Despite recently hitting 50 and having road-tested numerous non-invasive procedures–from injectables and Morpheus8 to microneedling–for my job as a beauty journalist (and admittedly a touch of vanity), the appeal of one popular and prevalent anti-ageing treatment has long eluded me.

The resurfacing laser, an energy-based device used to improve the surface texture of skin on the face and neck as well as deeper laxity, comes with promise of smoother lines and wrinkles, a reduction of acne scarring and less sagging.

Sounds exactly my kind of treatment. But it’s the potential discomfort (I’m a bit of a wuss in the pain threshold department) and redness or peeling for days that have made me think twice.

But the offer to trial Alma Opus, a new cutting-edge energy-based resurfacing treatment that boasts fantastic results, can be customised and significantly less recovery time, piqued my interest enough to eschew reservations and put my face in the hands of Opus Ambassador and Aesthetic Specialist Teresa Tarmey, who is as famed for her red carpet facials as she is for her work with lasers and microneedling.

The science bit

Both Opus and laser options for skin resurfacing work by creating targeted areas of trauma in the skin to stimulate a wound-healing response. In turn, this improves the texture where the outer dermis layer has been damaged, while the heat created within the deeper epidermis ramps up collagen production to boost tone and plumpness over time.

Most also use micro ablative, fractional technology, meaning the laser is split into thousands of microscopic zones and so treats only tiny sections–or fractions–of the skin to control tissue damage and minimise healing time.

Where they diverge is that while lasers use factional light energy, Opus uses fractional plasma (or ionised gas) energy, created when metal pins on the head of the device are charged with a specific radio frequency voltage and react with atmospheric pressure to make micro thermal channels in the skin. The plasma gets to work on the surface for the smoothing benefits; the radio frequency infuses lower layers with heat to produce collagen.

“This has the highest RF frequency of all devices in clinics for very effective collagen boosting and quick treatments,” enthuses Teresa. “I love it because the intensity of plasma skin resurfacing can be adjusted for every individual’s need and there are no invasive needles.

"I recommend three sessions, four to six weeks apart but you can certainly see a result even after one. The results are much brighter, firmer and fresher skin. It's fantastic for fine lines, even deeper lines and also scarring. I worked on my boyfriend's back as he had old acne scars and the results were outstanding.”

Treatment time

After skipping my nightly retinol for a week as instructed in preparation, at Tarmey’s London clinic she talks me through the procedure, the short and long-term results, plus the likely dreaded downtime. I’m only on her treatment bed for 45 minutes, most of which is taken up by waiting for the topical numbing cream to take effect, before the treatment itself. This can take around 15 minutes, but in Teresa’s skilful hands, it’s less than ten.

Choosing a medium intensity that can quickly be reduced if I want, the device moves quickly over my face with some areas such as my forehead feeling more tender than others. It’s not painful but not particularly pleasant and feels slightly scratchy as the microchannels are created. I get a waft of singed hair too–a bonus if you have some facial fluff you’d prefer to be temporarily eradicated.

The results 

Immediately afterwards, I look like I’ve been under a sunlamp for several days and as I can only use sunscreen and no makeup, dread bumping into anyone I know en route home. Somewhat obsessively, I check hourly to see if the redness is abating and while my face feels tight, it’s not in the least painful.

By morning, my colour is more pale pink than scarlet and I can see a few microscopic scratches (like I’ve had a tussle with a kitten), but foundation and an SPF are enough to counteract both. Over the following days, the residual redness continues to fade and while I’m thankful for no peeling or flaking, tiny patches are understandably a little dry as the skin surface renews itself.

A week later, my skin texture is fully recovered and feels smoother than ever. A few pigmentation marks have definitely faded and my complexion looks even and lustrous enough to get plenty of ‘your skin looks great’ comments from friends and colleagues.

Now, almost three months on, I can certainly see the radio frequency benefits coming into effect, particularly around my eyes where lines have softened, and cheeks where contours are a touch tighter. Am I now enough of a resurfacing convert to put aside my previous apprehensions? In the hands of Teresa, absolutely.