An Inside Look: Halo Pro Treatment, Recovery, And Results

The blog was originally written in January of 2018. It has since been updated to reflect new recommendations for post-treatment skincare .I'm pretty good at procrastinating, but procrastinating never got anyone closer to their goal! The holidays are over, the weather is, well, baby, it's cold outside, and grandbaby number 4 isn't due until April. And I've been talking about getting another Halo Pro treatment for several months now. I loved the results of my first treatment so, now is the time! If you've been thinking about getting a Halo Pro treatment for yourself, let me walk you through what to expect during treatment, recovery, and the results you will see. Hint: you'll be brighter, tighter, and more youthful-looking.

Halo Pro in Less Than an Hour

Done in less than an hour. Piece of cake!Our two practice managers also had treatments done right after me. This photo was right after Judy (on the right) was done. You'll notice the redness; this is the body's normal response to laser treatment.

Day of Treatment

Step 1: Treatment Prep

With a bit of pre-treatment medication, pre-Halo Pro pictures taken, post-treatment products ready to go, and a driver to take me home (those meds make the treatment very tolerable but create less than stellar response time), I am ready to go!

Step 2: Halo Pro Treatment

With the medication on board, I was very relaxed beforehand and nearly fell asleep during the treatment.Getting the laser treatment made my skin feel hot, but my senses seemed to adapt after the first few passes. It wasn't difficult at all. Some areas were a bit more sensitive, like around the eyes and above the lip. But the continual cool air coming from the tip of the laser while it rolls over your face (and in my case, my neck and décolleté as well) is really helpful. Treating the neck and décolleté at the same visit as the face is not recommended in the first treatment.

Step 3: BBL 

Dr. Madsen also did a BBL treatment on concentrated brown spots from sun damage when my Halo treatment was complete. When someone has a lot of sun damage/browns on their face, we often recommend a BBL to be done in the same visit as the Halo. We call this a Halo/BBL.We recommend that clients use the Thermal Spring Water Mist after treatment. It gives a nice burst of cooling and relief from the burning sensations that happen post-treatment. This was actually my first time using it myself. It did help, but I chose not to use it too much. It seemed easier to adapt to the burning without it after the first 5-10 minutes. Since both of our managers, Kim and Judy had treatments after I did, I busied myself taking their pictures and visiting with their drivers, and before I knew it, an hour had passed, and the burning had stopped! It seemed to subside faster than my first treatment, which had been more like 90 minutes. Perhaps it was that excellent pre-treatment medication! I would advise all our clients to take advantage of the meds and have a driver without a doubt!That evening, the only product I applied was the Alastin Skin Nectar. I also slept in a recliner to help reduce the swelling the next day. We now add the Alastin Soothe & Protect at this points post-treatment to help your skin hold as much moisture as possible.  Soothe & Protect is somewhat occlusive and helps to protect the new skin as the old tissue starts to come off. Below is my photo 15 hours post-treatment. You will notice swelling under my eyes, over my cheeks, and under my chin since he did my neck as well. The slight browning is just the beginning of MENDS (Microscopic Endothelial Necrotic Debris) and old damaged tissue starting to come to the surface.

Day 1

The first day following treatment isn't terribly uncomfortable with just a bit of swelling. This is because the body's natural response to injury is to swell for 24-36 hours as it "sends in the troops" to begin the healing and repair.It's important to remember that when we perform the Halo Pro laser treatment, we create an intentional wound to allow old tissue to die and new tissue to develop, creating smoother, thicker, more even-toned skin; in other words, HEALING.My product regimen today is to cleanse with Alastin's Gentle Cleanser and follow with Alastin Skin Nectar and Alastin Soothe & Protect.

Day 2

Day 2 post Halo shows a bit more swelling, and the MENDS are more noticeable. My skin feels like sandpaper today–which is good and a normal part of the healing process.The skin under my eyes is very thin and collects fluid easily. Of course, this isn't true for everyone, but I still chose to sleep in a recliner because it helps to reduce it a little. This AM and PM, I've cleansed using the Gentle Cleanser and followed again with Skin Nectar.  and Alastin Soothe & Protect Balm to my very dry skin. The flaking skin will begin on day 3, but you may see some loosening on day 2.

Day 3

By day three, the body wants to eliminate the old flakey skin, which causes some itching. However, you should resist the temptation to help it off. You must resist the temptation. The developing new skin is not ready for exposure, and you can set it up for further irritation, if not cellulitis, if you pick at it too much. If you need to, a low dose of Benadryl will help with the itching. Today's skincare regimen includes cleaning with Alastin's Gentle Cleanser, followed by Alastin Skin Nectar and Soothe & Protect AM and PM.In addition, I am now able to apply some high-quality mineral makeup to help camouflage the change process going on. We recommend using Alastin HydraTint, which has mineral sunscreen in it and a tint to help minimize the visible pink. If makeup isn't your thing, Alastin's Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30+ is another great option.This picture shows me on day 3 with a mixture of HydraTint and the Soothe & Protect Balm. Yep, I still have swelling and pinky redness, but the HyrdaTint does a great job of minimizing that!

Day 4

I start to see more smooth, pinkish skin as the older tissue is flaking off. Below I show a before HydraTint photo and an after applying HydraTint. I still sport some swelling, particularly under my eyes, although it is reducing. Remember, not everyone swells the same way I do.As a whole, I feel presentable, although certainly, if people get close, they may see the dry skin waiting to release. I have slight itching in areas, but not enough to take Benadryl. Some people choose to take Benadryl through this process. The itching indicates that your body is working hard to repair and restore healthy skin! My AM and PM skincare routine today includes cleaning with Alastin's Gentle Cleanser and following with Alastin's Skin Nectar, Ultra Nourishing Moisturizer, and HydraTint to protect my new skin from the sun and minimize my pink skin. Again, if not HydraTint, Alastin's Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30+ is our recommendation. 

Day 5

We're heading for the home stretch! Once the swelling is down and all the outer layers have flaked off, it's easy street! Whatever pink or red is still showing can be easily covered with the HydraTint. Some areas may still not feel completely smooth, which is fine and indicates that more old tissue will still come off. There is usually still flaking, predominantly around the edges of the face or areas where treatment may have been deeper, but the bulk of the peeling is over. The neck and décolleté will take a few extra weeks than the face to be smooth and to lighten, so I'm still pretty sandpapery there. It's a great season to work on this area when we can wear scarves and turtlenecks!My skincare regimen post-treatment will remain the same for 3 months with the exception of Soother & Protect which is used only as needed at night for the first couple of weeks post treatment. It's essential to use the Alastin Skin Nectar, stay moisturized, and use sunscreen ongoing to help support and protect the new skin.

The Follow-Up Protocol: Protect & Support

From here, I will continue to see more brightening, and the fine lines and wrinkles will gradually reduce over the next 3-6 months while the collagen layer of the skin thickens as a result of the treatment! If you are a Halo Pro client, we do an official check to take pictures at two weeks, compare from before, and review daily skincare. Some areas may still be pink, but 99% of the swelling is gone, and the major healing is behind us. Each day forward, the skin will improve in brightening and smoothing.We are now in the protect and support period which means maintaining my skincare routine using professional grade products. And in all honesty, this should be an ongoing daily habit to stay as youthful-looking as possible. And, of course, we should always keep our water intake up as it helps the moisture base in the skin!

The Results Are In!

• Am I glad I didn't procrastinate any longer? Yes!
• Am I glad that the initial five days are behind me? Yes!
• Is this an easier process than the former standard for skin rejuvenation treatment of MicroLaserPeel/Profraction? Yes! Without a doubt!
• Can we fit this treatment into our busy schedules? Yes!
• Are fall and winter a good season to have this treatment done? Yes! Although we can do Halo Pro at any time, less time in the great outdoors and the ability to wear scarves and turtlenecks if doing the neck and décolleté is a great help. 

If you're curious about Halo Pro and how it can help you achieve your skin goals for brighter, smoother, more youthful-looking skin, give Kim a call at (740) 774-7444 to schedule your consultation!Did you like this article? We'd love for you to share it with your family & friends!