My Skin Journey – Pico Genesis

I recently received the incredible Pico Genesis treatment from Clinica-Lase. This particular treatment is renowned for a resurfacing of the skin that lifts freckled, pigmentation and uneven skin tone right to the surface until it washes off. It’s also an intense treatment, so here is wrap up from me on what the experience and skin recovery was like.

The above was photo was taken on 16 Feb at the end of the first week since the treatment You can see how uneven was my skin as it resurfaced (scroll to the end for a pic on March 6).

For full context, when I first started with Clinica-Lase a year ago, I was terrified of their most relaxing treatment: Laser Genesis. This laser is a warm glow that gradually heats up the skin. It can get a little toasty, but the team member delivering the treatment is always conscious to pause and let the skin cool if needed. I was freaked out by it the first time I had it. Now I practically fall asleep during it.

The next type of treatment I had was Limelight. This one targets pigmentation or redness (depending on its settings) and stimulates collagen in the skin. My skin after this looked so incredible I was doing double takes in the mirror. I didn’t really notice much difference in the pigmentation with my own eyes (pics made it easier) but my skin became sexy as heck for weeks afterwards. However, moving to this one from Laser Genesis was a jump for me. I was so intimidated and nervous that a team member came in and held my hand while I had it done. It feels like light flick from a tiny elastic band with a burst of bright light. The more my skin quality has improved, the more I can tolerate the treatments too, so now when I have this treatment it’s like nothing. 6 or so bursts per section of the face being treated. Easy.

Immediately after treatment in the car Pico was the next level up again. This feels like a small pin or an elastic band flicking in a constant stream of pulses. Each part of the skin is only touched once and then is done. The laser brought lots of heat into the treated areas of the skin which we cooled with wet cloths and ice packs as we progressed. They also used a light air hose on the area being treated for comfort and distraction. It was over a lot quicker than I expected. I was definitely intimidated but it wasn’t a horrible experience. It was tolerable, definitely confronting, but could be navigated. Afterwards, we used an ice pack to cool my skin as I left. My skin puffed up a touch immediately afterwards and then cleared in the next few hours that followed. I still had red spots and these cleared in the following days. The immediate next change was the freckles that came to the surface. I looked like I had sneezed in a milo tin. Then these washed off as part of my usual gentle cleansing routine. The next stage we little red dots that came to the surface as pigmentation and irregularities were brought up from deeper in my skin. These started around my nose, cheek and chin area and as they healed, the ‘pico pimples’ moved further out. Once the pimples and bumps began to appear on the firmer and bonier edges of my face, they felt like little tiny little lumps running down around my jaw. This was the final stage and these cleared after 3 weeks. I wondered if these were because the difference in my skin pigmentation is so subtle and barely visible to the eye so because my pigmentation was low level perhaps that brought about a deeper and slower process of resurfacing.

The first night after treatment. Freckles already coming to the surface.

Because the resurfacing process was so long, it was really hard to compare my skin before and after with just my eyes and touch. The photographic results did show some things that I found really exciting. There was a clarification of a pigmentation shadow around my nose. Interestingly this made some redness more visible because of the clarity so our following treatments we did a Laser Genesis and I noticed the difference within 24 hours because my skin was so clear the results were so visible. Distinct pigmentation spots, particularly closer to the centre of my face, had lightened or lifted completely.

In addition to this, the depth of the treatment seems to have made my skin able to tolerate stronger treatments. I’ve had both Laser Genesis and Limelight since and found both to have amplified results (perhaps due to greater skin clarity).

The day after treatment. Freckly as heck, skin already beginning to regenerate.

It was a brilliant treatment. I’m really glad I had the opportunity to try it out. If I was going to do it again I’d do it at least a couple of months in advance of an event (so that I could complement it with one of my favourite treatments) and so that my skin could have the full time to regenerate. I’d also have it done in winter to keep my skin hidden from the sun while it went through the rejuvenation process.

The resurfacing begins with loads of freckles coming to the surface and a spread of ‘pico pimples’ as skin texture renews. This was the most intense stage and cleared within a few days. (First photo tail end of this stage).

Before left – After right

Before left – After right

Before left – After right

The thing I’m the most excited about from this treatment is the overall balance in pigmentation of my skin and the lifting of the shadow of darker pigment from around my nose area.

If this treatment is of interest to you, contact Clinica-Lase for more information on the variety of exciting results they have had with different skin types. Check out Clinica-Lase here.

One month after treatment

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