I Tried the $2,700 At-Home Laser Celebs Are Raving About. Here Are My Thoughts…

Laser-Focused on LYMA

To understand the novelty of the LYMA Laser, I had the chance to speak directly with Founder Lucy Goff, who created the LYMA brand back in 2018. 

At its core, the LYMA Laser is inherently anti-inflammatory, stimulates collagen synthesis, increases delivery of nutrients, improves oxygen and hydration, and powers up the energy centers of cells. Goff shared, “All these processes mean the LYMA Laser can tackle almost any skin concern you wish to treat—unwanted pigmentation, signs of aging, redness, dullness, scar tissue,  loss of volume and laxity. Even the cellulite smoothing results are outstanding. I’ve yet to find a skin concern of mine that the LYMA Laser cannot resolve.” 

Unlike most dermatological laser treatments that leverage high-intensity lasers that lead to high-intensity downtime, LYMA relies on low-level laser technology, which has long been used in medical settings and rehabilitation centers to renew, rebuild, and regenerate by bringing down inflammation to heal tendon injuries, and torn cartilage in joints.

Lucy explained that low-level lasers have been relied upon by medical professionals for decades with remarkable inadvertent skin rejuvenation effects. However, no one had managed to harness that incredible technology and engineer it into a device fit for anti-aging skin. “The evidence was all there, it was the reimagining that was missing.”

This reimagining is one that Lucy applied to the LYMA brand as a whole. It is science-backed and science-driven. She explained that scientists have published a medical paper identifying the mechanisms that make skin age and how to reverse them. “Among them are the degradation of the Extracellular Matrix (skin’s innate scaffolding), cellular senescence, depleting cellular energy, shifts in microbiology, long-term dehydration, and capillary blood flow. One of the most interesting for me is cell senescence, whereby skin cells don't carry out the usual lifecycle, but hang around like ‘zombie cells’ releasing harmful and pro-inflammatory toxins to others around them.”

Keeping Things Hot With Cold Laser Therapy

So what is cold laser therapy (which sounds like an oxymoron)? In the case of the LYMA Laser, they are one and the same. 

Cold lasers have always existed, but at far lower outputs. The LYMA Laser, however, is the first skincare device to deliver 500m W of uninterrupted laser beam light (matching what can be found inside in-clinic lasers) while remaining cold to the touch.

Because of its cold temperature, this form of Low-Level Laser Therapy allows near-infrared to penetrate deeply into the regenerative base layers of the skin without any heat or damage to the skin. According to Lucy, The LYMA Laser beam switches off gene expression associated with degeneration and decline, and dials up gene expression responsible for rejuvenation and repair. “We're talking laser technology that’s progressed light years to reap all the benefits and none of the damage.” 

I asked Lucy how The LYMA Laser was different from a laser treatment one would receive from their local dermatologist. She clarified that The LYMA Laser differs from traditional derm lasers in almost every way possible. “The fact you don’t need to be a skin professional or book an appointment to use it are monumental differences. The LYMA Laser puts clinic-grade power in the hands of consumers so that they can treat skin concerns or maintain skin health at-home, on the move, wherever and whenever they want to.”

Aside from that, the key difference between LYMA and your classic derm is downtime. Hot, ablative, or fractional lasers can often lead to some “life interruption,” where you find yourself Samantha Jonesing it at a birthday party, looking like a beekeeper (IYKYK). The LYMA Laser doesn’t cause any pain, has no heat, and requires no healing time, actually strengthening the skin instead. Goff also highlighted that most lasers are not suitable for black, brown or melanin-rich skin tones for fear of scarring or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation so a vast proportion of people are completely excluded from laser treatments. “The LYMA Laser is the laser for everyone.” 

The LYMA Protocol 

My skin’s new system consisted of…

• The LYMA Laser
• The LYMA Mist + Glide Duo 
• A sponge + wipe as a part of any cleanup / maintenance
  

Like all things in life that yield results, consistency is key when it comes to getting the most out of The LYMA Laser.

Lucy advised me to use the Laser for at least 30 minutes per day for three months to experience any long-term benefits. In the short-term, I could look forward to improvement in my tone, texture, and inflammation. Once I hit the three-month mark, I could then drop down to 2-3 days per week for maintenance. 

The Laser had to be touching my face throughout the process, and I could hold the laser on any areas of concern for three minutes at a time.

My Red Carpet-Worthy Skin

I stared at my LYMA Laser for weeks before I actually used it—terrified that I would somehow get this whole at-home laser situation “wrong.” Finally, while on vacation in the desert, I decided to leverage the silent, meditative environment to focus on improving my skin and feeling like a woman of luxury and leisure (and not acne-ridden).

The steps were simple: Cleanse, 6 pumps of Mist, 6 pumps of Glide, and 15 minutes per treatment area with the Laser. I could do that!

Quick tangent: I asked Lucy about the importance of the Mist + Glide phase, and she explained that, by age 40, our skin has lost 60% of its oxygen capacity, so it’s incredibly important for skin health to return oxygen to the skin. Skin cells have a limited lifespan, and increased oxygen supports regeneration and the metabolism of waste, which in turn helps with production of collagen, elastin and migration of new cells to the surface. 

“Both the LYMA Mist and the Glide skincare products contain the highest concentration of Active Stabilized Oxygen in existence, flooding the skin with solubilized liquid oxygen for boosted cellular production, microcirculation and long-term moisture retention. These two products are 100x more effective than an oxygen facial.” 

Okay, now back to my regularly scheduled laser programming.

At the time, I was experiencing a lot of “wounded” skin, thanks to my need to perform minor surgery on hormonally induced, under-the-skin pimples that were destined to ruin an upcoming wedding I was treating like my senior prom.

Almost immediately, the Mist + Glide added a layer of vitality of my skin, and felt pretty incredible too. The Glide is not greasy in the slightest, and makes your skin feel like it’s being infiltrated with essential nutrients and healing ingredients that activate even further while you laser. Hot Tip: I, personally, started with one side of my face and neck, so as to not let the Glide over-absorb, where I would have to reapply. 

Then it was time to get my Live, Laugh, Laser on. 

As Lucy promised, the Laser was anything but warm. If anything, it felt like absolutely nothing, which—during the process—made me wonder if it was doing anything at all. In many ways, I leveraged the Laser like I would a gua sha stone or any lymphatic drainage technique for the face and neck (don’t ever forget the neck), and went over the same spot a few times slowly so as to give my skin the best amount of laser exposure. I felt pretty passionate about holding the Laser on my lips and any scarring areas for a little bit longer for extra rejuvenation power.

To my surprise, after just one use, my skin completely calmed down, and actually looked more defined, even-toned, and radiant. “F*ck,” I thought. “This is why all of the celebrities look this good.”

As instructed, I wiped off the Glide, continued with my regular skincare routine, looking like I had just paid for some experimental face treatment when all it took was a good Netflix show, some patience, and respect for “process over product,” as I always say.

Living It Up LYMA-Style

After three months of LYMA-ing to the fullest, I truly saw incredible benefits and results for my skin. Rather than needing multiple products to course-correct my skin’s inflammaging, I could lean on this singular (rechargeable) “joy stick” of sorts, that made me feel like I was actually healing my skin. I saw a decrease in scarring, improvement in my overall tone and texture, and felt like my skin was literally glowing all of the time.

Of course, the LYMA loaner had to be returned, which was a devastating day because I’m simply not ready to throw down the $2,700 required to be at “owner status,” but I could 100% see myself investing in the future when I feel like a real adult with a room for all of my at-home tech devices. I also think The LYMA Laser would be a no-brainer for me if I was a little deeper into my aging process with more significant concerns—ie sun damage, sagging skin, etc. (not that prophylactic measures aren’t important!). For now, I guess I’ll just have to keep writing articles like these until I can afford one.

Live Like Your Skin Could Have a New Tomorrow With LYMA