July Spotlight: DIY Skincare Treatments
1. Anything involving needles or blades, although it may look simple, it is best done by a professional. It is hard to get a good angle when you are upright looking in a mirror, there is a chance for infection and because the procedure is painful you are unlikely to do it uniformly. This primarily refers to micro needling which is highly operator dependent. If you still want to try this, avoid derma rollers. Micro infusion services or derma pens are better choices.
2. Devices using masks are usually using red and/or blue lights. Red light penetrates deeper and is for stimulation of the dermis to produce collagen whereas blue light is more superficial and is antibacterial, so useful for acne. All you need to do is take the time to wear the device consistently. They can be a part of a nightly routine and do work but changes are subtle and you need to stick with it to see them.
3. If you are considering radio frequency to tighten your skin, you should know that professional devices use 6 MgHz of power and 330 watts whereas the strongest at home devis has 1MgHz and 30 watts. This is because these devices cause trauma to the tissue by heating it and the risk is causing a burn. For this reason, manufacturers of home devices are going to take the power down to prevent mishaps but this also limits results. There is a steep learning curve to professional devices and they are often combined with other modalities for better results.
4. Laser hair removal for at home use is powered by IPL which is intense pulsed light, not a laser. I would advise a few professional treatments first so you can make sure your hair responds to this treatment. Hair removal always involves multiple sessions because hair follicles are not all in the same growth phase so you can’t catch them all in one treatment. These devices can be used for touch ups.
5. The Lyma laser: This device is using infrared light. It was created in England and over there uses blue and red light. In the US you can only get one with red light. It us a spot treatment so you must move from point to point to cover the entire face which is time consuming. It must be used twice a day for at least 30 minutes a treatment for 3 months to see results. It cost $2,700.00. I can guarantee you that you would be better off to spend this money on in office true laser treatment.