Yes, darker skin tones can get laser facials safely

Alice recently visited Miss Sherina Balaratnam at her Beaconsfield clinic S-Thetics to find out about the tweakments she offers and how she achieves the subtle, natural results she’s known for.

This video is sponsored by S-Thetics.

Sherina was particularly keen to talk about one of her favourite devices in the clinic – the super impressive PicoSure laser from CynoSure. ‘It’s actually a tattoo-removal laser and it works on a trillionth of second – these are the fastest lasers on the planet,” says Sherina.

So fast even, that it doesn’t have time to heat the skin before it’s done its job shattering the target pigment in the skin. Sherina says to think of the pigment – after it’s been blasted with the laser – as like sand that then gets transferred into the lymphatic system and get washed away by the body.

But she actually brought the laser into S-Thetics to work its magic on typical pigmentation in the skin rather than for tattoo removal, and even more so to treat pigmentation on darker skins – something that not a lot of lasers can do safely or effectively.

I was seeing mainly fair-skinned patients to start off with, but then it started to be more patients with my own skin type and darker, and I needed something that was going to evolve along with my practice.

One for all

Because the PicoSure isn’t a heat-based laser, it’s safe to treat sun spots and acne scars in all skin tones without burning or damaging the skin.  Instead, it uses a specialised lens to convert the energy into a gentle pressure that activates the natural signalling process in the cells, which kickstarts pigment clearance.

And it’s not just treating pigmentation that Sherina loves the PicoSure for – it’s also great at targeting age-related concerns like fine lines and wrinkles thanks to its collagen-stimulating abilities. ‘What I love about PicoSure is the unexpected side effect of collagen stimulation, she says. ‘[Patients] can have a stealthy treatment where the impact is instantly made and the skin is lighter and brighter, and then over the next few months it also gets tighter. I call it pico-toning.’

Typically, patients need between 2-6 treatments every 3 to 4 weeks, with a maintenance session every 3-6 months. If you’d like to learn more about S-Thetics and the treatments available, you can watch our clinic video here and book a free consultation with Sherina below.