NOW Magazine, July 2014

Fraxel laser skin resurfacing and Selphyl

Diane Wong, MD and owner of Glow Medi Spa, tells me I’m too young (20-something) to get the full Vampire Facelift made famous by Kim Kardashian. Unlike a lot of doctors in her field, she’s not in the business of administering unnecessary treatments. Instead, she suggests a less intense version of Selphyl combined with Fraxel.

By Sabrina Maddeaux

The treatment: Fraxel laser skin resurfacing and Selphyl, aka the Vampire Facelift


at Glow Medi Spa ($900, 129 Yorkville, 4th floor, 416-920-9998, glowmedispa.ca).


The promise: Stimulates collagen, reduces acne scars, smoothes skin, reverses sun damage, gives skin a nice glow.

The lowdown: Diane Wong, MD and owner of Glow Medi Spa, tells me I’m too young (20-something) to get the full Vampire Facelift made famous by Kim Kardashian. Unlike a lot of doctors in her field, she’s not in the business of administering unnecessary treatments. Instead, she suggests a less intense version of Selphyl combined with Fraxel.

Fraxel treats thousands of microscopic areas of skin using laser beams that penetrate beneath the skin’s surface. The wounds created by the laser push their way out of the skin over a week’s time, and the extra collagen produced in the healing process has a myriad of benefits.

Selphyl, which involves drawing blood and centrifuging it to separate the platelet-rich plasma, helps boost the treatment’s effects and speeds healing. Unlike Kardashian, I don’t have my blood-plasma injected back into my face – it’s applied topically after the laser resurfacing.

It makes a huge difference in the healing process. From the moment it’s applied to my face, the Selphyl soothes and minimizes the sunburn-like effects of the Fraxel laser. Post-treatment discomfort and redness is much less than I expected from reading about others’ experiences minus the Selphyl online. Compared to their accounts, my expeience is a cakewalk.

The verdict: Fraxel is one of the best options around for those with skin concerns that regular spa facials won’t fix, but who aren’t ready to jump into more serious lasers or invasive procedures. If you’re interested, save yourself a lot of grief by combining the treatment with Selphyl and going to a medispa that knows their stuff.

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