Beauty review: I try the Renuva laser, now at Clear Skincare

I love trying out new laser treatments, which have come so far since they first arrived on the skin health scene years ago. No longer insanely painful or requiring a week’s downtime, the new gen lasers are all about gently remodelling the skin as opposed to obliterating it completely… and hoping to all heck it rejuvenates itself on cue.
Which brings me to the new-to-New Zealand Renuva laser treatment, which has just arrived at Clear Skincare clinics throughout the country. A non-ablative fractional erbium laser, it has been described as being similar in approach to skin needling, but without breaking the skin and with minimal downtime compared to similar laser resurfacing treatments. The Renuva laser precisely targets specific areas of the skin, stimulating collagen production and promoting the body’s natural healing process, which definitely gets two thumbs up from me.
The perfect treatment to book in the lead up to the silly season social whirl, it plumps lines and wrinkles (thank you!), smooths texture, helps even out tone and also refines pores. On some settings it is even being used to break down the appearance of scars and stretch marks, and I was told it can even make a serious dent in older scars if you’re ready to commit to a series of treatments.
The use of numbing cream is highly recommended, which I applied an hour before for maximum comfort. I’m not going to lie, I still felt some stinging as the wonderful Ruby at Clear Skincare Ponsonby carried out my treatment, but clocking in at just over twenty minutes it was definitely bearable. The setting she used on me was designed to rejuvenate the skin and boost glow and vibrancy, and I was excited to see how long before I saw any results (especially after just one session).
This state-of-the-art laser most definitely made my skin feel very warm – sometimes hot – during the treatment, a factor which can be present on the skin afterwards for a few hours. I was given a nozzle blasting cool air to deal with the heat, but after around 30 minutes I was back to my normal temperature and just looked a little red (unlike a needling session a few months ago that left me looking like a burn victim). That redness had abated a few hours later, and I was directed to use just a copper peptide serum and post-inflammatory healing moisturiser on my skin for the following seven days.
As for how long it took to see any sort of results? I think around 72 hours, when I received a compliment at an event when someone asked me how on earth my skin looked so glow-y! I was wearing minimal mineral makeup at the time too, so no clever primers or highlighter at play.
Renuva is best performed every four weeks for best results, with a treatment course of 3-6 treatments highly recommended if you really want to see true transformation take place. I love that this laser is super versatile and can be customised to address individual skincare needs, so whether you’re seeking facial rejuvenation, scar reduction, or overall skin revitalisation, Renuva can be tailored easily to your unique goals.
If you’re looking to find out more about this little wonder or pop into a clinic and see if it’s right for you, head here – you won’t be disappointed!

Photo by Dom Aguiar on Unsplash