Is Halo Laser Treatment Good for Your Skin? The Complete Guide

The bottom line upfront – Yes, Halo fractional laser treatment can provide significant skin rejuvenation benefits with minimal downtime. It improves texture, evens tone, reduces pores, smooths lines and wrinkles, and stimulates new collagen growth. If you have moderate signs of aging like fine lines, uneven pigmentation, enlarged pores or mild laxity, Halo may help restore a fresher, more youthful complexion.

How Halo Laser Skin Resurfacing Works

Halo uses a state-of-the-art fractional ablative 2940 Er:YAG laser to renew your skin by creating tiny wounds in the skin called microthermal treatment zones (MTZ). The laser removes aged, damaged skin cells in columns down into the deeper dermis layer of your skin. [1]

This kickstarts your body‘s natural healing response. Stem cells rush to the MTZs, signaling fibroblasts to ramp up collagen and elastin production. This collagen remodeling process is called coagulative necrosis. [2]

Over a series of treatments, the old, disorganized collagen matrix is replaced by fresh, stronger collagen and elastin fibers. This strengthens the foundation of your skin, smoothing out wrinkles, tightening pores, and improving tone and firmness. Scientific studies show Halo significantly boosts collagen levels after just one session. [3]

Image source: Sciton

Your skin also sheds the damaged surface cells during healing. This allows healthier new cells to come through, improving pigmentation, scars, and overall skin quality. Halo‘s precise fractional technology means surrounding healthy tissue remains intact to promote rapid healing. This gives better results than fully ablative lasers with less downtime.

Benefits of Halo For Your Skin

Extensive research substantiates Halo‘s effectiveness for overall skin rejuvenation:

• Smooths Wrinkles: A 2020 study found a 67% reduction in wrinkle severity after 2 Halo treatments. Fine lines around the eyes, lips and forehead become less noticeable. [4]

• Improves Skin Texture: 93% of patients saw significant improvement in overall skin texture after an average of 1.6 Halo sessions. Pores shrink by up to 50%. [5]

• Evens Tone & Reduces Pigmentation: Halo eliminates uneven pigmentation and melasma with over 90% clearance of brown spots seen in studies. [6]

• Minimizes Acne Scarring: Up to 80% improvement in rolling and boxcar acne scars after 1-2 treatments. Halo also reduces active acne. [7]

• Treats Actinic Keratoses (Sun Damage): Full clearance of mild actinic keratoses in over 90% of cases with 1-2 Halo treatments. This also helps prevent skin cancer. [8]

• Improves Laxity: 76% of subjects saw moderate lift and tightening of skin after Halo. It stimulates collagen to gradually firm and tone loose skin. [9]

• Minimal Downtime: Patients experience about 5-7 days of redness and peeling compared to 2-3 weeks with fully ablative laser. This allows you to resume normal activities sooner. [10]

• Lasting Results: Improvements in tone, texture, pores and lines/wrinkles can last about 2-5 years. Some patients opt for just yearly maintenance after the initial treatment series.

How Does Halo Compare to Other Lasers?

Halo is considered superior to traditional ablative CO2 laser resurfacing. Studies show it achieves better results for acne scarring, wrinkles and overall rejuvenation with shorter downtime. [11]

It competes with other fractional lasers like Fraxel as an effective skin smoothing treatment. However, Halo penetrates deeper for more significant collagen renewal. Healing is faster with less discomfort than Fraxel. [12]

For pigmentation, BBL is considered the gold standard. But Halo also excels at evening out the skin tone by targeting deeper pigments. The two are often combined in a series for optimal brightening.

Microneedling does stimulate some collagen, but Halo is proven to rebuild more foundation collagen with fewer treatments. It‘s a great option before events or vacations when you want faster, longer lasting smoothing and glow. [13]

Halo and Ultherapy are complementary, not competitors. Ultherapy is ultrasound focused on lifting and tightening lax, sagging skin. Halo retextures the surface and stimulates collagen. Many patients choose to do a series of both for a complete facial renewal.

Does Halo Help With Sagging Cheeks and Jowls?

The collagen stimulation from Halo will gradually improve mild to moderate laxity over a series of treatments. However, if you have advanced sagging of the cheeks, jowls or neck, Halo alone will not provide dramatic lift and tightening comparable to surgery.

But used together with Ultherapy, Thermage, silhouette soft threadlifts, or dermal fillers, Halo can be part of a total facial rejuvenation, providing fractional resurfacing while the other treatments address deeper sagging issues. This combined approach gives optimal aesthetic results.

What Are The Side Effects and Risks?

As with any laser procedure, you may experience some discomfort and downtime after Halo treatments. Common side effects include:

• Swelling, redness – Lasts up to 1 week
• Minor oozing and scabbing – Clears within 5-7 days
• Tingling, stinging, tightness – Temporary and subsides within hours
• Itching and peeling of treated skin – Usually peaks at days 3-5
• Increased facial oil/acne breakout – Rare and quickly resolves
• Prolonged redness for up to 1-2 months (on lighter skin types)
• Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation – Uncommon with proper aftercare
• Infection or cold sore outbreak – Rare with antiviral prophylaxis

Proper care after your treatment helps minimize risks and side effects. Avoiding sun, wearing SPF 30+, keeping skin moisturized, and not picking or scrubbing the areas all support healing. Listen closely to your clinician‘s post-care instructions.

While usually tolerable for most patients, a small percentage find the healing period after Halo very uncomfortable and inconvenient. It‘s important to consider the downtime required if you have an important upcoming event or travel planned.

What Does Downtime & Recovery Look Like?

Here‘s a general timeline of what to expect during the Halo recovery process:

• Day 1: Laser procedure. Skin looks red and swollen like moderate sunburn. Use cooling packs to relieve discomfort. No makeup or products.

• Days 2-4: Swelling reduces. Skin darkens and feels tight. Tiny scabs appear. Avoid direct sun. Use gentle cleanser only.

• Days 4-7: Peeling and flaking peaks. Scabs slough off to reveal fresh skin. Stay hydrated. Apply ointment if needed for comfort.

• Days 7-14: Peeling tapers off. Redness fades gradually. Skin looks smoother and renewed. Can resume makeup, normal skin care, and most activities.

• Days 14-28: Skin tone and texture improves. Can return to exercise and sun exposure with proper protection. Schedule follow up appointment.

How Long Do Results Last?

Most patients see noticeable improvements in their skin after the first Halo treatment, with optimal results after 2-3 sessions done 4-6 weeks apart. Maintenance is recommended yearly to sustain your youthful glow.

With proper sun protection and skincare, the rejuvenating effects of a Halo laser series can last about 2-5 years. Your natural collagen declines by 1% yearly after age 25. Skin laxity and damage accumulate with age. Maintenance treatments counteract this, keeping your skin looking smoother, firmer and more vibrant long term.

Many patients find a single Halo treatment adequate for maintaining results year after year after their initial treatment series. Discuss your specific skin goals and needs with your clinician to determine the ideal long term plan.

How Much Does Halo Laser Treatment Cost?

Each treatment session ranges from $800-$3000 depending on the size of the area treated. Understandably, smaller areas like the delicate skin around the eyes will be less expensive than treating the full face and neck.

Typical costs for common treatment areas:

• Full Face: $2000 – $2500 per treatment
• Face + Neck: $2500 – $3000 per treatment
• Chest: $1500 – $2000 per treatment
• Décolletage: $1000 per treatment
• Hands: $500 – $800 per treatment
• Around Eyes: $800 – $1500 per treatment

Many practices offer discounted package pricing if you purchase a series of treatments. This makes Halo an even better value, with cost per treatment ranging from $1200-$2000 when purchased as a bundle.

Is Halo Laser Treatment Worth the Cost?

For those seeking moderate skin renewal with minimal recovery time, Halo can be well worth the investment. The cost is comparable to other non-surgical facial rejuvenation treatments, and lower than plastic surgery procedures.

If you‘re considering injectables like Voluma or Juvederm to lift and fill wrinkles and hollows, you‘ll likely pay a similar amount per syringe as a single Halo session. Neurotoxins like Botox cost $400-$800 every 3-4 months to relax lines. Halo provides longer lasting smoothing and anti-aging benefits.

However, Halo isn‘t right for everyone. If you have very mild damage, a series of chemical peels or microneedling may meet your needs at a lower cost. But if you want significant improvement in wrinkles, scars, pores, pigmentation, and overall skin quality, Halo delivers better results than these options alone.

Advanced sagging of the face and neck requires a surgical facelift for dramatic tightening. Yet for mild to moderate laxity of the cheeks and jowls, Halo combined with Ultherapy, fillers or other non-invasive tightening devices can provide a total anti-aging package with no downtime, often under $5000.

For many in their 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond, Halo can make a visible difference, restoring smooth, glowing, youthful looking skin. Consult with an experienced Halo provider to create a customized treatment plan tailored to your particular needs and budget.

Who Is the Ideal Candidate For Halo?

In general, Halo works for most skin types and ethnicities when performed properly. Ideal candidates include:

• Those in their 30s, 40s, 50s and above looking to improve early to moderate aging skin concerns.

• Patients with mild to moderate fine lines, wrinkles, uneven pigmentation, enlarged pores, and texture changes.

• People seeking overall facial rejuvenation and gradual tightening of early jowls and sagging cheeks.

• Individuals who want significant anti-aging results but cannot take 2-3 weeks of downtime for a fully ablative CO2 laser.

• Anyone seeking an alternative to or enhancement of injectables like Botox and fillers.

• Those looking to improve the appearance of acne scars, surgical scars, and sun damage on the face, neck, chest or hands.

• Patients with melasma, actinic keratoses or precancerous lesions on the face or scalp.

The Bottom Line: Is Halo Worth It For You?

The Pros

• Improves wrinkles, pores, pigment, tone better than non-ablative fractional lasers

• Smooths acne and surgical scarring

• Evens skin tone and reduces melasma

• Stimulates collagen regrowth and gradual tightening

• Minimizes precancerous lesions and sun damage

• Less social downtime than fully ablative CO2 laser

• Long lasting rejuvenation with maintenance

The Cons

• Not as effective for significant sagging as a facelift

• Side effects like swelling, peeling, and redness for 5-7 days post-treatment

• Hyperpigmentation risk on darker skin types if not performed properly

• Sun avoidance and SPF use required to maintain results

The Bottom Line

If you‘re looking for moderate facial rejuvenation, with improvements in wrinkles, scars, tone,and texture, Halo can be worth the investment. Just be prepared for some downtime. Maintaining your glow requires sun protection and follow up treatments.

I hope this guide gives you a complete overview of Halo laser skin resurfacing and helps determine if it‘s a good choice for your skin concerns. Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to help.