First Day High: My Starwalker Angel White Laser Treatment Day 1 at Luminisce Skin Clinic
For a long time now, I’ve been blaming myself for acquiring what I always thought was melasma due to excessive sun exposure without sunscreen (I used to just walk to my office without using any sunblock or umbrella). These brown spots on my cheeks that make me look like the female version of Archie Andrews have been a constant source of insecurity. I feel conscious going out bare-faced and have always tried to look for a solution to draw attention away from what I consider “stains” on my face.
After trying out pricey skincare sets from other known clinics, none has solved the problem despite heavy peeling sessions and all. I turned to a quick fix instead and tried out all sorts of concealers, color correctors, and heavy foundations to make the brown spots on my face look invisible. I do have winning moments of minimizing their appearance for a while but with our default humid weather, makeup can only last for a little while unless we stay in an airconditioned room all the time.;) My spots continue to make their presence known after a while and it’s a struggle. I can’t even put blush makeup on without rubbing off the powder or foundation underneath and uncovering my “freckles.” Really, that is frustrating.
In a society where colonial mentality still exists, I find it funny when people who find out about or notice my skin issue try to make me feel better with comments like, “Ayaw mo n’yan, tisay ka! (mestiza)” or “‘Yung iba nga naglalagay pa n’yan!” (referring to the current faux freckles makeup trend) The funniest comment I can remember receiving is, “Totoo ba ‘yan?” (pointing at my brown spots!) 🙂
I am happy that these skin flaws have somehow become beauty marks and the growing fondness for them makes me less self-conscious. In spite of this, my mind hasn’t changed. I STILL want to GET RID of my brown spots. I am all for embracing our imperfections but if there’s an available solution I can take to improve my case, why not? For a lazy girl like me when it comes to vanity, it’s a dream to be able to go out there on a daily basis with no makeup or concealer on.
Meeting Dr. Kaycee Reyes, founder and owner of Luminisce Skin Clinic, gave me hope that achieving that dream is possible. I believe it’s best that we find an expert we can trust with these skin problems. During my consultation with her around two weeks ago, she made me understand my skin issue and sounded confident about the perfect treatment to address it. Doc Kaycee told me that what I have are NOT really freckles or melasma but HORI’S NEVUS. She was then quick to estimate how many sessions my skin would need and we started the treatment right away. No time wasted.
Before I share with you my experience, here’s a quick rundown of what Hori’s nevus is based on dermcoll.edu.au:
“Hori’s naevus presents as benign (harmless) blue-grey to gray-brown patchy and spotty pigmentation on the prominence of the cheeks. The condition usually appears in adulthood. It is most common in middle-aged Asian women.
The condition is often misdiagnosed as it may resemble or coexist with melasma.
Genetics and hormones play a role in the development of Hori’s naevus.”
The definition rings true. I also see these brown spots that finally have a name (Hori’s nevus) on my mom’s, aunts’, and older cousins’ faces.
Going back to the treatment, I got to experience the Luxury Facial and Starwalker Angel White Laser treatment right after my consultation.
Sadly, I got too excited that I forgot to take a proper Before photo (Good thing, the clinic did! I will definitely share the photo in my next entries once available). But I did take some selfies to help me monitor my progress. Join me in my journey of zapping away these unwanted spots.
Disclaimer: I don’t think I have ever posted a selfie on social media in the past. For purposes of documentation, I shall be flooding you with photos of my face, raw and unfiltered. I trust that we’ll see improvement in the coming weeks.
The Luxury Facial
Luminisce’s special facial treatment deep cleans pores and removes bacteria-causing acne, trapped dirt, and excess oil, while minimizing pores up to two weeks. The pain-free procedure begins with a facial cleanse and facial massage (If only I can spend the whole day getting thisss! Super relaxing!). Skin-nourishing vitamins are absorbed into the skin later via sonophoresis, a process wherein ultrasound waves seep nutrients into the skin to remove the blackheads and whiteheads. Soon after, electric currents are made to pass through the skin using a special machine to lift and revitalize it. Finally, an oxygenating machine releases cool, pressurized oxygen into the skin to hydrate and open pores (This one’s my favorite parttt! Cool and refreshing moment!).
Starwalker Angel White Laser
The Starwalker Angel White Laser is the third generation technology that provides the highest power and treatment capability. It has 14 laser modalities and 4 laser wavelengths for the widest range of treatment. It promises to whiten and brighten the skin effectively and quickly.
Benefits:
- facial whitening
- decrease in facial veins
- decrease in facial erythema
- removal of facial pigments
- evening out of skintone
Note: The procedure is quick because of the use of laser technology. Topical anesthesia is applied so it’s pain-free. During the treatment, while specific spots are being targeted, you’ll have quick rubber band snapping sensations and smell what seems like burnt hair strands. That’s about it! Super tolerable and the zero-downtime promise is true. I documented what it was like hours after.
Four (4) hours after the laser procedure, I was walking around the mall without redness:
For the after–care reminders, these notes were given to me:
- NO washing of area for six (6) hours
- NO use of toners, night creams, or serums for three (3) days
- EXPECT REDNESS for 1-6 hours
- EXPECT MILD STINGING SENSATION after procedure
- FACIAL WASH, SUNBLOCK, and MOISTURIZER may be used AFTER six (6) hours
Thanks so much, Luminisce, for a wonderful kikay session. 🙂
To complement my Starwalker Angel White Laser procedure, I purchased the recommended Blanc White HQ skincare line. I’ll continue to give updates on my skin care journey in the coming weeks. Happy Holidays!✦
If you’re interested to try this for yourself, schedule an appointment soon with Dr. Kaycee Reyes of Luminisce Skin Clinic (BGC or Podium)
Here are the contact numbers:
02-511 8500 (BGC)| 02-637 2398 (PODIUM)
0915-9794661/0977-8044601 (BGC)
0917-1684661 (PODIUM)
Follow Luminisce Skin Clinic on Instagram and Facebook too.
Visit the website: http://www.luminisce.com
