One of the best parts of getting older was watching my acne slowly fade away. Matched with better habits and a good skincare routine, my face finally started to clear up about a year ago. Unfortunately, just getting rid of my acne scars has been a battle in itself. I tried micro-needling, retinol, and every serum The Ordinary sells. After being referred to a laser clinic by my doctor, I started laser acne treatments in December.
The Process
I met with a dermatologist at the clinic, who recommended BroadBand Light (BBL) treatments. Compared to other laser therapy, BBL is less abrasive and cheaper. There was no recovery time and very few side effects, aside from slight redness and sun sensitivity. Over the past few months, I’ve had six BBL treatments.
At all of my appointments, they put gel on my face and gave me a vacuum fan to make the treatment more comfortable. Each treatment took about an hour and switched between three types of light. The blue light killed bacteria, which was super helpful for my bits of active acne, and the red light was used for redness. Both these lights worked in a similar way: the dermatologist would go over my face (usually several times) by pressing the laser into my acne and scarring. The last step involved lying still and baking for ten minutes under a bright laser, which was a serious relief since there wasn’t any pain!
My Results
Laser infinitely improved my skin. I used to have a lot of red areas and active acne. After my six treatments, my skin looks way clearer and more smooth. I started seeing results after my third or fourth treatment, but my skin started looking a lot better towards my last few appointments. Although it took several months, my skin looks the best it ever has.
The main downside? Laser treatments hurt. Getting a tattoo was a walk in the park compared to laser. The first two types of light stung pretty bad, and I honestly thought I’d wimp out during my first treatment. The good news? It got a lot easier. After a few treatments, I was able to make it through without too much pain.
Another major downside was the cost. BBL was the cheapest treatment available, and it still cost around three hundred dollars a session. In my opinion, it was absolutely worth it. I’m thrilled with how my skin looks, so the high price tag was worthwhile! That being said, it’s a big decision to make. Most people need several sessions to see results, which adds up really quickly.
Overall, I’m so happy I started laser treatments. I used to hate looking at my skin, and now I go most days without any makeup and feel phenomenal. While it may have hurt like crazy and cost a fair amount, it was worth it for my results. Would I recommend laser treatments? Absolutely — if you’re ready to hold back some tears!