We all have those minor imperfections about us. You know what I’m talking about! The stretch marks, acne scarring, and blemishes… These might even be the tiniest insecurities that you have and no one else will ever notice. But, it makes you uncomfortable and you’re not happy about that one thing about your body. So, if you want to change something about your body and it won’t take drastic measures like invasive surgery or break the bank, then just do it. Here’s my story about the tiny little stretch marks on my back side that caused me to stop wearing crop tops for like an entire year.

At some point, I stopped being a size 00 and fell into a comfortable 4 or 6, which I was more than okay with. But, along with that size increase came some stretch marks. And they weren’t a huge deal at first, but then someone else noticed it and pointed it out in front of EVERYONE! Okay, so maybe it wasn’t everyone, but it certainly felt that way. The story isn’t as terrible as it sounds, nor was it done with malintent. One night when I was out with my friends for drinks, I was wearing a strapless tube top (I looked so damn hot!), one of the girls pointed out a “scratch or something” on like the back of my hip. So when I looked down to see what she was talking about it, they weren’t actually scratches; these really deep red lines were super fresh stretch marks. I told her about it and we scurried over to the ladies room to cover it up with some foundation. Although she felt terrible and tried to reassure me that the stretch marks weren’t that noticeable and everyone has them, I still felt like they were very, very noticeable because she recognized it, even in a dark night club. From that night forward, I never wore a tube top, crop top, belly shirt, or any other of the sort again. I was hiding my mid-drift, so no one could see my stretch marks. You would think I’d be more bothered by the fact that I lost my six-pack. But, no. These stretch marks have like tainted my self-confidence just a little bit. And I know they’re not life changing, but it’s definitely something that I’d like to change about my body and so here I am at Skinney Medspa.

Skinney Medspa

This medspa offers a wide variety of non-invasive cosmetic procedures, including laser resurfacing. The Pixel Perfect Fractal Laser treatment that can minimize the appearance of stretch marks with each session, by creating new collagen and tissue. Please note that I said “minimize.” Even if these stretch marks don’t completely disappear, they will fade pretty drastically. I don’t strive for perfection; I just want improvement. If it’s perfection that you’re looking for, you may end up being disappointed. With that being said, let’s give you the low down on the Pixel laser, also known as the “resurfacing laser”, and a bit about Skinney Med Spa.

The Laser

The Pixel Perfect Fractal Laser essentially creates a bunch of tiny laser holes in the skin, which removes the top layer of the skin, allowing your skin to start off fresh once it heals. This helps stimulate new collagen growth that smooths and tightens that skin. These benefits make this particular laser treatment ideal for acne scars, wrinkles, and other signs of sun damage.

The Treatment

This treatment can involve some discomfort, but I wouldn’t say that the Pixel laser sessions are painful. Just imagine small, annoying pinches, but nothing unbearable. The sensations I’m describing are pretty comparable to laser hair removal or any other laser treatments.

The Cost

There are packages for the “strechmark reduction” service offerings, including a buy four, get two deal. Typically, the cost ranges from $320 and $560 for the following areas: arms, hips, thighs, full or lower abdomen, buttox, and breasts. Please keep in mind that these dates are approximated as of October 2020. For the most accurate estimate of a body part not listed above, you’ll have to go in for a consultation. Contact the spa directly for the most updated service offerings and pricing.

After-Care

Professionals usually recommend four to six sessions, with at least three weeks in between treatments, of the Pixel laser treatments for optimal results. It is also recommended that you take it easy for five to seven days post-treatment, while those tiny holes that I mentioned earlier can heal without any issues. This means no working out, which would cause sweating, no hot showers, no fragranced lotions, etc. You basically want to be extra careful not to irritate your skin because it’s in a very sensitive state. The post-treatment “wounds” tend to last about two weeks, but not typically longer than that.

Check out the Pre & Post Care Instructions provided by Skinney Medspa for patients undergoing either the laser resurfacing or the pixel laser treatments for stretch mark or scar reduction. See down below are pictures from start to finish of my pixel laser treatments on the waist area. I’ll be updating the post after every session, so that you can track my progress with me and see the difference for yourself. And be sure to stay tuned for live videos on my Instagram.

Treatment #1

So today, January 27th, was my first-ever Pixel Laser treatment! To my surprise, the session was pretty painless, very quick, and generally comfortable compared to the alternative — microneedling. You can read more about the difference in treatments above. I had Alexandra as my laser technician for this first appointment over at the Flatiron location. To the right are some before, during, and after images of the areas that I had treated with the Pixel laser. Despite the “3 Hours Later” image, it’s not actually that painful. If anything, it was just very itchy almost like a rash, so I did my best to keep it moisturized at all times. I believe the entire healing process, until these areas of my skin were completely back to normal, was about twelve days long.

Pixel Laser Session #1

Immediately After

3 Hours Later

Treatment #2

Today is July 25th! Not to state the obvious, but I’m very late in scheduling my second treatment because Skinney Medspa (like many other businesses) have been temporarily closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. This time around I had Heather as my laser tech. She was great, offered pretty good bedside manner, and interesting conversation. There was a little bit of pain, similar to small pinches, but it was pretty tolerable and I took short breaks as needed. The appointment was generally comfortable and went by pretty quickly.