Women have been raving about a 20-minute “non-invasive” treatment that can help eliminate signs of skin aging quickly.
Sun damage, pigmentation, and broken capillaries are common (and hard to avoid) signs of skin aging.
But a new non-invasive treatment, using intense pulsed light (IPL), claims to help even out skin and combat signs of aging in just one session.
IPL therapy improves skin texture by using light energy to target a certain color, making the skin tone more even.
Jessica Fisher, 34, from London, who was concerned about broken veins in her cheeks, opted for Lumecca, a non-invasive intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment, and said she found the treatment “quick and easy” and noticed a difference in her skin after just two sessions.
Jessica Fisher, 34, from London, who was concerned about broken veins in her cheeks, opted for Lumecca and said she found the treatment “quick and easy” and noticed a difference in her skin after just two sessions.
Denise Farrell, 55, from London, before and after three sessions of Lumecca on her arms.
Jane Porter, 42, from London, saw a big difference in her hands after just two sessions, six weeks apart.
What is Lumecca, how does it work and how much does it cost?
Susan Vaughan from SV aesthetics explained how the treatment works:
‘Fortunately, UV protection is much more encouraged now than in the past, but sometimes pigmentation and vascular lesions can be hereditary; this is where Lumecca comes in.
It helps treat any underlying skin damage, whether it has been damaged over the years or inherited from your parents.
‘Lumecca is the most powerful IPL light on the market. In just 1-3 sessions, Lumecca improves the appearance of age spots, sun damage, freckles, vascular lesions, port wine stains, rosacea and broken capillaries. Leaving the skin with a more even complexion.
Susan Vaughan of SV Aesthetics offers the Lumecca treatment, which helps treat sun-damaged skin.
‘Lumecca also has skin firming properties, as the warm light penetrates the skin and helps promote the production of new collagen and elastin. This is just an added bonus to an already fantastic treatment.
‘Other IPL devices require an average of 5 to 6 sessions to help treat these skin conditions.
‘Lumecca can be used on all areas of the face and body, the most popular areas being the face, chest, arms, shoulders, hands and legs.
‘However, it does have some restrictions as it can only be used on Fitzpatrick skin types 1 and 2. It is not suitable for darker skin tones as the IPL may not be able to target the pigmentation to its fullest ability.
‘A full-face Lumecca treatment takes between 15 and 20 minutes. Plus, there’s no downtime, meaning you can apply makeup straight after. It’s a great treatment to do while you’re out for lunch.’
‘SPF should be used to protect the skin for three weeks after treatment.
‘Over the next few weeks, the pigments break down in the skin and the tiny broken capillaries become cauterized and then disappear.’
‘A gel is applied to the area to be treated. We then place the hand-held applicator on the skin and work in small sections. We then activate an intense pulsed light that travels down into the skin. This light picks up brown and red pigments in the skin. The light disrupts these pigments and breaks them down in the skin.
‘No numbing cream is needed for this treatment because it is so fast – each shot of light feels like a warm touch on the skin.
‘The Lumecca handpiece has a strong sapphire cooling tip, which aids in client comfort during treatment.
‘After the first session, you may notice that the pigments begin to darken slightly: this is the effect we are looking for.
‘Over the next 7 to 10 days, these tiny pigments will either fall off or begin to gradually lighten. On average, clients need 3 sessions spaced 3 weeks apart. If you are very prone to sun damage or freckles, you may need one or two touch-up sessions once or twice a year to maintain the results.
‘The most popular areas I treat with Lumecca are the face, neck, chest, shoulders, arms, hands and legs. Sessions cost £230 (face) but we also offer discounted three-session courses.
Lumecca at SV aesthetics is priced at £230 per session for face, neck, arms or décolleté. Face and neck combined is £400 and face, neck and décolleté combined is £650.
Meanwhile, Stacie Bell, 29, from London, said she was unhappy with her “uneven skin tone and pigmentation” on her face and said she was shocked to see the great results after her first session.
Susan Vaughan, who runs London-based SV Aesthetics, performs the treatment on clients from just £230 per session and shows off the results on her Instagram @SV_Aesthetics.
With Lumecca there is no downtime and makeup can be applied straight after, so she says it’s a fantastic treatment to do during your lunch break.
Jessica, who follows Aesthetics on Instagram, said she never felt confident going out without makeup before trying Lumecca.
She said: ‘I always had what most would consider good skin, but I never felt confident enough to go makeup-free to work or other social situations.
“I always felt like I needed a tinted moisturizer at the very least to even out my skin tone. I have a lot of freckles, rosy cheeks, and as I got older I noticed I had popped veins on my cheeks.
“I saw results within a week of the first treatment and received compliments right away. The pigments look darker before they improve, but they fade very quickly and even skin tone appears quickly.
“Personally, I didn’t feel the need for a radical transformation, just more confidence in my skin. Even friends who previously said I had great skin commented that it looks even better. I’ve been happy going to work with just a little concealer, mascara and eyebrows on, something I never would have done before.”
Stacie decided to undergo Lumecca IPL treatment because she was uncomfortable with her uneven skin tone and facial pigmentation.
Stacie Bell, 29, from London, said she was unhappy with her “uneven skin tone and pigmentation” on her face (pictured after two sessions)
Mary Sexton, 45, from London, had the treatment on her neck and chest and noticed results after two sessions.
John Fitzgerald, 70, from Surrey, tried Lumecca on his face to clear broken capillaries in his cheeks.
She said: ‘The specific areas I wanted to treat were the forehead and lower face. The process of having the treatments done was really quick, painless and easy with no recovery time afterwards.
‘The only side effects I had were some redness and warmth in my face, which disappeared within a few hours.
‘I started seeing results within a couple of days and was so amazed at how much of a change there had been after just one treatment.
‘Before I had my second treatment, Susan took some before and after photographs which really highlighted the improvement and change, which I was really pleased with.
‘I am very happy with the results and would definitely do the treatment again.
“I would even recommend it to friends who have similar skin problems, as the results are truly amazing.”
Prolonged exposure to the sun without protection causes trauma to the skin that increases the excessive production of melanin in the skin. This melanin does not know when to stop being produced, which can cause trauma to the skin in the form of burns.
This trauma to the skin can over time develop into sun or age spots, pigmentation, freckles and broken capillaries.
Melanin is the pigment that gives color to the skin and is produced by skin cells called melanocytes.
Melanocyte cells do not know when your body has received enough sun and do not know when to stop producing melanin when you have been overexposed to the sun.
Although sun damage, age spots, and freckles are not harmful to your skin, they can age your skin over time.
Susan said: ‘Thankfully, UV protection is much more encouraged now than in the past, but sometimes pigmentation and vascular lesions can be hereditary – this is where Lumecca comes in.
‘It helps treat any underlying damage to your skin, whether it’s been damaged over the years or inherited from your parents.’