By Annette Kellow
You may have heard the saying ‘Beauty must glow as brightly as possible’. But with all our busy lives, full diaries and frankly over-indulging we can sometimes need a little help getting there! Enter Ruth Phypers, founder of Laser Medicine, who uses a very specific type of laser in the same method as acupuncture- by working with the lymphatic system and draining toxins from the body.
Ruth trained with Professor Gordon Farmer who held the ethic that beauty begins with rejuvenating from the inside out. I had previously tried acupuncture and am a superfan of facials so I was intrigued to see where the crossover lay with Laser Medicine.
Ruth explained that hot laser, otherwise known as Class 4 laser, cuts through skin or scrapes skin away. But it was discovered in cancer research that when they applied the laser in a low frequency, known as a cold laser class 3b, it regenerates cells. So using cold laser (instead of actual acupuncture needles) can target the lymphatic points and gets the white blood cells flowing around the body. This can be used for many different health conditions- depression, pain and scars as well as facials that tighten and brighten. Ruth is very passionate about a healthy natural ageing process, and feels a lot of the treatments you can have today look very effective but their not actually pinpointing and targeting the problem to a finer point- the ageing process.
It sounds quite scientific but it is based upon creating a good lymphatic system and draining the dead cells to keep the skin looking younger for longer. Releasing your waste sytem often whilst sending white cells to the areas they are needed will keep you looking (and feeling) youthful. And that’s the basis upon what she works, hence the use of her advanced lasers.
I was worried that the process was going to hurt or feel uncomfortable as she applied the laser to different points around my face. I’ve previously had some very painful lasers but the good news is you do not feel a thing (phew! I’m not quite sure why but I expected it to feel cold!)
As the facial is working under the skin it is a very different approach. Sometimes heavily exfoliating on the surface with facials such as peels can often take away too much of the skins natural ability to rejuvenate whilst being abrasive and weakening the skin over time. Cold laser helps stimulate the natural collagen in the skin to reproduce and regenerate itself, so it’s working at a deeper level.
As with all facials it’s about maintenance and depending on the individual, where they want to target and if they have any underlying health issues, Ruth normally recommends a course of 6 to fully target the lymphatic system, the digestive system and any other issues that may emerge in treatment. If we put pressure on our bodies through stress related substances such as sugar, coffee and alcohol (which all ‘spike’ the blood) it can impact the lymphatic system which in turn affects the skin. There are also other things to take into consideration such as not drinking enough water, getting enough vitamin c, exercise or eating nutritious food- and especially, she believes, in the underlying happiness of the person! She believes that with an all system approach it encourages her clients to live and look better whilst she even suggests other holistic practices such as yoga or meditation to keep them feeling in optimal health. She also says everything in moderation and that treats help us feel happy and shouldn't be completely eliminated.
Ruth is really easy to talk to (and I must say has skin to be envious of) and we discussed my target areas all of which she used the laser upon. My aim was to look less tired and keep skin hydrated and fresh looking. She also gave me a few hints and tips on ways to nourish this further and I went away feeling relaxed and refreshed. As Ruth says, 'When your feeding the soul, the soul feeds the rest of the body' and making wise choices for the skin has always been in vogue!
Ruth Phypers Laser Medicine Facial can be booked at ruth@lasermedicine.co.uk
020 7467 8470