Our BBL Hero PhotoFacial is the gold standard, corrective, light-based treatment for brown pigmentation such as freckles and age spots. It also treats vascular issues such as redness, small blood vessels, and rosacea, as well as acne, aging skin, uneven skin texture, and loss of firmness! It is the fastest and most powerful IPL device in the industry for head-to-toe “wow!” results.
It allows us to treat the entire body with four times the speed, three times the peak power, and two times the cooling capacity. The result is clearer, smoother, and younger appearing skin in as little as one treatment with minimal to no downtime.
How BBL HERO Works - the science-y part
BBL HERO stands for BroadBand light (BBL®) high energy rapid output (HERO). BroadBand® light, a type of IPL (intense pulsed light) device, differs from traditional lasers: lasers use a narrowly focused wavelength on the light spectrum, however, BBL uses a broad spectrum of light, to allow numerous wavelengths to enter the skin simultaneously.
One of it's most exciting features is it's ability to effectively make you look younger, have firmer skin, and a more even skin texture and tone. Two important Standford University studies, under the direction of Dr Patrick, Bitter showed that regular treatments of Sciton BBL delivered 2 to 4 times per year appeared to delay the emergence of the visible signs of skin aging; including age spots, wrinkles and laxity.
In the first study, 15 patients ranging in age from 38 to 69 years received at least one annual BBL treatment for 5 to 11 years.
A total of 491 evaluators (made up of mostly Physicians and Clinical Estheticians) were asked to estimate the age of both pre and post treatment photos without knowing they were the same individual or had any treatments. The evaluators consistently estimated the post treatment photos as, on average, 10 years younger!
A second study in 2012 provided substantial support for the anti-aging effects of BBL and an explanation for the observed clinical results. Dr Bitter collaborated with the Stanford University Dermatology Department to show for the first time that BBL treatments have a restorative effect quantified at the genetic level. Of the 2265 genes whose expression was altered in aged skin 1,293 were fully restored to the expression seen in younger skin. After three successive BBL treatments, the re-expressed genes included those associated with longevity and increased life! This ground breaking study provided additional evidence to support the age-delaying benefits of BBL.
It is not surprising that the BBL HERO has also been named Best Innovation in the NewBeauty Magazine 2020 Annual Beauty Choice Award as well as the Holy Grail Awards in Cosmo for 2023.
How is Sciton's BBL Hero PhotoFacial different from a regular BBL or IPL treatment?
Not all IPL devices are the same and Sciton's BBL innovations take this treatment to an entirely new level, to help trigger a skin healing response for collagen and elastin production, as well as improve many of the visible signs of aging. Sciton invented BBL HERO to allow Clinical Estheticians and medical practitioners to conduct treatments faster, safer, and better than ever before.
- it works by broad brush strokes instead of pinpoint pulsed treatments, making the treatment much less painful uncomfortable.
- the treatments are faster than any other IPL/BBL
- it can treat multiple skin concerns in one treatment - example: pigment, redness, skin laxity and skin rejuvenation!
- it can treat the lip area effectively
- it can treat acne and acne scarring effectively and quickly
- it treats large body areas quickly and safely
How should I prepare by skin for a BBL Hero PhotoFacial?
It's important to prep your skin for a treatment. This means staying out of the sun in the weeks leading up to your appointment and also not using self-tanner. Tanned skin make it harder for us and the machine to truly see what your skin looks like, risking stripping, burns or over treating.
A light chemical peel, two or three weeks before the treatment to clean your skin of excessive dead skin cells accepts the technology the best. Our Pumpkin Peel is excellent for this. You can also pre-treat at home, starting 6 weeks prior with an AHA- based treatment recommended by your Clinical Esthetician. If you are prone to hyperpigmentation a specialised tyrosinase-inhibiting product will be recommended to us at home for 2-6 weeks prior.
What will my skin look like after treatment?
Immediately after treatment your skin will be rose-y looking with increase circulation. This typically lasts from a few hours to 24 hours.
If you have dark spots or hyperpigmentation, immediately after treatment they will be darker as they have been pushed closer to the surface of the skin. After 5 - 21 days all of the darker pigment spots will slough off as you gently wash your skin.
For those with active rosacea, you may experience some swelling in the cheek, under eye area. If you experience swelling, it will resolve in a 1 to 5 days.
You can wear makeup on almost immediately after, but we would recommend giving your skin a little downtime and staying out of the sun for a few days.
After the first week, you will begin to notice the evening of your skin colour (browns and reds), smoothness and firmness of your skin. You will soon have the BBL glow!
How long will the results last?
Results on your skin can vary, but you can expect to see evenness in your skin that lasts months — or even years — depending on your skincare routine and your age. Doing the treatments more often will enhance the results, but you should still get results from even one treatment. We usually recommend 3 treatments spaced every 3-4 weeks.
How would I maintain the results of the treatment?
We consider the BBL Hero PhotoFacial a corrective treatment for pigment, vascular concerns, wrinkles and skin laxity. Once you have completed the number of treatments to give you the results you are looking for, then we recommend either maintaining the results 1-2 treatments a year of either a BBL Hero PhotoFacial or our BBL Hero Forever Young Treatment. The Forever Young Treatment is a shorter treatment protocol to maintain the results with less focus on skin laxity.
We look forward to sharing the game-changing results of this exciting treatment!
Book your Clinical Skin Care Consultation now to learn for complete recommendations and assessment.