The Duo…Why & When

One of our favourite combo treatments at the shop is ‘The Duo’. It is a results driven treatment that we recommend in the fall or spring. It’s a great treatment to erase the residual damage from the summer sun or years of not wearing sunscreen.

The Photofacial (IPL) works best on deeper issues like sun or age spots, broken capillaries, redness and overall pigmentation, as well as stimulating collagen. The light from the photofacial is absorbed by the pigmentation and transfers to heat, treating the damage.

The Chemical Peel works more on the surface of the skin, removing dead skin cells, smoothing texture, brightening dullness and helping to remove the blemishes that were brought to the surface by the Photofacial.

We think of it like renovating a house: the photofacial fixes the foundation and wiring, and the chemical peel gives the walls a fresh coat of paint. We like to stagger the treatments over two weeks so that it progressive, not aggressive. The time in between allows the results to be gradual without risking too much inflammation or overwhelming and irritating the skin. It also allows your skin barrier to heal after the photofacial before introducing the acids from the peel. This keeps results save and effective.

After care for each of these treatments is imperative!

These are our top 3 picks:

Vivier Hexam Cleanser. It is a gentle, non-foaming cleanser that can be used immediately following each of these treatments AM/PM

Vivier DERMA-V. A richer, more active-but-safe formula that is a combination of growth factors, peptides and hydration support. This is a product that will help your skin barrier as well as repair your skin.

Vivier Sheer Mineral Tinted SPF 30. Sunscreen is non-negotiable after any skin resurfacing treatment. This is a mineral (zinc/physical) SPF, which is often gentler and less irritating than chemical filters. It also offers a tint to heal with your skins appearance during healing.