It’s been FOREVER since I talked about a laser treatment and that’s because quarantine happened and estheticians had to close their doors for a few months. I was lucky enough to get a Halo Laser treatment done before quarantine, but then didn’t want to share anything about it since no one could actually see their esthetician about the treatment. But now that life is getting back to a somewhat normal pace and my esthetician Shawn Haviland at Cherry Hills Facial Aesthetics is able to open her doors again, I wanted to share my experience with this FANTASTIC laser. I love this laser so much that I’ll be going back for my second treatment next month! It’s BY FAR my favorite laser treatment to date. I can’t say enough good things about it. But before we get into my own experience, I wanted to answer some FAQs you may have! And if you’re in Denver, you’ll definitely want to read through this because I have an AWESOME deal for you!
What is a Halo Laser treatment for?
The Halo Laser works on all sorts of skin issues and damage – fine lines and wrinkles, sun damage, melasma, skin resurfacing, scars, signs of aging, pigmented lesions, improves the appearance of large pores, and actinic keratoses
How does it work?
The Halo Laser combines ablative and non-ablative wavelengths for maximum results with minimal downtime. The coagulation of the laser stimulates collagen then fractional portion of the laser targets the epidermis to help improve tone and texture of the skin.
Is it painful?
Surprisingly, not really. I’ve done a ton of different treatments such as Profractional Laser, Microneedling, and Venus Viva Laser; and this Halo Laser is BY FAR the most comfortable treatment to sit through and the results are fantastic. Your esthetician will numb you up beforehand then the treatment itself is very tolerable. It may feel mildly uncomfortable around sensitive areas like the lips and under the eyes, but nothing too bad whatsoever. The most uncomfortable part is after the treatment is done – your skin will feel INCREDIBLY hot. Kind of like the worst sunburn you’ve ever had. After I drove home, it felt like my face was on fire, but it continued to get better with each hour. Fire makes it sound intolerable, but it really isn’t. It’s just crazy how hot your face feels.
How long is the recovery time?
The healing is very quick with this treatment. I was able to put on makeup by day 4 (could have on day 3, but I didn’t since I was home anyways) and by then you’re only dealing with slightly rough skin, some dryness, and a slightly puffy face. Within 8 days, my skin was back to normal, without any dryness. But the best part of this treatment is your skin will have noticeable improvement over the next few weeks AND months. It just gets better with time! This would be a great treatment to do on a Thursday or Friday then feel fine to go back to work by Monday!
What are the benefits of the Halo Laser compared to other laser treatments?
The Halo Laser is much more comfortable than traditional fractional laser, the healing time is quick, and the improvement is quite noticeable in a short amount of time. If you want airbrushed look skin, this laser is for you!
Can this treatment be performed on areas other than just the face?
Yes! This treatment can be used for the face, neck, chest, arms, hands, and even legs!
How much does it cost?
It all depends on where you live, the esthetician you see, and the areas of skin you cover. I’ve seen prices from $600 and up to $2400.
Why did you decide to try this treatment?
I have NEVER had good skin. I grew up with acne issues that I’m still trying to get a handle on and my skin itself doesn’t age well – wrinkles, dark spots, melasma, etc. My esthetician has done an amazing job and has really improved my skin over the past 4 or so years (seeing her every 4 weeks), but my smile lines have always bothered me a bit. With just 1 treatment of the Halo Laser, those lines have diminished drastically. And now I can’t wait to try it again next month to see if I can improve them even more!
How do I find an esthetician in my area to perform this treatment?
If you’re in Denver, definitely contact my esthetician Shawn Haviland at Cherry Hill Facial Aesthetics (720-459-7960). She will change you life! She is even offering PaleOMG readers a special deal through 2020 – For the Halo Laser treatment on the face, she’s offering a special deal of $995, marked down from her normal price of $1500. Just let her know I sent you! If you aren’t in Denver, not a problem. The Halo Laser was created by a company called Sciton. And on their website, you can find providers based on your area code! Click here to find one near you!
Now let’s get into my full experience throughout the treatment! I wanted to share day-by-day photos with you so you could see how quickly the skin improves. This photo below was taken within hours of the treatment. The face is somewhat swollen, red, and it’s INSANELY hot. But again, the heat dies down throughout the day.
Day 2 is about the same as day 1, except your face is no longer hot. Day 2 feels how it looks – like your face has been rubbing against some sandpaper. It’s still swollen and rough, but it’s not uncomfortable at all.
As you can see from the photo below, day 3 is when the skin begins to clear somewhat. Some of the roughness and discoloration begins to flake off, revealing more clear skin.
Below is day 5, along with my dead fish eyes. What’s up with that? Day 5 shows you have quickly the skin heals. Almost all the redness is gone, with only a few rough spots left on the skin.
This photo was taken on day 8 and by this point, all the redness is gone and the skin begins to look really clean and almost airbrushed.
Something I do want to worn you about since I experienced it is tiny, whitehead breakouts. Since this is an ablative laser treatment, the laser creates some holes in the skin at first and anything can get into those holes – lotion, dirt, grime, etc. I broke out in tiny little whiteheads about a week after my treatment and my esthetician had to work on them a bit to clean things up. This doesn’t happen to everyone, but I think since I’m acne-prone, I had the issue. Just wanted to give you a heads up in case you experience the same situation.
I also wanted to show you what it looks like to wear makeup after the treatment. This photo below was taken on day 4 with makeup on. As you can see, the skin looks like bumpy and a bit dry, but you can easily wear makeup and most people aren’t going to notice the difference.
This photo below was taken about 20 days after the treatment. I obviously have makeup on and it’s in good lighting, but it’s a great example of how airbrushed the skin will look with this treatment. The Halo Laser plumps the skin and reduces pore size, leaving the skin looking younger and healthier.
And this photo below is BY FAR my favorite example of what improvements can be experienced with the Halo Laser! This is exactly what I was hoping to see. The photo on the left was taken back in December and the photo on the right was taken yesterday! My parentheses smile lines have DRASTICALLY improved, in my opinion. When I look in the mirror, I feel younger and I feel like it’s the face that should be looking back at me, if that makes sense.
I hope this post gives you a little more insight into the Halo Laser and eases any nervousness you might feel beforehand. I truly can’t recommend this treatment enough! Not only is it incredibly tolerable and almost pain-free, but it gives massive results! If you have any other questions that I haven’t answered here, feel free to leave them in the comments section below! And don’t forget, if you’re in Denver – Shawn Haviland at Cherry Hill Facial Aesthetics (720-459-7960) is so sweet to offer PaleOMG readers the $995 special deal for the Halo Laser treatment on the face through 2020! Just tell them I sent you!
4 Month UPDATE!
It’s been 4 months since my first Halo Laser treatment and my skin continues to improve, which is one of the best parts about the Halo Laser. I’ve seen such amazing improvement around my smile lines and plumpness in my skin! Fine lines have faded along with the deeper lines, as well! I’ll be going in for another treatment soon and I absolutely cannot wait! Highly recommend this laser treatment!!
Hi Juli! Thanks for the post–if you had to choose between profractional and halo laser, downtime was not an issue and your goal was only to have the best possible results, which would you choose? Thanks, Lisa
i would personally do the halo, but i know my esthetician would choose the opposite. i’ve just experienced better results from halo and it’s much less painful!
Just wanted to say thank you so much for your in depth review about the treatment and everything. I’m getting mines done in a few days and I’ve been feeling so nervous but your post is helping me feel better about it. Thank you so much!
don’t feel nervous! it’s the best! I’m getting it done on saturday!!
Just got mines done and my face feels like it’s on fire but I can’t wait until the results start to show! I hope you do a second update post after your second treatment 🙂
Did your esthetician say not to work out for a certain amount of days after this treatment? I got a halo today and I don’t thnk she said! I guess I could call, but was reading your post so thought I would ask here as well!
she just said to not work out for a few days. i normally wait 2-3 days before i get back to working out!
I had a halo treatment yesterday and the expected burning, redness, dryness has occurred but I have a large blister (what looks like a blister to me and to my nurse daughter) under one eye. Is this normal?
i would contact your esthetician!!
Thank you SO much for your in-depth review and pictures. I just had halo for the first time, and, even though I’m just on Day 2, your commentary is spot on.
My face was white hot for about an hour after (and yes, blasting car AC helps a lot!), but faded to sun burn look and feel territory by about 3-4 hours post treatment.
Your results are amazing – thanks again for sharing!
of course! glad i could help in some small way!
Have you had a second Halo treatment? The last progress post I could find was your four month update after your first Halo treatment. Would love to know how it is going and if you are still seeing improvement. I’ve scheduled to have Halo done this Fall.
i’ve had 2 halo treatments and i can’t recommend it enough! my fine lines and wrinkles continue to get better. that halo treatment really continues to work over time, it’s awesome!
I’m actually seeing Shawn soon to discuss a treatment. I also suffer from acne scarring. In your opinion is Halo or ProFractional better for acne scarring? You look amazing btw.
she will know what is best for you and your own skin!
Is this still your favorite treatment? I live in Denver and would love to have this done! Will Cherry Creek still offer their PaleOMG discount?
yes, still my favorite! and i’m not sure, you’ll have to ask them!!
You didn’t seem to experience the crazy swelling that others have reported. Did you swell at all? Are there different “levels” of halo treatments? To be honest, that’s the part that scares me the most about this laser.
yes, lots of swelling occurred, but I think everyone swells at different amounts. i was pretty puffy and swollen, especially my forehead and under my eyes
Thanks Juli, never would have done Laser without your postings. Sitting here on Day 2, after CO2 Fractional, pretty swollen but it‘s ok 🙂 thansk so much for all your beauty posts, helps me a lot. Big fangirl 🙂