The pin-pricks of light that warm your face are accurate, targeting each spot and condition on your face. The radiant effects they leave can last for a long time. While most other treatments claim a total cleansing of the face and the removal of the blemishes, the one service that the Emerge Fractional Laser Technology provides that may be difficult to replicate is the restoration of formerly damaged, weary-looking skin to a more innocent, perfect form.
“It’s like going back to the skin that we had before, when we were babies, before pollution, bad health habits, and neglect damaged it,” says Anne Lorraine Sia, the co-owner and marketing manager of Clara International Philippines – Skin and Body Center, the Philippine branch of one of Malaysia’s largest salons and wellness centers. “As children, many of us start out on life with unblemished clear skin, regardless of the color. Over time, unfortunately, that skin becomes subject to acne marks, wrinkles, fine lines, open pores, and scars.”
SKIN PERFECTION
“There are a number of reasons for this,” she continues. “Natural ageing is one of them. Another is overexposure to sunlight. You can also get them from the chemicals through facials and other peeling masks that are done to your face; these treatments may suit other patients but they may not necessarily be compatible with your skin type and tissue.
“What Emerge does is correct the imperfections of our skin. Beyond that, it repairs the skin in such a way that it brings back the natural skin that we enjoyed when we were still young.”
The Emerge Fractional Laser rejuvenates the skin and makes it more youthful by stimulating the collagen and elastin within it, the two nutrients produced by the body that keep our epidermis healthy, strong, and glowing. It uses microscopic points of light to target a small fraction of the skin one a time on precise areas below the skin’s surface.
First, before undergoing the Emerge treatment, the therapist has to identify the number of problem areas in the face that need to be treated and rejuvenated, ranging from simple clinging dirt, open pores, to pigmentation. An estimated 150 shots of those laser lights are aimed and administered; think of it as rays leaping from a very small flashlight and with the microscopic size of the width of a hair being aimed at your face. One beam of ray lands one at a time. Older patients who are 40 years above and older may be advised to undergo 200 shots to counter-attack the ageing effects such as deeper layers of wrinkles.
“Emerge goes deeper the skin than any treatment I know,” says Ms. Sia. “People tend to think that the melasma and the dark spots in the face are superficial but they are not easily removed. Emerge addresses the root of the problem.”
NATURAL HEALING PROCESS
What the machine actually does is to simulate the remaining skin’s natural healing process. The microscopic columns of treated skin are eliminated slowly over many weeks as they are replaced by healthy new tissue. Rebuilding of the epidermis continues with fresh new supplies of collagen and elastin, in effect replacing once tired, stretched skin with many unhealthy conditions with practically a new youthful-looking one.
“Emerge does not disrupt or cause any damage to the surface of the skin,” elaborates Ms Sia. “What happens is total skin resurfacing. The laser penetrates down to the third layer of the skin, way past the second layer where the collagen is produced. The collagen then produces new skin material that will replace the old one in a matter of weeks.”
Ms. Sia recommends a total of six sessions, each session spaced out over two to three weeks. Each session takes about 15-45 minutes, depending on the level of treatment needed by the patient’s face.
“Aside from the usual facial conditions, Emerge also treats surgical scars and stretch marks,” says Ms. Sia. “These stretch marks are caused by pregnancy and by a sudden, dramatic loss of weight that pulls the body down and leaves very visible lines on the skin.”
Emerge likewise requires very little downtime. Neither does it leave any scars, scabs, or drops of blood. A one-time treatment with this machine costs thousands of dollars in First World countries like Australia. However, Sia reduced the price to a tenth to make it accessible to many Filipinos.
“I’ve had my share of bouts of low self-confidence when I suffered from acne and pimples,” reveals Ms. Sia. “That’s why we make our products and services affordable to others who are still suffering the same way. We also take time to work with our patients. We are not here to give just a one-time magic treatment. Think of us as your best friends who will walk with you on this journey.”