Guinea Pig squeaks (I mean speaks)

Well, ladies, gizmo gal is at it again. Spurred on in part by the success of my ReAura experience (pics of arms and hands just as soon as I finish this treatment protocol), my dh ordered a radio frequency device for the body for me. This device is supposed to:

(1) tighten sagging skin

(2) heat fat in cellulite, which is then excreted from the cell resulting in smoother skin and possibly reduced measurement

(3) stimulate collagen production

This device cannot be used on the face as it will cause fat loss, but of course they sell a different machine for the face.

So far I do notice a temporary tightening but that could be swelling of the tissues as they are heated up to 40 degrees C - yes, it is a bit ouch.

Anyways, in a couple of months I will give a full report as to the efficacy of Tripollar Pose. I am really hoping it works for me as independant reviews are about 50/50. I am not overweight or out of shape, but even so at 60 there is some sagging of the skin on the inner thighs and tummy not to mention ugly bra back bulge.

Some time back when I was very slim I asked my plastic surgeon about the bra bulge and he said it wasn't so much fat, but loose skin and most women develop it past a certain age and the only thing that would eliminate it was a body lift which he did not recommend. These days there are many professional RF treatments available (thermage, ulthera etc) some of which I have tried with varying degrees of success.

What I am hoping is that this less aggressive but more frequent treatment will be like my home laser experience - a LOT more effective and less expensive.

BTW old hands group - not only am I older than old dirt, but I was a potter for 27 years. My hands are very badly damaged in every way. This round of treatment with ReAura I included my hands and I almost cannot believe how well they have cleared of the freckles and age spots. They are quite rough, but perhaps that will improve over a few treatments.

As another older than dirt member (and older than you, young mismis) I certainly wish you success with the Tripollar.I am waiting for after the Christmas mail rush to order my reaura (now 799 pounds-I know still a fortune-sort of a gift from DH who is convinced I'll give myself third degree burns).Ofcourse if you have success with body tightening I'm sure I'll follow you into this maze of hope and devices-longing to get rid of that thinskinned bra back sag too...and falling knees and thighs.For how long and how many times a week do you have to use this machine? And can you tackle back sag by yourself or do you need a willing accomplice?

One can use Stop up to three times a week, providing there is at least one day between treatments to let the collagen recover. I am doing this, but because I have so many areas I am not pleased with I have a date with my device every day. Doubtless if I exercised for that much time there would be an improvement! So on one day I do legs (spot treatments) lower abdomen and butt. The next day I do front of abdomen, bra bulge, sides of abdomen and upper arms on the underside from elbow to armpit. This whole process has really highlighted my general dissatisfaction with my appearance. Maybe I should try RF on my head! It is quite time consuming, especially as after I then hop on my exercise bicycle for an hour in the hopes of helping the lymph move out any liquified fat.



The back of the body is difficult to do and thus far I have not asked for help. I am experimenting with various set ups with mirrors. For sure my arms should firm up just from my attempts to reach back for extended periods of time. A willing accomplice would be great, but I do not have one.



Early days yet, but I will keep you posted. It is tedious but I will be diligent for the eight week treatment period.



The device came with its own very sticky conductive gel but I got a gallon of lighter gel from the surgical supply store and a good thing as the Tripollar gel is $47 per tube and the generic $19 a gallon which I am using up quite quickly. The gel also works with my ReAura, so when you run out of gel with yours consider this option.

Good luck with the Pose Mis I'm looking forward to hearing your outcome. I have the Stop which I bought before the Pose came out, and I didn't really want it for the face but to tighten body skin. I tried it on my upper arms 3 times a week for 8 weeks but unfortunately it didn't do much. I haven't tried it on my face as my face doesn't need it, but I have it for when it does I guess.

I'm seriously considering purchasing the Tria at the end of January. My first choice would be the Re Aura but it seems you can't even get it through a forwarding on service They notice it's the address of a service and won't let the transaction go through. Whereas the Tria you can. The Tria is alot cheaper than the Re Aura but you have to use it daily for the 8 weeks. I hear the results are worth it though. I can't wait to see your photos Mis.

Hi girls,

I have been thinking about trying the reaura, but my main concern was that it may cause fat loss, or dissolve our fillers. It appears evidence suggests that it doesn't, but I just wondered what you thought mis mis?

many thanks!

Jackie xx

Well my reaura is in the post from a UK friend but they haven't included any of the pre or post gels which at the price seems criminal.I have ordered them thru John Lewis but my friend has now gone away for 6 weeks so he won't be able to send them on.Mismis I would be interested to know any alternatives for both especially the post gel as I get v. red with lasers and also how you are finding the Pose?

I ran out of the Phillips laser gel a while ago and went to the surgical supply store (you know, one of those places where they sell surgical splints, invalad supplies, diabetic supplies etc.) and bought about 3 litres for $19. It works just fine. I decanted about 8 oz into a lidded jar and it is very convenient. I also use this for my Pose as the gel supplied is really sticky and unpleasant to use. With the pose, though, I do need to reapply during treatment.

Ah, the Pose! It is VERY time consuming and I have revised my original plan. Now I am treating only my thighs and my hands. It was getting so I hated to do it because it consumed too much of my day. Once I get the thighs to where I want I will go back to the other areas. I think it is too soon to report as I also took a 10 day holiday without any treatments.

The whole pose thing got me thinking that what would really be effective and have other positive health benefits is more targetted exercise and a change in diet. I never had a belly fat problem until I started living with DH and eating bread, butter and the occasional sweet treat. So I have been rereading all the stuff I possess on calorie restriction for life extension - basically what I used to do - and am now three days in. I used to date a (much younger) Dr. and he used to always to comment on my "unnatural high energy" which he attributed to my sparse diet. I am hoping that will return, and I am trying to place my caloric intake in a specific time window so that my body feels more inclined to burn FAT. Specifically, the fat on my back and upper arms. I think the Pose will have a role in tightening the skin which is not as resilient as a younger person.

So save your money, Mags! Get the cheaper gel. I asked the salesman at the store if the brands were different and he said they were all basically the same, but since I use so much I should get the kind that came in larger volume containers as it was considerably cheaper. One can also buy about the same size as the ReAura product for $5.

Thanks Mis!Are all these laser gels the same or must it be specifically for fractional laser. Could you use ultrasound gel ? Post treatment -would an aloe vera gel be effective.I thought of using an avene post laser cream.I guess you must have studied the CR regimen-the only proviso seems to be it must be finely balanced to get all your nutrition needs.Photos I've seen of long-term CR-ers-while they claim incredible energy-they look pretty haggard but fillers can take care of that.Be v.interested to hear how you feel after a couple of weeks.How many calories per day are you thinking of?

Jackie, I did not notice any effect of my laser treatment on the fillers. I think they do suggest that you not have fillers within 2 weeks of treatment; my feeling is that most fillers would be placed deeper than the laser target area. As I was somewhat over-filled when I started I would have welcomed something to diminish the volume, and I have experimented with the Pose in this regard. I think the Pose may well diminish fillers, but then you are not supposed to use it on the face.

I asked the salesman at the supply store if there was any difference in gels and he said a conductive gel is a conductive gel and they were basically all the same. I don't know if ultrasound uses a conductive type gel but you can probably google that.

Maggie, I have the Phillips booklet before me and it lists the active ingredients in the aftercare creame as chammomile, St. Johns wort and eidelweiss. I think the Avene product would do, or any soothing moisturising product. Any way you slice it, you will be red for a few hours after (which is why I do my face before bed; it's fine in the am) and your skin will be roughish during the treatment. I like to think of this as revision uglies and I think my skin has continued to improve texture-wise from my second round. For some reason my arms are taking longer to calm down - there was lots of revision, even more than my face and chest. Hopefully photo ready in a week of two.

Maggie, the book says one area only to start, but I started on my neck and chest after about the first week and it was not too much. I only mention this because I sense that like me you are eager for maximum improvement, minimum time.

With the CR I am aiming for 1100 - 1200 calories per day including 44 - 48 grams of protein, no food after 1 pm so as to induce ketosis and so far it's been pretty easy, although I have not had a full day doing anything particularly active. I am also taking suppliments as a safety measure. I have had no trouble exercising and cycling for 1 1/2 hours per day. It could be that I have reached an age where I cannot hope to have my personal ideal appearance. Like I said before, maybe a device for the inside of my head!

brilliant, thanks mis mis xx

Mis-many thanks.I know what you mean by arriving at an age where ideals cannot be fulfilled! I am trying to decide between a final facelift and bunyon surgery (no health insurance at the moment)-the FFL will probably win but still improvements can be made by exercise and fillers.Stem cells still a way off-did you see that article about US woman who had stem cells placed under eye skin and they developed into small fragments of bone (she couldn't close one eye).They said it may have been because she had had previous radiesse injections...anyway it seems we will be waiting awhile for stem cell therapy for cosmetic purposes to be perfected!

Hi Mis, I'm becoming more and more interested in the Re-Aura. Thanks for all the progress reports you've given us! I'm going to go back through all your posts thoroughly when I have a little more time. (Maybe you even have some posts on SD?) When I Google it, plenty seems to come up but can you direct me a bit? ...Best place to purchase and recommended links for more research, if you have it. Thank you very much! xo --Holly

When I became interested I just did a google search. There is probably more stuff out there now for you to review. One vid I really appreciated was called glamplusforty - a woman of some years who posted herself doing treatments with good tips and progress reports. Worth checking out.

Initially I got intrigued by the reports given by Photoqueen on the Essentialdayspa Forum. There are threads on both the ReAura and Tria there with lots of info. Most people cannot get the ReAura because the Phillips company cannot and will not ship it out of the UK or Holland.

I have Moo to thank (XXXXOOOOOO) for making it possible for me to purchase it.

Here's what I did. Telephoned Phillips to inquire about purchase - if you email they can tell you are from out of the country. After a certain point, the operator knew I was trying to purchase from Canada, but by tht time I had answered the questionaire and convinced her that I was knowledgeable about laser treatment. She said she could send it only to an address in UK, and that I would have no recourse to warrenty or any online help. I said OK and was able to purchase using my credit card. As the operator asked me to ONLY deal with her, I suspect that this may have been a commission based sale so there is some motivation for them to bend the rules.

Device was sent to Moo, who very kindly filled out the DHL forms and arranged for pickup. We settled later for the shipping via bank transfers, which actually took longer than the shipment of the laser LOL. In retrospect, I probably could have arranged for a DHL pickup in UK from Canada and paid with credit card, too.

I think I am much older and was more in need of skin renovation than you might be and that is why my results have been so over the moon. The areas of biggest improvement are those with the most damage, but this seems so much more than cosmetic. My arms have gone from old shoeleather to Italian accessory - I am aiming for rose petal but that will definitely take a few more treatments!

I don't think that it does much for rosacea or enlarged pores. It is brilliant with sun induced pigmentation, has vastly improved crepey texture of chest area, and made my skin radiant and full looking - almost as if a thin layer of fat was poured just under the skin.

Tria is much easier to get, and many on EDS have had positive experiences; you might want to chat with Carmen as she has one. With Tria you do not use conductive gel and must treat every day. With ReAura you need to use conductive gel and need to treat twice a week. Both treatment protocols are 8 weeks on, 4 weeks off to let collagen regenerate (maybe that's why my skin looks so much plumper?) . I think the frequency of treatment is an important point as you will be red after. Every day in the case of Tria. A good strategy is to use before sleep so that you can get maximum healing while sleeping and before you go out into the world.

You know how we all joke about being Botox junkies? Well I think I am a ReAura junkie - I just feel like I am really doing something good for my skin every time I use it. I have two weeks of regeneration time left but I am already looking forward to my next round. Last night as we stood in front of the bathroom vanity I remarked to dh that if I had to buy a new one every year it still would be worth the price. For so long I hated the "old" dull skin and ReAura has done more to reverse it than all the creams, Vitamin A, C, professional fractional treatments (so many so expensive) that I tried.

One thing that I would like to know is if there is a difference in response to fractional laser depending on the complexion. I am one of those fair & freckly types. The one bad review of ReAura I read was from a black woman. I am always checking EDS to see how various people are progressing with treatment.

Best. m

I am also very tempted by this ladies lol,

I remember it first being discussed on EDS but held off, just in case of reports of filler or fat loss. I think PQ from EDS has fillers, and I haven't seen him mention any negative effects of this kind.

mis mis, have you noticed any tightening effects? I have quite a fleshy chin and would love to tighten this up, even just a litte,

thanks

Jackie xx

Jackie284 wrote:

mis mis, have you noticed any tightening effects? I have quite a fleshy chin and would love to tighten this up, even just a litte,

thanks

Jackie xx

Good question, I'm curious too. I can see some bagginess beginning under my chin...more like 'skin strings.' I was hoping it was all platysmal banding but no, some of it just loose skin. I feel sorta young for that, I don't see it on all 45 year-olds but my particular genetics just dictate this. I also feel a little extra baggy around the elbows and knees...would love some help there.

Thanks for the informative post mis... I totally want one! Sounds like I need a friend in Europe however to purchase...I don't now, but who knows, maybe in the future. What's the cost?

Holly, I sent pics to you so you can judge for yourself the tightening if any. Jackie, I will send pics to you also if you pm me your email address. I really don't think there is much actual tightening, other than that the skin looks - hmmm filled sort of. You will see. That being said, I am hopeful. Those pics were just the first protocol, I now have another one under my belt and I think that the rings around my neck have diminished just a tiny bit. I am planning for a neck lift at some point but I am of a wait and see attitude as the effect may be cummulative. I am planning to treat just as often as I can and to document successive treatments. For sure there has been some collagen induction in my face, it looks so much plumper even though my weight is the same. The skin on the neck and under the chin is so very thin that it may take more treatments to show. That is what I am hoping. You will see that I do have that vertical fine crepeyness going on and that is what I would like to see disappear.

The main benefits are vastly improved skin texture (enlarge the pics,l you will see) and deletion of pigmented lesions. I just looked at the pics and I know that my chest has improved quite a bit more from last August. It is hard to measure improvement when we view ourselves every day, but the pictures tell the tale. The colour you see in the afters really illustrates the everyday radience that has developed. People do comment on it.

For tightening, I think radio frequency is more recommended. I will let you know. I have the body version of tripollar but there is one for the face. The jury is still out for me on RF, but early days. I think I was just hoping that I would have the same positive experience that I had with the laser ie better than professional treatments.

I'm so excited...my ReAura is in the mail!!!
Chery from EDS is selling me hers for $900, she only used it for one round apparently. So I best head down to the local surgical supply store early next week and stock up on gel.
I'm so glad I didn't jump straight on the Tria and waited awhile. I just don't think a daily regimen would've worked that well for me, this will suit my time schedule alot better.


Although this is how my credit card is now feeling

Well done Michelle! I look forward to your reports.

I noticed changes starting about week 3. Pigment was noticeably fading at that point.

Are you going to take your "befores" while waiting?



best, mis:cheers:

Thanks Mis. And thanks for your talk with me about the Tria, you helped make up my mind definatively in the end.
Yes I should take some pics but to be honest I don't have a great deal of pigment. I'll be using it mostly for collagen production and damage prevention. My big hope is to reduce the damage on my horrible wrinkly wrists and hands. I'll be getting some ablative laser on those during this year anyway so I hope it will help keep them looking better afterwards. And my crepy upper arm skin needs work. I'll see if a pic will show that but I'm not sure it will.

One more thing Mis. I noticed you mention that you have arthritis. Have you tried bone broth? I've just started making and drinking it a few weeks ago after reading the fantastic benefits of the natural gelatine from it. And one thing mentioned is how great it is for some people's arthritis. It may be worth a try assuming you're not vegetarian.

Unfortunately it is not an option - I am well aware that broth made from bones has more calcium than milk, though. So for those who can, enjoy all those fantastic benefits.

I had a steroid injection in my joint in October and it worked brilliantly, normalising a joint that had been constantly inflamed for about three years. When the swelling returns, and most likely it will, I am going to try PRP even though the doctor who performed the injection said it wouldn't help. But then, he thought the steroid was unlikely to help. I guess it is the price I pay for having several decades making pottery to support myself, and it is not too great a price for all the satisfaction of a creative career.

Hopefully, science is working on these matters and it will not be too late for me. When I attended this particular clinic I almost felt like a fraud as I was clearly the healthiest and most pain-free patient in the waiting room. Made me kind of thankful!

I know what u mean about being creative and arthritis, me too! Years of making everything under the sun,sculpture, painting, etc has reeked havoc on my hands and joints.

Ok, my question to anyone: Who has personal experience with IPL? I purchased a salon IPL machine (portable) a few months back (a late night EBAY bid). Got a great deal but now having second thoughts.. I have yet to use it and am a little fearful that I will screw up.

I know that the ReAura is a laser. I think the Tria is IPL. But my unit plugs into an AC current (scary) I have to use a gel which has lidocaine in it unless you don't mind the "snap" I am going to start with my hands and top of arms for pigmentation spot removal first. It also supposedly works for hair removal , tattoo removal , skin pigmentation etc.Of course it is not as powerful as the PS office but I think more treatments will take care of that. Anyone who has first hand experience with IPL please chime in. Does it help w/ fine lines at all or is that only a diode/fractional type laser?

Thanks,

Julia

I have had IPL treatments - & I have had IPL burns. It does remove spots, and I think the burn thing is largely technician related.

Lasers: Tria is a fractional laser, just like ReAura. The difference is that with the Tria you have to treat every day for blocks of 8 weeks, the ReAura twice weekly for 8 weeks. The Tria does not require gel, ReAura does.

There are quite a few threads on EDS regarding the efficacy of both these devices, and there is a thread comparing the two. I have ReAura and am more than pleased. Most people like the Tria, and it is more easily bought. There have been a few glitches with some Trias not working (the company sent replacements) but a more serious issue is that Tria is being sued by Fraxel for infringement of their patent, so one thinks of things like how long will they be in business, will I be able to get replacement parts etc. ReAura was developed by Philipps and Fraxel. Tria is about 1/3 the cost, though.

You might want to pm Carmen as she has a Tria.

Well, you already have an IPL and that will work for removal of pigmentation and many other things. That's great. The ReAura is excellent for sun induced pigmentation (not sure about melasma though, it is hormone induced). I keep promising pics, and they will be done this weekend. Julia, if you send your personal email address, I will send you the last set of pics. But note that there have been further improvements since those pictures, especially in the neck decolletage area.

ReAura seems to actually alter the texture of the skin, refining the surface and creating collagen under the surface. It kind of looks like a fine layer of fat has been added to the face, a very subtle change but one that most people notice. It also makes skin radiant like a young persons - you know translucent and glowing. It may not have this extreme effect on every type of complexion, but I am a believer.

Do you have a training manual with your IPL? I briefly worked at a spa and though that was some time ago, I know there was some calculation involved. There is probably some sort of training available if you are near a large city. Or maybe you can find some online.

I think you are right about just using more frequent treatments with a less powerful machine. I think that is why ReAura works so well - for some of us less strong but more frequent treatments actually work better.

What fun - Gizmo Girl in me understands the excitement/trepidation in trying a new "thing"!

Maybe I will try to get my hands on a ReAura too. I got such a good deal on this IPL that I can afford both. I don't think IPL will change the texture of my skin. We shall see. The reason I bought the IPL over the laser was because of the larger treatment area. For hair removal, especially, the IPL covers more area, quicker. I do have a training manual, but I feel it is too vague. There are manuals you can buy on lasers and light based treatments. I am waiting for a deal on Amazon since they are $150-$200.

So Mis did you not like the IPL or was it a matter of not having enough treatments? I do not think a set of treatments at the salon will work for long term success, that is why I bought a machine. Cheaper long term for sure. If it works on my freckles and removes hair then it will be worth the money.

Does the ReAura do hair removal or tattoo removal?

This is a bit funny - I went downstairs and got to thinking about my reply and was just about to delete my post when I saw your reply! I didn't mean to give a pitch for ReAura, just bad conversations skills this AM. Oh well, please forgive.

The reAura does not remove tattoos - and you know I would really like it right now if it did as I have some need of removal of bad ink. Nor does it remove hair. So your machine will save you tons of dough if you can do all that plus pigmentation removal.

It's not that I don't like IPL - I've had quite a few treatments and was happy with the results, even though I did once get burned. But the pigmentation removal from a course of ReAura has been much better and cheaper. I think this is what ReAura does best, though in the long term collagen induction may be more evident.

You have a versatile machine, and congratulations on the great price - maybe that means you could get the expensive manual.

If you have this machine, why not see what it can do for you before investing in anything else? It may be all you need.



best, mis