PICO Genesis Facial – REBECCA TRESTON

The PICO Genesis laser treatment at Euromed Clinic in Dubai, which is designed “to help eliminate pigmentation and fine lines”, according to the blurb.

From the outset, this facial sounded a one-stop shop for all skin

types. “It literally rids the skin of every flaw you can think of!” says Rebecca eagerly, prior to the treatment. As she explains, the PICO Genesis laser destroys the pigment, leaving your skin clearer and gives you a more even, uniform complexion. It is non-ablative, meaning that it does not remove layers of skin, instead, the laser delivers picosecond pulses that not only shatter unwanted pigment, but also remodel the skin’s deeper layer to completely rejuvenate the skin. It can be used to treat melasma, hyperpigmentation, brown spots, sun damage, age spots, acne scars and the best bit, it leaves you with illuminated, radiant skin. Plus, the big difference with

PICO Genesis is that the downtime (when you look like a mad woman and can’t be seen in public) is dramatically reduced from days/weeks with a chemical peel to just a few hours depending on how much you do.

The word ‘laser’ still makes me feel nervous, it must be said. But

with the no pain no gain mantra in my head, I decide to be brave! Note: I would only trust very few people to carry out this kind of mini-invasive treatment on me, and Rebecca Treston is one of them.

Actually, the pain is not that bad at the time, plus you can opt for a numbing cream to be applied to your face before the start of the

treatment (I do!) and there are levels of intensity to choose from, so if you’re squeamish you can go low.

Rebecca started by moving the laser – a hand held wand contraption – across my face which made ‘crackling’ sounds as it moved. She focused on the areas that need it most, the crinkly skin around my eyes and the fine lines underneath them. She went over my face several times. It is not a pleasant experience – it feels a bit like a

rubber band snapping on the skin, but it’s not as painful as a chemical peel (apparently) and also much more effective. The bony bits on my face were particularly painful and I did have to focus on the end result to stop myself heading for the door a couple of times. But 20 minutes later, I’m all done. After the procedure, Rebecca applies a serum and a mask, which was the nice bit.

Immediately after the treatment my skin is red and a little blotchy.

Slightly panicked, Rebecca assures me this is temporary, as are the forthcoming spots! Yep, by the early evening, pimples cover my cheeks and forehead (this can be a side effect for some people) but luckily an antihistamine cream does the trick and the spots disappear after 24 hours.

The following days the results started to literally shine through. It was as if my skin had been glossed with a dewy finish – it just glowed. It was luminous from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed. For the first time in years I went out without wearing any make-up and no one asked me if I was ill. Plus, the results kept getting better every day. Rebecca recommends three treatments to really decrease pigmentation and/or see optimal anti-ageing results. I’ll definitely be going back.