BBL Corrective First
Dr. Eberle started Shannon on BBL Corrective, a 30-minute outpatient treatment with no downtime, scheduled in a series for cumulative results.
Patient Story · Actual Patient
Shannon FordFormer Mrs. US,a Halo Story.
with Dr. Nathan Eberle
A personal day-by-day diary of Shannon’s BBL Corrective and Halo laser treatment, from prep through recovery to the two-week reveal. In her own words.
In Her Own Words
“For my age” was the part that bothered me.
I have to be honest, I’ve always had nice skin. I mean, I did go through the teenage acne stage, but it was never excessive. But at 42, I felt that my skin looked pretty good “for my age.”
However, it’s the “for my age” part that started to bother me. For the past few years, I have noticed an increased need to buy a fuller coverage foundation to cover my sun spots, but then the downside would be the foundation would seep into my lines and wrinkles making me look older. With the help of Facebook memories, I was constantly reminded how wonderful my skin USED to look, so on a Breast Lift follow-up appointment with Dr. Eberle, I asked what I could do to get rid of my sun spots.
The Plan
From BBL Corrective to a full Halo treatment.
In September 2018, Shannon had her first BBL Corrective. Within a week, her two biggest sun spots were significantly lighter and her skin felt smoother. She wanted more.
Wanting More
After the first BBL, her two biggest sun spots were already significantly lighter, but Shannon wanted a more dramatic transformation.
Adding Halo
Halo was added to her next BBL Corrective. Quick to perform but with three to five weeks of skin prep and a more intense recovery window.
Day of Halo
Forehead, sides, nose, and the cheekbones last.
I picked the week before Thanksgiving as it is a slow time for me at work and I would be able to work from home. With the exception of not using my Obagi products 24 hours before the treatment, there was nothing special I had to do the day of. I came in and my skin was prepped with numbing cream and I relaxed for about an hour while my face numbed.
Then it was go time. With the numbing cream removed, Dr. Eberle started with the BBL Corrective. This was much more pleasant with the numbing cream and seemed to go a lot faster. Then it was time to move on to the Halo. Dr. Eberle started with my forehead. At first, it was barely noticeable, but the intensity started to increase. He did a great job telling me how far we had gone and how much we had left in each area.
He then moved on to the right side of my face, then the left side, then the nose. The nose was a piece of cake. The most intense spots were definitely my cheekbones and under and around my eyes. Did it hurt? Yes, but it was also bearable. Enough so that I’ve already scheduled my follow-up treatment.
Obagi Nu Derm
Five weeks of Obagi Medical Nu Derm with 0.05% Retinol Cream to smooth, soften, and clear the skin before laser day.
Obagi Blue Peel
A 'Lunchtime' Blue Peel one week out for an extra layer of prep with no real downtime.
Numbing Cream
On treatment day, numbing cream applied for about an hour before Dr. Eberle began.
CO2 Lift Pro
A Carboxy Treatment Mask immediately after to cool the skin and accelerate the early recovery window.
The Diary
Twelve entries from an hour after to two weeks later.
Every day in Shannon’s own words, with the photo she took that day.
01
An Hour After
I felt pretty good, but I was very red. I still went through the drive thru at Pollo Tropical, though I did get a strange look from the cashier.
02
Night of Procedure
This was probably the most uncomfortable part. That night my face was burning with intense heat. I did take some Advil PM to help with the discomfort and to help me sleep, which it did. My face was also extremely red.
03
Morning After
The majority of the burning was gone and my face just felt warm. The redness had already started to decrease and you could tell that my sun spots were more noticeable. Unfortunately for me, I had forgotten that my son had a dentist appointment, so red face and all I still took him. So you can definitely resume normal activities, though you may need to swallow your pride a bit. My face did start to swell a bit, but nothing like I expected it to, and I believe that was due to the CO2 Lift Pro Carboxy Treatment Mask.
04
Evening After
The evening after the procedure, I used another CO2 Lift Pro Carboxy Treatment Mask. Again this felt amazing and very cooling to my face. My face felt amazing after and there was no longer a need for Advil PM that night.
05
2 Days After
The burning was now gone and I was a little less red, but I was definitely more blotchy. I also started to notice the dark spots that would eventually peel away. My skin also started to feel a little itchy and I moisturized as much as I possibly could.
06
3 Days After
A little less red, a little more blotchy, and a whole lot more itchy. My eyes were also more noticeably puffy as the swelling in my face started to decrease.
07
4 Days After
This is the day I started to look more like myself. The swelling was mostly gone and the redness had subsided. I was starting to peel a little. The sun spot on my chest (which Dr. Eberle specifically targeted at my request) had become extremely dark and dry.
08
5 Days After
Here is when I really started to notice the dramatic results I had been hoping for. The swelling was now completely gone and I was just a little pink. But my face had started to peel and was already showing a clearer and even complexion.
09
6 Days After
Slowly getting better each day. The spot on my chest had peeled away and now was a little pink.
10
One Week Later
About 95% of the redness is gone. My face is already more noticeably clearer and even-toned. The peeling was pretty much done at this point and my face felt tighter.
11
Evening One Week Later
Here I did another CO2 Lift Pro Carboxy Treatment Mask. Now fully recovered from the procedure, I was able to enjoy this mask a little more and see the immediate results once done. I can see why celebrities use this mask before big events; it is THAT good!
12
2 Weeks Later
Two weeks out and back to my real life, wearing minimal makeup. Tinted moisturizer with SPF, mascara, a little lip gloss, and that’s it.
The Verdict
Was it worth it? YES.
While I noticed the improvements myself, the side-by-side comparison of my before and after photos two weeks out made those improvements obvious. Lines near my eyes and cheeks were gone. My skin was clearer and smoother. I’m now back to wearing minimal makeup on an everyday basis. Basically some tinted moisturizer (with SPF), mascara, and some lip gloss. Even when I do wear full makeup, I’m using a lighter coverage foundation and it’s going on much smoother, with fewer creases for it to seep into.
It is recommended that you have this treatment done twice within six to eight weeks of each other and then maintenance will be to have it done every one to two years after that. I am looking forward to having my second treatment done shortly and anxious to see what those results will bring.
Your Halo Journey
Book your Halo consultation with Dr. Eberle.
Halo combines two laser wavelengths in a single pass to address sun damage, fine lines, and uneven tone. Sessions are paired in a series for compounding results, with day-by-day prep and recovery guidance.
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