What if you could wipe the slate clean when it comes to your skin? Erase the fine lines, the sunspots, the sagging. Years of sun-worshipping, sleepless nights, too much sugar, and too much Scotch—gone. Well, you can. Sort of. But it’s going to hurt.
Pain was the furthest thing from my mind when I showed up at Uptown Dermatology for my Pixel Skin Resurfacing session. I didn’t really care what it felt like, so long as it returned my skin to its youthful glory.
Anti-aging products, facials, and lunchtime treatments like microdermabrasion can only do so much to undo the passing of time. Pixel, however, actually removes damaged outer layers of the skin and stimulates the production of collagen, the key ingredient to firm skin. It does this using ablative fractional technology—a really hot laser. How hot? Enough for me to smell my burning flesh as Nurse Joan (perhaps the most calm, patient woman on earth) methodically marches the Pixel up and down my face. I feel like I’m on fire. I nearly pass out. And for someone who looks forward to dentist appointments, that is saying a lot. Eventually, after Joan has propped me up with a pillow and fanned my face with cold air, I’m okay to drive home.
I spend the next two days beet-red and slathered with Aquaphor. My face still stings, and I look like I ran into a screen door thanks to the grid pattern the Pixel creates as it punctures the epidermis. On day four, the peeling begins. And with that, my freckles and sunspots fade. My crow’s feet soften. And my cheeks feel taut and smooth. I’m not flawless or 15 again, but definitely healthier-looking.
The collagen will continue to rebuild over the next six months, during which time most patients, especially those with deeper lines or scarring, have multiple treatments. I won’t be having another. Not until I’m 40. No pain, no gain.
What: Pixel Skin Resurfacing
Where: Uptown Dermatology & SkinSpa, 1221 W. Lake St., Mpls., 612-455-3200, uptowndermatology.com
Time: 1 hour
Price: $800 for entire face
BEAUTY BAG
NONTOXIQUE
When local manicurist Sheila Mossberg got sick from working with chemical-laden products, she created a line of natural, organic-grade hand- and foot-care treatments. The Nontoxique collection includes a conditioning hand-and-nail cleanser ($16), invigorating herbal scrub ($25), ingenious age-reversal serum ($36), super-rich daytime restoration crème ($30), and soothing cuticle and nail balm ($16). Chock-full of rich oils, fruit butters, vitamins, minerals, and free-radical-fighting antioxidants, Nontoxique packs a one-two punch: deep moisture and hydration plus the aging-fighting benefits typically reserved for facial skincare products. Available at Stormsister Spatique, 635 S. Smith Ave., St. Paul, 651-221-4668, stormsisterspatique.com.
BOOK IT
SPA WEEK
It’s Spa Week in Minnesota, and that means indulging—without spending a fortune. From April 12 to 18, a host of local spas are offering select services for only $50. For example: a spa pedicure at New Reflections, an hour-long aromatherapy massage at reVamp!, or an Eminence facial at Zhen Reflections. For a full list of participating spas and services, visit Spaweek.com. Go on—you deserve it.
