We trial Mardi’s snazzy new machine with some pretty fab results
It’s been an interesting two years for Mardi, owner of The Skin Club in Bowral.
Opening this dermal therapy skin clinic in the centre of Bowral just before the first lot of lockdowns meant she, like plenty of other business owners, had to ride out the pandemic wave and everything that came with it.
It also meant Mardi had to put the purchase of fab new technology and equipment on hold while she built her business and then when she DID decide to buy something fabulous, supplier and transport issues meant it took a whole lot longer to arrive than expected.
BUT…. good news! Mardi’s new baby is here and WE get all the benefits! And look how happy Mardi is about it!
It’s called the Alma Lasers Harmony XL PRO, it looks a little like something out of Doctor Who or Star Trek and it does sooooooo much.
“This is a substantial financial investment for me but the reason I was happy to invest was because it treats such a range of skin issues and concerns,” says Mardi.
“It’s a comprehensive multi-application platform to treat a versatile range of medical and aesthetic conditions, covering 72 FDA-cleared indications – from acne and pigmentation through to uneven skin tone, fine lines and wrinkles, hair removal and even tattoo removal.”
And I got to try it out!
The secret is in the technology and the handpieces, Mardi explains as she settles me onto the bed [which has bed warmers in it – sooooo cosy].
“There are different handpieces, each with their own type of technology specific to the treatment I am doing.”
“So today, I’m doing a skin laxity treatment on you.”
Woohoo!
Wait, what does that mean?
“It’s a form of tightening the skin – completely painless with no or minimal downtime.”
Woohoo!
“The handpiece I use and the laser technology within that handpiece penetrates the skin deeply which triggers a healing response and stimulates the production of new collagen, which helps the skin appear firmer, tighter and more youthful,” Mardi explains as she turns the machine on and hovers over me with a fancy looking handpiece.
Another plus for this form of treatment is that it’s less invasive than plastic surgery, a few treatments in Mardi’s lovely clinic every 6 – 9 months a year is more cost effective than regular anti-wrinkle injections or fillers and if you’re anything like me – helloooo needle phobia – it’s a relaxing way to tighten and rejuvenate the skin.
So as the machine fires up and I snuggle into the warm bed, Mardi explains that I’ll feel a bit of heat on my face as she runs the machine over my face and neck.
And this is the view from my snuggly bed – lovin’ the new look interiors!
Not that I can see anything when Mardi places protection over my eyes – they’re almost like swimming goggles and not uncomfortable at all – as the laser is quite bright.
Once she’s comfortable I’m comfortable, Mardi starts with the perhaps most challenging part – for most 48 year olds – my neck.
It’s hot but doesn’t burn. In fact, the best way I can describe it is that it’s like when you have a hot rocks massage…… quite relaxing.
And when it’s 0 degrees outside, and I haven’t been able to feel my face since 1 June, a bit of extra warmth on my face is VERY welcome!
“Being able to invest in one machine that has the ability to treat so many skin issues actually saves me money in the long run. It means my work space is less cluttered with loads of different machines all doing different things, plus the technology is so powerful that treatment time is less,” says Mardi as she moves her way up to my jawline [which runs a close second to the neck in the saggy baggy crepey stakes].
“So many of my lovely clients have such busy lives, so being able to offer up multiple treatments in less time with a better outcome than ever before, is another reason why I bought the Alma Laser Harmony XL PRO.”
“It’s more efficient for me, which makes it more efficient for them too.”
The surface of the handpiece is like a glass.
It’s smooth as it runs over my face and not uncomfortable at all.
The entire time, Mardi is stopping and starting checking the temperature of the surface to make sure it doesn’t get too hot and uncomfortable.
It never does and as I mentioned before, is actually really soothing in the dead of winter in the Highlands!
“While your skin will feel and look tighter, you’ll also notice a difference in the tone and the surface of your skin,” Mardi explains.
Now, I’ve struggled with redness and rosacea all my life.
I was the kid with the really rosy cheeks.
I’m the one at the gym who turns beet red and stays that way for a few hours afterwards.
When I partake in the odd / regular wine or two, my face lights up like a Christmas tree. I’ve always been self-conscious about it and wear a few layers of make-up to cover it up.
And while I use my Medik8 products, they’re more for hydrating and the health of the skin and can’t treat rosacea as such. So I’m excited to hear from Mardi that the redness will even out too.
Now, I’m writing about my first experience which was a couple of weeks ago but since then I’ve had two more treatments and can absolutely see the difference.
“For this particular skin laxity treatment, we do a series of four treatments across a time span of 6 – 8 weeks,” Mardi explains.
“One of the benefits is that after your last treatment, the layers of skin keep healing, collagen is still being produced….the technology is so powerful that it keeps working for months afterwards.”
Great! I love the idea of things working while I’m sleeping!
Now get ready for some selfies, people! Makeup free ones at that – yikes!!
This image was taken before….ouch! See the redness? I don’t have any makeup on in this one.
Gawwwwd, I hate that pic. Anyhoo….
THIS image was taken after the second treatment. I was so excited about this one because I just had some light foundation on. No powder at all! I normally wear powder, especially over the cheek bones which is where the rosacea likes to really settle in for a cuppa and chat.
It’s a bit blurry sorry. Probz because I was lovin’ myself sick and being a bit too quick with the selfie taking.
And then I also took this pic on the right after my third treatment.
I’ve put them side by side so you can see the difference in just a few weeks.
Same room, same lighting, same time of day, almost the same jumper and definitely the same disregard for anything resembling a hairstyle!!
I’ve been staggered by the difference in the redness….
This next one is taken a week after my third treatment. It’s very close, I know. Sorry!
But I wanted to show the difference in not only the redness but the puffiness compared to that very first photo. As Mardi said to me when I went in for my third treatment, “your face looks smaller….”
And in this next pic, I’m only wearing a light foundation + a bit of eye makeup – no powder. And I most definitely have not edited or put filters on any of these pics. I REEEEAAALLLY didn’t want to include that very first one because that is what I’ve been trying to cover with plenty of makeup for so long.
But now I don’t have to!
So, as you can see some pretty good results in a short space of time, right?
The treatment takes less than 20 minutes and as much as I don’t want to get out of the warm bed in the salon, Mardi pops some hydrating serum on my face and sends me on my way, with instructions to stay out of the wind or the sun or both for the rest of the day.
And to not put anything on my skin – make-up, moisturiser, cleanser, sunscreen – until tomorrow.
My skin feels very soft and I have a tinge of redness on my face for the rest of the day and by the next morning, it’s gone.
It’s not hot. It doesn’t look like I’m sunburnt and I don’t have to don a beekeeper’s hat like Samantha did in Sex + The City when she had a laser peel that went all kinds of wrong.
I can go about life as normal.
Just with more even skin tone, less sag, a bit of an extra glow and a bit of extra swag as I’m lovin’ myself sick using less make-up and seeing the results of the skin laxity treatment thanks to Mardi’s fancy new Alma Laser Harmony XL PRO.
Now, while I had the skin laxity treatment, Mardi can treat a huge range of skin issues and concerns.
This machine is actually medical grade and used by dermatologists and skin specialists. Mardi has also undergone thorough training in how to operate the machine, and thanks to her experience and qualifications in dermal therapy, can offer some pretty amazing solutions for anyone struggling with skin issues like acne, pigmentation, vascular lesions and it can even whip off your peach fuzz while you’re there!
The first step is sitting down and chatting with Mardi for a consultation – she really listens to you and takes a holistic approach to treating skin issues.
It might be the first time you can see a solution for what you’ve been challenged with for so long!
Get in touch with Mardi here.
The Skin Club is a Dermal Clinic in the Southern Highlands, dedicated to helping clients achieve healthy, glowing skin. Mardi provides amazing treatments and advice to all her clients, using the highest quality cosmeceutical Medik8 and Mesoestetic skincare products.
Book a free skin consultation with Mardi to take your skin to the next level (and be prepared for EVERYONE to comment on how amazing you look – guaranteed!). Oh, and she’s super flexible with appointment times, which is very handy!
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