• «previous
• next»

MY TREATMENT
Light Heat Energy (LHE) Treatment
What’s Involved: This is a combination of light and heat that can be used to treat age spots, spider veins, psoriasis and acne, to improve overall pigmentation and diminish fine lines. (The same treatment can be used for hair removal.) LHE is safe to use on those with a darker skin pigmentation.

Once I chose this treatment option, my esthetician, Linda Aywaz, suggested a package of six treatments with LHE, including three facials. For the spot over my eye, she used two types of treatments: Vascular Blemish Removal (VBR), and then a peel. VBR feels like tiny little pricks. The area reddens and when it heals, the age spot is slightly lighter. I had a series of these treatments and then a peel, which was just a cream the esthetician applied to the area and then another cream I used at home twice a day for a few weeks. For the age spot on my cheek, she treated it first with LHE and then with the same peel. LHE treatment initially caused the spot to darken significantly and then form a very thin, brown scab that wore off in a few days. Once these two spots had noticeably diminished, we moved on to the six overall facial treatments. The LHE is placed on various areas on the face and then there’s a flash of light and a snap against the skin when it’s activated. It is somewhat uncomfortable, particularly on more sensitive areas. As the treatments proceeded, the intensity was increased to overcome the resiliency that develops in the skin in response to each treatment.

Cost: $1,500.

Side Effects: Skin reddens after the LHE facial treatments, but that dissipates very shortly after the treatment (2 hours or so). An overheated feeling washed over my face off and on for up to 2-3 days after each treatment. Sometimes, the targeted areas formed very thin brown scabs that took 3-5 days to wear away.

Note: Individuals are encouraged to seek out treatment early; the longer a spot has been present the deeper it is and the more unresponsive it can be to treatment. If a spot is younger than five years, the treatment should be much more successful. Also, LHE has shown to be more effective on younger women (30s and 40s) to diminish fine lines.

Where: Esthetician Linda Aywaz, Boulevard Club, Toronto

RESULTS
I did not see significant results until about the third or fourth overall facial treatment. The smaller spots across my cheekbones and the masses at my hairline faded significantly. This gives my face a much cleaner, more open look, especially because the marks extended so close to my eye area. The fine lines around my eyes have lessened somewhat. My skin has become less yellow and the darkness under my eyes has improved. I feel as though the treatment has taken a few years off the appearance of my skin and has definitely made it possible for me to wear less makeup.