GentleMax Laser: A first time experience

As I am learning more about my skin, I am learning to see it in a different light. When I was battling cystic acne, it felt like a betrayal from my skin which literally had one job...keep germs out...and instead I was dealing with broken skin and active breakouts everyday. Now that the dust has settled, the scars and residue of those battles still remain. Upon consulting with my dermatologist, we talked about ways to help deal with these concerns, mostly acne scarring and hyperpigmentation. Some interventions I had already begun, mostly Vitamin C and tretinoin. I was ready to try lasers but as a POC, I was concerned about further exacerbating my hyperpigmentation and needed something that would be safe.

She suggested Gentlemax Laser. Used for laser hair removal, this heats up the layer of skin underneath to activate the body's healing mechanism. However, compared to some stronger counterparts such as Fraxel or CO2 lasers, Gentlemax has no downtime and doesn't even require anesthesia. Specifically, I wanted to reduce a dark spot near my right ear and would be using that as a marker to determine how effective it was.

The experience was easy enough, my derm put eye protection on me and then blip! Laser time! It felt like a rubber band snap and there was a slight smell of singed hair but the pain was very mild. It hurt a bit more on the less fatty parts such as the forehead and it felt like the laser was randomly hitting my face so I couldn't anticipate where it would land next. However, I was able to head straight to work afterwards with only a very noticeable white cast from my sunscreen to tell the tale of my laser adventure of that morning.

I was a bit disappointed that I didn't wake up looking like a newborn and that my discoloration was still there.

Before and After: does it look lighter? Maybe if I squint...

To be fully transparent, my dermatologist did say it would take a few more treatments but at $300 a pop and no Groupon? I couldn't see how I could go back...not without shopping around at least. I found a clinic which is actually a hair removal clinic which will do it for $100 less so maybe I will revisit it. But honestly, I think there needs to be a conversation with the dermatologist about stepping up a little more on the laser scale. I don't mind a little downtime as long was it has noticeable improvement so it feels like I am getting my money's worth.

So, would I recommend GentleMax? If you are looking for hair removal, sure! Personally, I like the physical exfoliation I get from derma planing so I don't care for that but it certainly works for that reason. If you are looking to address fine lines/wrinkles/hyperpigmentation/scarring? Nah, there are cheaper and better options that would have more bang for your buck. And once I find out, dear reader, I will let you know!