With today’s beauty consumers savvier than ever, so too the beauty-tech brands that are helping us to face the future. As far as this success story goes, the discovery of the Lyma laser—the industry’s ultimate tool for at-home skin renewal, happened by accident. First used as a medical laser in a research unit in Leipzig, its primary purpose was healing a range of injuries including degenerated cartilage, torn tendons and respiratory inflammation. In order to regenerate damaged tissue, it first needed to pass through skin which transformed with the laser. Now, in place of invasive and aggressive cosmetic procedures, we have arguably, the world’s most powerful, portable laser technology in the palm of our hands.
This futuristic lightsaber-esque object is proven to increase cellular growth and repair, reaching the deepest layers of skin fat and muscle tissue with up to 100 times more efficacy than LED devices to target and reverse a myriad of skin conditions, from wrinkles to redness, pigmentation, acne, sagging skin, thread veins, rosacea and scars.
“If we wish to improve wrinkles, we have to go to the dermis, which is where most of the active processes within the skin happen,” shares Dr Graeme E. Glass, plastic, craniofacial and aesthetic surgeon, associate professor of clinical surgery on the difference between Lyma and LED masks. “Only a tiny amount of LED light can reach those layers and by the time it gets there, it’s not enough to produce the kind of effect that we wish to see.
“Whilst an LED-based light mask can give you the appearance of a superficial glow, it can’t actually make the structural differences to your skin needed to improve wrinkles and the appearance of scars.”
“We can understand why LEDs were developed in this way because at the time we had no alternative light source to use, but now we do. If you want to use something that can actually get into the active dermal layer of the skin, then you need to completely change the type of light source. You need a low-level near-infrared laser light.”
Light therapy versus laser
This all begs the question: what is light therapy? Frequent patients in aesthetic clinics may be familiar with post-treatment LED lights. Used to promote regeneration and radiance by re-oxygenating mitochondria or kill bacteria, light energy travels into our skin cells to potentially energise, transform or obliterate them. While LED light has been shown treat the epidermis, 95 per cent of that light bounces off the surface with just 5 per cent penetrating the top layer according to Lyma. Laser light however, penetrates in a linear wavelength.
Photobio-whatta?
“Near-infrared laser light is like a pin-point; piercing through dense surfaces without losing power. Hence why the near-infrared laser light in the Lyma laser is capable of such incredible regenerative photobiomodulation,” explains Dr Glass.
Unlike other at-home devices, it reportedly unlocks mitochondria, the energy source within all cells. This is especially important as we age, as our mitochondria becomes less efficient which leads to a loss in collagen and elastin, leading to wrinkles and sagging skin.
“Mitochondria can be thought of as the battery pack of the cell and this high energy state causes cells to alter their internal chemistry. In consequence, the gene expression profile of the cell changes. Genes responsible for tissue repair and regeneration are switched on, while genes responsible for tissue ageing are switched off,” he shares, adding all this comes with zero pain or downtime.
Restoring our skin’s ability to create collagen and elastin, the Lyma laser claims to penetrate the skin with tiny microdots of invisible light 25,000 times over a large surface.
And unlike other ‘hot’ lasers which use tissue injury as a means of inducing the healing process or LED technology, the near infra-red laser light penetrates the skin with up to 100 times more bio-stimulating power completely without heat, pain or trauma to the skin.
The verdict
As consumers, we have no shortage of options: one can opt for the gently-does-it approach with LED masks, go guns ablazin’ at your aesthetic clinic where ablative or “hot” lasers are performed to faster and arguably more aggressive results, or find your middle ground with Lyma.
As someone who has gotten up close and personal with an array of both over the years, I’m more inclined to do a mix of three. After consistent use of my on-loan Lyma, I discovered that my skin was noticeably brighter and plumper in appearance. Fine lines around the forehead seemed to be less prominent (moreso than with an LED mask alone), although my enlarged pores and patches of stubborn hyperpigmentation are still going to far longer than Lyma’s average of 3 months. The PR mentioned addressing dark spots would take an average of 12 weeks, however in my experience, two specific dark spots that I honed in on sadly didn’t seem to budge after this time. As with most topical skincare and devices, the Cinderella effect does seem to fade if you self-neglect and have a lazy week or two.
Yet it’s gratifying to believe that the Lyma laser virtually offers it all, from improving skin elasticity and addressing sagging to refining tone, diminishing redness and scars. I also appreciate that the FDA-cleared device uses patented optical diffused lens technology, ensuring it’s safe to use around the eyes without goggles. Happily, it’s also safe for use during pregnancy and breastfeeding making it accessible to people who are otherwise limited in their aesthetic options during this maternal period. Another plus: while each kit comes with the Lyma Oxygen Glide made of Active Stabilised Oxygen (ASO) and hyaluronic acid among other ingredients, the device still works with your existing skincare, water-based or otherwise meaning you’re not locked into using monobrand products for the device to actually run.
At $2,499 for the starter kit, it’s certainly worth a pretty penny… unless you girl math it out and cost-per-use it. What wouldn’t you give to slow and reverse the signs of sun damage and premature ageing?
