A Sunny Disposition: Our Summer-Safe Aesthetic Skin Care Faves

Laser Treatments & Summer Sun: Playing With Fire 

Our office stays open year round, but for those in search of laser hair removal treatments or another light energy service like IPL in the summer, any speck of a tan puts the client at risk of a burn or blister. Skin that is at its resting, winter skin tone is the only skin that’s safe to treat during the sunny months. Clients who enjoy the Portland outdoors, or plan on being poolside or otherwise exposed to the sun, should consider rescheduling into the Fall their visit for the safest outcome. Many clients pare down their services to areas receiving minimal exposure, like the underarms or bikini zone, but why not use this opportunity to try out something new, as well!

In this blog, we’ll discuss the science behind why sun protection is important, as well as delve into some of our non-light based treatments for clients who desire to keep up with their self-care routine with less risk. 

An Ounce Of Prevention Is Worth A Pound Of Cure

Treating summer skin using a light-based service can put you at risk of a burn or blister. The laser may attract a “false target”, AKA the active suntan that you’ve acquired, and treat that area as it would a freckle, sunspot, or hair bulb.

The active suntan will attract the laser’s beam and the laser will heat the area, instead of the desired effect to the target, resulting in unwanted overtreatment. We would never want to hurt you or put you at risk, so we discourage receiving laser hair removal, IPL or our other light-based treatments when you’re actively indulging in the beautiful Portland summer weather. 

The sun, even casual daily sun exposure, is known to age your skin as well as heighten the risk for skin cancer. The solution is simple: protect your skin with a swipe of daily sunscreen and be sure to reapply throughout the day.

Luxe Laser is proud to carry the MD Solar Sciences line of sun care products, including the classic MD Solar Sciences sunscreen – Mineral Crème SPF 50, or tinted options such as MD Mineral BB Crème, Gleam + Glow and Tint + Tone. These mineral-based, hypoallergenic products blur the line between skincare and makeup with multi-faceted levels of care for your unique needs. There’s an MD Solar Sciences product for everyone so be sure to ask your esthetician for more information during your next visit!

We don’t recommend receiving any laser or advanced aesthetic skin care treatment, light-based or not, on skin that’s seriously baked and bronzed. Skin that’s traumatized and recovering from that level of long-term exposure isn’t ideal for receiving treatments, as the integrity and health of the skin have been compromised.

With prolonged sun exposure and the aging effects that come with that, skin can become thinner over time which also increases the possibility of unwanted skin damage from a treatment. We won’t risk it, and neither should you!  Get on top of things now by stepping up your SPF game and avoid incurring the sun damage that you’ll be wanting to remove next year.

Our Summer-Safe Options

Clients who may have casually picked up a tiny bit of color, are waiting for their vacation tan to fully dissolve, or who plan on otherwise pausing laser services until the Fall, are often on the hunt for a low-risk self-care service that they can still enjoy safely in the sunnier months. For this type of client, we can safely treat using manual and/or chemical treatments and abstaining from light-based services until they’re back at their resting, winter skin tone. Self-care does not need to take a pause in the summer!

A Hydrafacial™, PCA™ chemical peel or microneedling with AnteAGE™ or a dermaplaning service are all excellent laser-free treatments for skin that has received some minor sun exposure. If you’ve been searching for a Hydrafacial in Portland, dermaplaning in Portland or microneedling in Portland, Luxe Laser is a premier provider of these spa services.

Hydrafacial™ is a patented aesthetic skin care treatment that provides consistently beautiful results for our clients. This device-assisted facial is a 3-step process consisting of a cleanse and peel step, extraction and hydration step, and finally, a product infusion and protection step to maximize your natural glow.

This Signature HydraFacial™ can be upgraded to a customizable Deluxe HydraFacial TM to include an LED light therapy element as well as targeted infusions customized to your concerns. These upgrades can focus on improving skin clarity for congested skin, fight the signs of aging, maximize radiance or perhaps focus on healing and restoration. Our Platinum HydraFacial™ is the crème de la crème of the HydraFacial™ offerings and involves a lymphatic drainage step in addition to the aforementioned booster and LED steps, for an incomparable final effect. Skin will be left hydrated, cleansed, healthy and supported by the ingredients your skin craves.

Hydrafacial™ also can be paired with our AnteAGE™ Regenzyme peel or Dermaplaning service for even deeper exfoliation and enhanced product absorption. Ask your esthetician which HydraFacial™ they recommend for your skin concerns and get ready for a Hollywood glow that can only come from HydraFacial™.

Dermaplaning and our PCA™ chemical peel options focus on exfoliation, which is a critical step to a beautiful, youthful complexion. Exfoliation increases cell turnover, meaning we’re ramping up the rate at which our skin renews itself. Cell turnover slows as we age, and exfoliation keeps our skin looking fresh, bright, and more even. Find out more about exfoliation here. Both of these aesthetic skin care services are pain-free, non-invasive, and require little to no downtime.

Our dermaplaning service removes up to 21 days’ worth of dead skin as well as peach fuzz and product residue, resulting in a gorgeous glow that’s excellent both on its own and when added to another treatment. This treatment involves gently gliding a surgical steel razor over the skin with a combination of perfect pressure and an ideal angle, to scrape off complexion dulling dead skin, makeup residue and vellus hair. If you prefer to go makeup-free in the summer and focus on beautiful skin, this is a treatment that you should definitely try out!

Our PCA™ chemical peels are light “lunchtime peels.” In other words, these peels won’t leave you raw and red and you’ll be in and out of our office in a jiff. The top layer of dead skin will gradually exfoliate away over the course of the next week, resulting in a beautiful, more even and smooth complexion. Focusing on exfoliation to maximize your natural complexion is a perfect plan as we move into those no-makeup dog days of summer.

Microneedling is a favorite treatment at Luxe Laser and for good reason. Collagen-boosting, product-infusing, and flaw-erasing, this treatment packs a punch with minimal downtime (between 2-5 days of light swelling and redness) and maximum payoff.

High-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid serum is used in our base model service, with upgrades available upon request. Top-shelf microneedling solution infusions from AnteAGE™ can be selected for your unique skin concerns.

We use only the best AnteAGE™ anti-aging stem cell microneedling solution as well as a brightening solution option to customize your treatment to your needs. You can also boost your treatment with a Regenzyme enzyme peel or Dermaplaning pre-treatment step, to add an exfoliation benefit to your service.

Focusing on protection and pampering during the sunny season is a recipe for success at our Portland medspa! Treat your skin to a Hot Girl Summer glow up! Book a consultation to talk with a Certified Advanced Esthetician about your options and goals today!