other women who knew I was having the treatment done. Not only did they forget, they didn't notice that anything looked different, other than I wasn't wearing "any makeup".



(The darker spots now look like coffee grounds and will basically dry up and fall off.)

I was prepared for the darker sections of my face (sun spots, capillaries, etc) to get darker and eventually end up on the surface of my face, appearing like coffee grounds, where they will then fall off, revealing new skin. I have to be consciously careful not to pick at my skin, which will be really hard. However, knowing that picking at the "coffee grounds" could result in scarring, I'm going to try really hard to avoid picking.

The next day, I had to go to a Karma Dogs event and used the same skincare/makeup regimen to get great looking skin, despite the appearance of the "coffee grounds".
 



(36 Hours after IPL, on my way to volunteer with Karma Dogs BE's Matte Foundation did an amazing job!)


So after one week, here is my progress so far. 



 (The left side is after. The right side is before.)


The dark areas under my eye and along my cheek bone are much lighter and a decent amount of the redness in my cheek hollow is also gone. My skin is still healing, so I am hoping some of the spots will continue to lighten. My broken capillaries are not yet completely healed, hence the slightly darker spot. You can see that the overall tone is lighter and that many of the darker patches have been broken up and lightened.



 (The before is on the left. The after is on the right.)


Here is the other side of my face. You can't quite see it, but there is a freckle in the before shot (bottom of my chin) that literally fell off of my face and is no longer there. This side of my face also shows some lightening of age spots. This is my "driving side", which has more damage than the "non-driving side". Some of the spots on the after side are still darkened from the IPL treatment and are still in the healing process.

Here is a look at my skin two weeks after having IPL at La Papillon Spa.



 (My non-driving side is looking dramatically improved.)



(This is my driving side. Even it is looking much better after two weeks.)




(You can even see the improvement on my nose. That little red bit on my upper lip is a blemish, btw.)


I am thrilled with the results so far. My skin looks creamy and fresh in a way that it hasn't in several years. I am told to expect my skin to continue to improve and I will happily post pictures for you in an update. In the meantime, I am curious to find out if a second treatment would give me additional results or if this is essentially as light as I can expect my melasma to get.

Have you considered this before? Was your experience similar? Tell me in the comments!

If you live in the Baltimore area and are interested in learning more anti-aging procedures or actually having a treatment like IPL, contact La Papillon for more information. They often have seminars to inform people interested in learning about anti-aging treatments and are a great resource for information. Be sure to follow them on Facebook as well for info on special events and deals!

La Papillon provided the treatment  in exchange for my opinion.

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Getting Rejuvenized at La Papillon Spa, Round Two

After the results of my first Rejuvenize Peel at La Papillon Spa, I decided I wanted to see what a second peel would achieve. I was clearly happy with the results of the first one, but like any obsessive compulsive beauty addict, I wanted to see what could happen if I did it again.

So four weeks later, I took the plunge and went for a second one. (Four weeks is the recommended amount of time between peels for optimal results.) Madeleine, the owner of La Papillon and esthetician extraordinaire, told me what to expect for the second peel - possibly less peeling, more results and that everyone peels differently. Got it.

The first time around, the peel itself was only slightly uncomfortable. This time going under the acids was no big deal (other than they were still very sharply scented). I went home, didn't wash my face and it was like any other evening. No big deal.

The same goes for the next morning.

And then a day later, just like last time, I started to peel at the 36 hour point. My mouth cracked first and spread to the area around my nose and lips. Unlike during the last peel, my skin wasn't overly sensitive and didn't really feel as if I had a bad sunburn. I continued to peel like a pro all day on Friday, Saturday and most of Sunday. I was able to go to work on Monday, with only a trace of peeling skin still in my hairline. This peel was much less inconvenient and my skin was nowhere near as sensitive as it was the first time.

Also similar to last time, my skin was a little out of whack when I went back to using my products (around day 6). My skin was a little more dehydrated than it normally is and needed a little more TLC. Here are the products I used during and after my peel:

Cetaphil - I used this as my cleanser and it actually burned slightly when applied. I have no idea how that is even possible, but it did. It didn't hurt like it was the end of the world, but in hindsight, I would probably pick up an even milder cleanser for next time. (SkinMedica has one they suggest for use during peels.)

SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel came in handy when my skin was begging for some hydration at the end of my peel. This isn't an instant fix, but over a few days, it had my skin back to normal. I used this starting on the fourth day.

HydroPeptide Anti-Wrinkle Repair and Prevent Treatment (Love this! More in a future review) is a complex blend of peptides that help skin heal and look its best. It acts as a skin shield while soothing irritated skin. I also used this starting on the fourth day.

On the Monday before I went back to work (the start of the 6th day) I used Skin Zyme and Clean Zyme by Jan Marini to systematically rid my skin of the flakes that were hanging on. This two-part cleanser and mask are capable of amazing things, but go slowly with this product. My skin was not sensitive to products by day five and I don't have sensitive skin in general. If you have sensitive skin, I would wait a few days to use this. When you are ready, this product removes all remaining dead skin like magic.

Once I added makeup back into the routine, my skin became a little red and irritated. Votre Vu Attentive Serum was a life saver, soothing my skin and getting rid of any redness, pronto.

Lastly, starting a full week after my skin was peeled and back to normal, I began using Jan Marini's Enlighten to help the stubborn dark patches. This is a light lotion that dries in a way that leaves your skin feeling amazing. (All of the Marini products dry down in a way that is remarkable. Especially their AntiOxidant Sun Screen.)

Be sure to speak with your esthetician before using any of the products above on freshly chemically-peeled skin. My skin is not sensitive and definitely more tough than delicate. Every person reacts differently and a pro who knows you should help you select products for during and after your peel.


(Before the 2nd peel. After the second Rejuvenize Peel)


So how were the results the second time? Magnificent. My face is so luminous, I think I glow in the dark. My melasma on my cheek is significantly reduced, as are the spots on my nose. The texture on my cheeks is definitely improved as are the milia I had under my eyes, on my cheekbone.
(The tiny milia - keratin bumps - lodged deep under my skin have been exposed and removed as a result of the peel.)


I am sure use of the Enlighten is going to help continue to fade the melasma over the next few weeks.


(Before and after on cheeks. Brown patches of melasma have been reduced.
This peel does not address redness, only melasma and showing newer skin. To address redness, I would need to undergo IPL treatments.)


Would I do another round? I am curious to see what a third round of peeling would achieve, but don't know how much more my skin can improve. There are slight dark patches that could still be reduced and the texture around my nose near my cheeks isn't perfect. But the improvement I have seen is pretty incredible.




(Before the first peel*. After the first peel. After the second peel.)



What do you think? Would you go for a third round? (If you double click the pictures, they will open in different window and really show off the changes.) Have you had this peel? Tell me about it in the comments!

I paid for the second treatment. I also paid for Cetaphil and SkinCeuticals B5 Gel. Other products were sent for the purposes of review.

*My changing hair color has nothing to do with the peel. Thanks for needing clarification on that, Loxy. You of all people may have noticed that my natural color changes often. :-)

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Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2010, Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.

Adventures in Beautyland: My Chemical Peel Experience - The Results!

It has now been a little over two weeks since I went for a Rejuvenize peel from La Papillon Spa. The Rejuvenize peel is a medical grade chemical peel from SkinMedica and is only performed in doctor's offices or by trained professionals at medi-spas. This type of chemical peel requires several days of downtime, where you won't want people who don't live in your house to see you. I got my peel right before the largest snow storm in Maryland history hit, but had I not been snowbound, I would have been homebound for three or four full days. This peel is normally prescribed in a series of three. My results show what happened to my skin after one peel.

To recap, this peel doesn't hurt, but does tingle when it is applied. It also can feel like you have a sunburn from time to time. Essentially, you are putting a controlled chemical on your skin to remove several surface layers of skin, so you should expect a small amount of discomfort. However, it the amount of "uncomfortable-ness" isn't anything that would make me hesitant to do this again. You can read everything that happened during my peel here, or keep reading for the results.


(Me last August.)


Here is where I started, at the beginning of my quest for perfect skin, or at least, as perfect as my skin can be. I have obvious melasma on my forehead and cheeks. My skin has an overall darker yellow-ish tone to it in some areas. I had seen some improvement with topical creams and basic spa peels, but still had a lot of melasma to contend with, especially on my forehead, cheeks and chin.

Under a Woods Lamp, which highlights sun damage, here is what I looked like pre-peel:


I was able to go to work for the first twenty-four hours. I started peeling dramatically around hour thirty-six.



Seventy-two hours into the peel, my face looked like this (above.)

While you are in the peeling process, you can't use any of your regular skin care. No eye creams, no serums, no moisturizers. Once I was cleared for returning to my usual routine (around day 8), I needed a little help. Without the use of my normal products, my skin needed a little boost to get back into the swing of things. To get my skin into its most glowing condition possible post-peel, I used SkinCeuticals Rextexturizing Serum. This product claims to surpass the results of using a 20% glycolic acid daily. It also helps boost hydration and helped my skin continue to look even more radiant and luminous post peel.

When my skin seemed to be dehydrated in the week following the peel, Madeleine suggested I switch from my Kate Somerville Quench to something a little stronger. She suggested I use SkinCeuticals B-5 Gel, which is like a tall drink of water for your skin. Once I used the B-5 a few times, I noticed a distinct improvement in my skin's hydration levels.



On day eight, when I had a little bit of peeling left around the hairline, I also opted to use an accelerator product by Jan Marini. Clean Zyme and Skin Zyme are two products that work together to remove dead skin cells. These two products use proteolytic enzymes that have the ability to digest dead skin cells without harming sensitive or irritated tissues. Using Clean Zyme and Skin Zyme got rid of the last trace of skin that had been peeling. It almost worked like a gentle eraser to get rid of the skin that was sticking around beyond its welcome.

And here is what I look like two weeks after having the Rejuvenize Peel:



Before & After


While the angles aren't quite perfect (it's hard taking photos of your own head in the dark with your eyes closed), you can see where my melasma has been slightly diminished. The area between my brows looks much more clear. My nasolabial folds, where I experienced quite a bit of peeling, looks much more clear and is probably the area where I am seeing the most results. The center of my forehead also looks much lighter and while not perfect, is well on its way!

The biggest improvement, I think, is in the overall texture of my skin. My skin had a slightly rough texture that normal exfoliation wasn't fixing. Now, the texture of my skin is much more smooth and my skin looks luminous and healthier.

So what does this look like without any makeup and with a light, sheer foundation in natural light?



(Me the night before the peel and two weeks after the peel. I am not wearing any makeup, except clear lip balm. Click on the photos to enlarge them.)


(Here is another shot of my skin in different lighting that really shows the improved texture of my skin.)




(Minimal foundation and concealer only under my eyes.)

Want a Rejuvenize peel for yourself? Visit the SkinMedica website to find licensed professionals. In Maryland? Call La Papillon at 410.252.1400 or visit them at www.lapapillonspa.com.

This peel was provided for the purposes of review. Products were also partially furnished by Jan Marini and SkinCeuticals for the purposes of review.

Subscribe and never miss a thing! Disclosure/Disclaimer Statement.
Makeup, beauty, skincare reviews & more! Copyright 2010,Gouldylox Reviews. All Rights Reserved.