Halo laser

Halo laser in Birmingham and Solihull

Laser resurfacing treatment with the Sciton Halo laser significantly improves skin quality. It has benefits for skin texture and skin tone. Halo laser delivers a reduction in skin irregularities, scars and pigmentation. It is effective for tissue tightening, lines, and wrinkles, dealing with pores and combatting deeper pigmentation.

Dermatologists in Birmingham use Halo laser to improve the health and appearance of your skin.

What does Halo laser do?

Halo laser improves:

Fine lines and wrinkles
Acne scars
Sun damage
Pigmentation
The appearance of enlarged pores
Dull skin tone

The result of halo treatment is brighter, fresher and smoother-looking skin. Regular Halo laser treatment is a good way of maintaining the appearance of the skin.

How does Halo laser treatment work?

Halo is the name of a laser treatment. Halo laser is unique because two laser treatments are delivered simultaneously. It is the first laser in the world to offer this technology.

The two lasers in Halo laser are:

A non-ablative laser which heats columns of collagen deep in the skin, causing tightening and improving skin texture. The wavelength of this laser is 1470nm.
An ablative laser removes the top layer of skin to an exact depth. This exfoliates dead skin cells to allow fresh young skin cells to renew the skin. The wavelength of this laser is 2940nm.

Halo laser is a form of fractional laser. This means that a fraction of the skin is treated per treatment. The laser beam is split into tiny microscopic columns. The first laser fires, and then the second laser fires straight on top. Having a Halo laser is like having two different laser treatments simultaneously.

The science

There are two wavelengths in the Halo fractional laser. The Halo laser is the world’s first dual laser that delivers a non-ablative and an ablative wavelength in the same microscopic treatment zone. Combining these two wavelengths creates a strong synergistic effect.

The 1470nm wavelength penetrates the skin’s dermis, its deeper layer. It delivers microscopic columns of heat which remove pigmentation and coagulate the blood vessels that cause redness. The skin will then replace the coagulated dermal tissue with new tissue.

This treatment stimulates collagen, improves skin thickness, improves lines and wrinkles, and combats sagging, large pores, and unwanted pigmentation.

Because the Halo is so customizable, the 1470nm can be dialled up to any depth down to 700 microns in the skin. This is usually adequate to reach the base of many acne scars.

The 2940nm wavelength resurfaces the epidermis, the skin’s top layer. It clears off superficial sun damage and pigmentation by delivering microscopic columns of heat. This type of laser treatment also helps to reduce the number of abnormal cell types in the skin which can go on to form dangerous skin lesions. The 2940nm can be tuned up to 100 microns into the skin.

Halo laser treatment aims to achieve an optimum result with as little downtime as possible. You may be offered alternative treatments such as Profractoinal or Full Field Erbium or Carbon Dioxide Laser for very deep lines and severe photodamage and for certain forms of acne scarring.

Pigmentation is removed as microscopic epidermal necrotic debris (MENDs). The excess melanin pigment breaks down during the laser treatment and is removed by the body in seven days.

How many Halo laser treatments will I need?

Discuss the number of treatments your skin needs at the consultation with your Dermatologist.

On the face, the most common protocol is to have two deeper treatments eight weeks apart, followed by one treatment a year for maintenance.

On the neck and body, it is more usual to have multiple milder treatments over a more extended period. For example, 2 to 4 treatments every 12 weeks.

How long will the Halo laser results last?

You will see initial results in the first 5 to 7 days, but your skin will continue to improve. Skin tightening after a laser treatment can take up to 6 months to fully develop.

As the ageing process continues, we recommend maintaining the anti-ageing effects of this laser resurfacing with a treatment every twelve months. Protecting your new healthy skin from UV light is important by using sunscreen and wearing a hat.

What happens during a Sciton Halo treatment?

Every treatment starts with a detailed consultation with your Dermatologist, who draws up a personal treatment plan.

Tell your Dermatologist if you have suffered from any facial cold sores and if you’ve taken the anti-acne medication Isotretinoin. No one who has taken Isotretinoin within the last six months should undergo Sciton Halo.

This treatment could spark a recurrence of cold sores, so please take the medication you’ve been prescribed.

You will be given special safety wear to protect your eyes during the procedure, as laser light can harm your eyes. You must wear it throughout the treatment.

You will also be given a topical anaesthetic cream 45 minutes before your treatment, as well as local anaesthetic injections to reduce the sensation you feel as the laser interacts with your skin. Some areas like the neck, decolletage and body do not require anaesthetic cream.

The sensation may feel like a burst of heat, pinpricks, or something similar to a sunburn.

The treatment takes between 20 and 40 minutes, depending on which areas are treated.

How will I look after treatment?

The area that has been treated will feel warm for a couple of hours. The warmth will ease over the next day or two. Cold compresses can give comfort, as can a thermal water spray.

Sometimes there are areas of pin-point bleeding in the first day. These usually settle pretty quickly.

Your skin will be red after the procedure, but this will ease over the next day or two. Redness can last up to a week for lighter treatments and 6 months for heavier treatments.

There may be some itching, and there will be some bronzing and flaking of the skin, and tiny dark spots, as the microscopic columns heal. Don’t pick the flakes, as this could scar you. Allow them to shed naturally. During this time, your skin will feel very dry and feel like sandpaper before it flakes off. Keeping your skin well moisturized and never picking the skin is the best way to enable it to heal fully.

There may also be some swelling which will lessen in 3 or 4 days as your skin heals. Swelling can be most profound over the eyelids.

Post-procedure hyperpigmentation or lightening, allergic reactions, or infections are uncommon. Avoid tanning your skin before and after the procedure to reduce the risk of pigmentation changes, and use sunblock.

What is aftercare after Halo laser?

You will need the following skin care products:

Dermol 500 to wash the skin twice a day for 7 days
Aquaphor ointment as a barrier cream for the first 3 days
Cerave or Cetaphil Lotion as a barrier cream from day 4 onwards

Your Dermatologist may also prescribe oral antiviral medications and steroids.

Don’t apply your everyday skin care products for at least five days, as the laser has temporarily impaired your skin’s barrier. Your everyday products could cause inflammation and irritation and increase the likelihood of pigmentation changes or scarring.

Wash your face in the morning with the facial wash and allow to air dry or pat gently with a clean towel or kitchen roll. Don’t rub.

Apply the barrier cream to protect your skin and prevent it from drying.

If you have been prescribed antivirals or other medications by your dermatologist, take them.

Top up the barrier cream at least twice more during the day. Wash and add more cream to your face in the evening. Take your second dose of antivirals if advised to take them twice a day.

Do this for the first five days after the treatment. You can apply the barrier cream more thinly as the redness settles.

Once the redness is gone, it is possible to wear sunscreen if you are going outside but make sure you stay out of direct sunlight and also wear a wide-brimmed hat.

We’ll monitor your progress with the ‘selfie’ pictures you send us.

You can start wearing light mineral makeup between three and five days after treatment, as soon as the redness has settled and there is little peeling.

It would be best if you avoided exercise or sweating for one week as the skin must the fully healed first.

What is the downtime after Halo laser?

The goal with Halo is to achieve optimum rejuvenation with as minimum downtime as possible. With a usual treatment, a relatively low downtime of five to seven days is expected. Being a very customizable treatment, it is possible to have a light treatment with minimal redness and flaking and a one-day downtime. This would require 4 to 5 treatments to have the same effect as two longer downtime Halo treatments.

Which skin types can be treated?

Sciton Halo laser treatment is safe on all skin types. As with all laser treatments, the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is greater in those with darker skin types.

Can I have halo laser on the neck, chest arms or legs?

Yes Halo laser can be given to the any part of the body. The treatment on body areas other than the face needs to be less intense. This is because the face can heal very quickly but the body does not have the same capacity to heal following laser treatments. This means more treatments are usually required.

Truly personalized treatment with Halo

Each treatment is designed by our Dermatologists and bespoke to the individual patient. Halo enables the energy, depth and density of each laser to be fine-tuned to ensure that results are optimum for any individual case. Being only among a few Practitioners to have a large amount of experience in Halo laser, our Dermatologists can you provide you with a highly individualised treatment plan.

Is Halo laser treatment safe?

Halo constantly measures the temperature of the skin so it is always in a safe zone. This is known as Dynamic Thermal Optimisation (DTO) which automatically ensures the treatment is evenly given. Halo also has one of the most ingenious methods of mapping the face’s surface area. This, with the built-in speed sensor, ensures the correct amount of energy is evenly delivered. These features, coupled with truly personalized plan to determine the depth, energy and concentration of each laser, means that severe side effects are very uncommon.

What are the risks and side effects of Halo laser treatment?

The skin will become red and swollen and may feel tight. After a few days there will be bronzing and flaking.

Side effects of Halo can include

Infection. You may be asked to take antibiotics before the procedure for heavy treatments.
Recurrence of a cold sore. You are usually asked to take cold sore prevention medications starting on the day of your procedure.
Acne breakouts. It is preferred to treat the skin once acne has been brought under control. You may require acne medication for a number of weeks after treatment to prevent flares
Redness that lasts for a few weeks, though with heavier treatments, redness is known to last up to 3 to 6 months
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation – this will usually resolve in 3 months and may require additional prescription creams. It is common for superficial pigmentation to darken and peel off.
Flare of melasma
Lack of desired effect. As with any medical treatment, individuals will respond differently and a guarantee of any particular outcome is not provided.

How effective is Sciton Halo laser treatment?

This treatment gives excellent, long-lasting results.

Patients report a visible reduction in the signs of ageing, from lines and wrinkles to open pores and an uneven complexion.

Collagen is stimulated in the skin’s tissues for six months, meaning the skin tightening effects develop over time.

In a 2018 study, of 29 women receiving 2 Halo treatments 6 weeks apart (Waibel et al 2019), independent photographic assessment showed a significant skin improvement in 80% of cases. A survey showed 100% of the study participants were satisfied with the treatment. 2 out of 29 cases developed post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation that settled within 90 days.

A 2022 study (Fusano et al 2022) also showed an extremely high level of patients are satisfied after Halo laser treatment.

Combining Halo with other treatments

Your Dermatologist may recommend combining treatments with Halo. Many treatments pair up very well with Halo and may give better and faster results. Whether a paired treatment is suitable for your concerns will depend on the advice provided to you by your Dermatologist at Consultation.

Paired treatments that may give complimentary effects with Halo are

Halo plus BBL – broadband light. This is a very common combination at Midland Skin and we have found the two treatments work exceptionally well together
Halo plus Micropeel. Here the top 6 to 10 microns of dead skin are exfoliated with a laser peel straight after Halo treatment.
Halo plus Fully ablative laser to the eyes or around the mouth with Halo laser everywhere else. This is ideal if you have deeper issues around the eyelids and mouth area.

What is the difference between Halo and Profractional?

Profractional laser penetrates deeper into the skin (unto 1500 microns) and is ablative. Profractional is a more suitable treatment when the problem being treated lies in the deeper layers of the dermis, such as surgical scars & acne scars. As Profractional is a more deeply penetrating treatment, the downtime is usually a few days longer.

What’s the difference between Fraxel lasers and Sciton Halo?

The main difference is that the Scion Halo is more powerful and effective.

This is because the Halo is the first hybrid fractional laser where the two wavelengths are in the same head.

There is less discomfort and a shorter downtime after the treatment. The average Fraxel laser treatment needs five days of recovery, while the Halo needs three.

What is the difference between Halo and Fully ablative laser treatment?

Fully ablative laser treatment is a more intensive form of laser resurfacing. It generally produces greater improvements in one treatment, though the downtime and risks from treatment are more significant too. Not all patients are suitable for fully ablative laser treatments.

What can I do to ensure I get the best possible outcome?

Begin using a sunscreen before the treatment and commit to using it for at least three months after the treatment.

Use sunscreen with UVA and UVB protection and an SPF of 30 or more daily and reapply every two hours when in the sun.

Avoid sun exposure for at least two months after the treatment.

Don’t wear make-up until your skin has peeled, and avoid strenuous exercise until your skin has healed.

Follow any other skin care advice your Dermatologist has provided to you.

What should I do next?

Would you like to discuss a Sciton Halo laser resurfacing treatment? Please arrange an appointment with one of our dermatologists who will be happy to help.

References

Waibel S et al. Hybrid Fractional Laser: A Multi-Center Trial on the Safety and Efficacy for Photorejuvenation. J Drugs Dermatol. 2018 Nov 1;17(11):1164 – 1168.

Fusano M, Bencini PL, Galimberti MG. Hybrid fractional laser treatment for photodamaged facial skin rejuvenation 6 years following fractional CO2 : Comparison of clinical outcome and patients’ satisfaction. Lasers Surg Med. 2022 Oct;54(8):1045-1050. doi: 10.1002/lsm.23583. Epub 2022 Jul 12. PMID: 35819131.

Benson, Travis A. MD*; Hibler, Brian P. MD†,‡; Kotliar, Dylan MD, PhD§,‖; Avram, Mathew MD, JD‡. Nonablative Fractional Laser Treatment Is Associated With a Decreased Risk of Subsequent Facial Keratinocyte Carcinoma Development. Dermatologic Surgery DSS.0000000000003672