Happy Tuesday, friends! To kick off today’s post, let me just say that the Clear & Brilliant laser treatment is my jam! Super, super happy with it! Because, let’s face it . . .

Before we dive in too deep on this treatment, let me just say that doing things to my face always frightens me. I mean, it is my face! Before I do anything, I do a ton of research to make sure that I am not putting myself in a bad position. So, I would suggest that you do your own research so you feel comfortable about whatever it is you plan to do to your pretty faces!

About four years ago, I found Tonja at Wellskin Med Spa in Dallas (cue the gospel choir, clouds parting, and the sun shining). She is AMAZING. She is ageless. Her skin is ridiclously fabulous, she is well educated with all things cosmetic, and she will be honest with you. After my first Botox appointment with her, I asked her what I needed to do to look ten years younger. She said that when I was ready, I should do the Clear and Brilliant Laser treatment. Lasers sound scary, so I just tucked that away into the back of my brain. I did, however, have other treatments at Tonja’s office.

*Three years ago, I did the IPL/Photofacial. I wasn’t a fan. I didn’t feel like I had the results I had seen others have. Of course, I also didn’t have the same sun damage, so it makes sense.

*Last year, I did the SkinPen/Microneedling. WOWZA! I LOVED the outcome, but did not love the downtime. I spent the majority of a week slathered with Cera Ve ointment, no make up, and a hat pulled waaaaaay down over my face. The only time I managed make up was for Jackson’s 7th birthday party, and it was literally peeling off of my face during the party. I looked a bit diseased, and Reid was a touch scared. BUT . . . I did like the end result. I’m just not sure that I can work in a week downtime anytime soon.

SO . . . early December, I went into see Tonja for a little Botox before the holidays and asked what she could do to my face to take ten years off. She said AGAIN (and like she had been saying for FOUR years) that I would be a perfect candidate for the Clear and Brilliant. So, I asked for it for my birthday, and had the treatment a week ago today!

*On a quick side note, a sweet friend saw my post on Facebook from the treatment room, read the work “laser”, and thought I was having a major medical issue.  She immediately asked to bring me dinner and take care of my children.  Hahaha! I love my sweet friends.

THE PROCEDURE

Before I go further, let me just say that this procedure costs $350. I have seen it other places for over $500, so I thought this price was fabulous.

Have y’all ever heard of a “Fraxal treatment”? I have heard Kathie Lee Gifford talking about them from time to time, so I have always equated these treatments to LOTS of money and AMAZING skin. So, the Clear and Brilliant is referred to as a “mini Fraxal”. The procedure renews your skin from within and can even help to prevent future signs of aging. It helps improve the appearance of lines and wrinkles, gain a clearer complexion, and maintain youthful skin on their face and body. I just did this on my face, but you can do it anywhere. I’m thinking neck or hands in the future?!!?!

Tonja employs some great people at her office, and Alexis performed the treatment on me. She put numbing gel all over my face, and then we just hung out and chatted off and on for about twenty minutes. The numbing gel was NOT painful at all. You can tell that it is working when the top of your upper lip feels like you are at the dentist. You know, that kind of puffy feeling?

Once the treatment begins, it lasts about 30 minutes. It was not painFREE, but it was also not painFUL. Does that make sense? It kind of felt like a very, very, VERY strong microderm. Just a little annoying, but we chatted the whole time, which made it go by very quickly. She treated my entire face and just under my chin. My main issues that I have are sun damage and wrinkles under my eyes and on my cheek bones, along with the “marionette lines” that are forming around my mouth. She really went to town on those areas.

Alexis told me about Biopelle – the snail goo, if you follow me on Instagram – and I ended up buying it as I was leaving.

So, this goodness is seriously derived from snail secretions. Basically, the goo that you see when a snail is going along the sidewalk. If you think about it, that goo needs to be very moisturizing to move the little dude from one place to the other, so in some weird way, this all makes sense. Now, full disclosure, this stuff is expensive. But, according to the reviews, people love this serum. It came with ten vials, and Alexis told me to use one per night for five nights and then save the other five to use in the future. I think that this serum is a must when doing chemical peels, laser treatments, or other facial procedures. I found it on Amazon, if you want to click here and grab some for yourself.

POST PROCEDURE

If you follow the Lunchbox Babies Instagram page, you have seen me give some updates along the way. Here are the basics . . .

Day 1: My skin felt very hot for about two hours after the procedure. Almost like I had fallen asleep in the sun and gotten a horrible sunburn. My skin felt very tight, and was a bit red. I was also slightly swollen, but not in a bad way. A healthy plumpness. Ha! Does that even make sense? For the first few days, I used Cetaphil to wash my face, the Biopelle, and Cera Ve lotion.

Day 2/3: I ended up having an event both mornings where I had to look normal, so I was pleased that I was able to wear makeup and look somewhat decent. My face felt so tight that if I smiled or laughed, I felt like it was going to crack. Not painful.

Day 4/5: I started shedding. Like a snake shedding its skin. I started wearing a baseball hat at all times to hide the dry skin. It seemed that no matter how many times I moisturized my face, it always felt super dry. So, I pulled out this little Moisture Surge gem and started using it MANY times throughout the day. I love this stuff, and although my skin still seemed dry, it was way better than before. I had no shame with this stuff. I was putting it on at the grocery store, at a fifth grade basketball game, a SMU basketball game . . . anywhere and everywhere. Click here to grab this amazing stuff on Amazon!

Day 6: I am still shedding my skin a bit, but for the most part my skin is getting less dry. Where old skin has fallen off, new pink skin is in its place. Skin without giant pores, skin without sun damage, skin that has a super soft texture. This is mostly around my eyes, cheekbones, and mouth. Still moisturizing like crazy. Today was the first day that I branched out of the gentle skin care products. I did some good exfoliating, did a moisturizing mask, and started with a vitamin C serum. All Beauty Counter products so I could be sure they weren’t too harsh!

Day 7: Today is the first day that my skin doesn’t feel dry. I still have a little pink tint to my skin, but I think that is a mixture of new skin and my skin being sensitive.

TODAY: It has been a week since the laser treatment. My downtime has been zero, as far as I am concerned. I am LOVING the results so far, and I know that there are more to come. I should be careful about being in the sun for the next couple of weeks due to the LASERS that invaded my skin. Makes sense. I have also been told to expect the results to continue throughout the next few weeks as my collagen is still building post-procedure and will continue to do so.

FINAL VERDICT

I LOVED this procedure. LOVED IT! I will definitely do it again, and it may be something that I do once a year as a reset for my skin. I can already see a difference in my skin texture. It may not be super noticeable to anyone else, but I can see it. Which is what is important. The downtime was minimal, the pain was zero. Just an easy procedure with great results (SO FAR!). I highly recommend the Clear and Brilliant Laser Treatment.

If you live in the Dallas area, check out Wellskin Med Spa. Tonja and her staff are wonderful! Tonja gives free consultations, and is so honest and open with her suggestions for you. And, for you local girls and guys, I am giving away a $100 Wellskin Med Spa gift card towards any type of service that you would like. To enter to win, please make sure you are following my Lunchbox Babies Instagram page, and comment on today’s blog post picture. I will be announcing the winner on Friday. Good luck!