In the midst of another Chicago winter, you may be wishing for spring and summer. Chicagoans love to take advantage of the warmer seasons, spending as much time as possible outdoors while the weather allows. We know that once winter comes, our options for entertainment decrease. We stay inside, choosing the gym over a lakefront jog, or another Netflix episode instead of a night out.
The lack of sun exposure also makes winter the perfect time to recondition your skin — in fact, when it comes to your skin, you can think of winter as a season of repair. The sun can be harsh and damaging, and time spent out of direct sunlight can help your skin feel refreshed. Plus, many of the best facial rejuvenating treatments require that you stay out of the sun — in order for these procedures to achieve their optimal results, the pigments in your skin need to be relaxed, not stimulated by sunlight. This winter, try a fractional laser, intense pulsed light or radiofrequency treatment to help your skin get the most out of its time off from the sun.
Intense pulsed light (IPL) treatments even skin tone and provide general rejuvenation
IPL treatments, also called photofacials, use highly-targeted wavelengths of light to reduce red and brown pigments in your skin.
A series of IPL treatments before and after
The light that we see is made up of many different wavelengths that produce different colors and forms of energy. There are even some wavelengths that we can’t see, like ultraviolet and infrared light. The pulses of light used during IPL pass through a special filter that only allows certain wavelengths to get through to your skin. These wavelengths interact only with red and brown pigments like those in blood cells or age spots, keeping the rest of your skin safe. The light heats up these spots of discoloration, damaging the pigmented cells and causing them to diminish or even disappear so that your skin achieves a more evenly-colored tone. Photofacials also help your skin by triggering the natural processes by which the skin renews itself, leaving your skin looking younger and healthier.
Fractional laser treatments help with lines and skin texture
Just as IPL harnesses light and heat to target discoloration, fractional laser treatments, sometimes called laser resurfacing, use laser energy to reduce fine lines, wrinkles and scars.
When factors like sunlight, age or poor health damage your skin, the deeper layer of the skin (the dermis) thins and loses its organized structure. This is the main cause of fine lines and wrinkles.
Fractional laser treatments produce tiny holes in the skin and deliver energy to the deeper layer in order to stimulate the healing process. In effect, the treatment “wakes up” the cells of the dermis so that they work overtime to produce fresh collagen, elastic fibers, and hyaluronic acid, all of which gives youthful skin its tone and resiliency.
Microbeam Treatment at Whole Beauty® Institute
Unlike older forms of laser resurfacing, which removed the outer layer of the skin in order to reach the deeper layers, fractional laser treatments have a very short downtime.
Fractional lasers work very well when combined with IPL in our “Three for Me™” program because these treatments play to each other’s’ strengths. IPL evens out skin pigments while fractional lasers help with fine lines and wrinkles. Our team at the Whole Beauty® Institute is able to combine IPL with fractional laser treatments in a single session.
IPL Treatment at Whole Beauty® Institute
Radiofrequency treatments improve skin quality and texture
Radiofrequency treatments like Fractora can also do wonders for lines, wrinkles, and scars. Fractora is a powerful method of skin resurfacing that is safe and effective for people of many different skin types. It is also highly customizable because you can choose the intensity of your treatment based on your needs.
Fractora Before and After
Fractora’s specialized tool uses coated pins to pass radiofrequency energy into the dermis, the deeper layer of your skin — this allows it to bypass the pigmented cells near the surface, making it safer for people with darker complexions, who may not be good candidates for laser treatments. The dermis is particularly prone to thinning due to age or damage and is responsible for facial lines and pockmark-like scars. Fractora is one of the most effective treatments on the market for stimulating rejuvenation and regrowth of the dermis, which makes it an ideal treatment for reducing wrinkles and the appearance of acne scars.
Let the Whole Beauty® team design a custom winter skin rejuvenation plan for you
At the Whole Beauty Institute, we have the knowledge and experience to guide you to your optimum skin. Dr. John Q. Cook’s curated menu of skin procedures and exclusive skincare products is designed to provide the highest quality treatments available. This winter, visit one of our Chicago-area locations for a consultation and let our team find the perfect blend of products and treatments to produce your best results. Contact us today at 312-751-2112 to schedule your next appointment.