Reviews PaloVia Laser- reader reviewed and recommended

PaloVia Laser- reader reviewed and recommended

Reviewed by Dennis on March 13, 2012

10 Comments

Pros

Eyes are lifted, plumping of the nasolabial folds

Cons

The serum is little more than mineral oil

Our Take

My desert island product

In the past few years I have reluctantly come to terms with the fact that most creams and serums are never going to produce the results they claim to. I find this to be particularly true when it comes to eye creams. Despite all the diligent work I have put into my skin since a young age, my eyes really began to show my age by the time I was 34. This led to years spent scouring department store beauty counters (working free samples out of sales girls was a sport to me), browsing Sephora, and surfing the Internet for the holy grail of eye creams.

I’m 38 now, and the closest contender I’ve found thus far is ReLuma ($90 in the TIA shop). I am convinced this product healed a cyst under my left eye. A great product, but not even ReLuma can begin to approach the results that the PaloVia has so far yielded

Using the PaloVia Skin Renewing Laser ($499) is unsettling at first, but well worth it! My eyes are lifted, plumped, and look refreshed. I have also been experimenting with other areas of my face with some success noticed, such as plumping of the nasolabial folds. I don’t think there’s any reason you couldn’t get results like that anywhere on your body! At any rate, I dare say I’m starting to recognize the same face I wore during the noontide of my youth. This groovy little device is awesome!

I know I’m gushing, but there are some things about PaloVia that have given me pause: The reviews on Amazon are mixed, it caused some pretty gnarly bruising/red marks when used on the highest setting, and the serum is little more than mineral oil and a paraben. The serum is also costly at $30 for a replacement, and is impossibly difficult to wash off. Not to mention, I read a pretty damning opinion from a board-certified dermatologist that the PaloVia’s laser wavelength isn’t enough to produce long-term permanent results.

The limited 25 zaps every 8 hours is also kind of a downer, mostly because I want to share it with friends and family. However, I can see why they implemented this rule; it’s tempting to go a little crazy with the device once results are noticeable.

While it still may not be the miracle product we’ve all been searching for, at the moment this is my desert island product. Another unexpected outcome, due to the PaloVia’s effectiveness on me up to now, is that I find myself visiting TIA less and less (no offense, TIA team!), hoping one day I would visit the site and Marta would have discovered a breakthrough. Barring that miracle breakthrough ingredient, maybe the future of anti-aging lies in tools: PaloVia, Clarisonic, Sirius Aurora LED ($149 in the TIA shop), etc. I’m looking forward to an at-home Ultherapy-type machine. Sounds unlikely, I know, but who would have thought five years ago that we would have at-home fractional lasers?

January 10, 2013

by Dennis

Sherri, I am still using this, every day, twice a day. Here is how I measure results: Before I started to use this device, I practiced very good skin care. Yet people used to guess my correct age (38 at the time). Once in a while someone would flatter me with a 27. Now I get mistaken for 24/25 almost consistently. I am not saying PaloVia is responsible for all of that because I have also had a couple of TCA peels and I now do regular lighter peels once a month, but I know it is playing a big part. I do use it on my brow line and just about everywhere else on my face. I've also used it on my neck and hands with good results. I think with the PaloVia results vary widely. The timelapse image on their site is very impressive. However, I have tried this on friends/family consisitently for 3-4 weeks without results even close to that. As far as lifting and plumping. I think that happens over time, again depending on the person. I tend to view it similarly to skin needling in that it is destroying old collagen to make way for new and thus you may see some lifting/plumping. Althought with skin needling I believe you only do a couple of treatments a year. With PaloVIa, you have to keep up with it. I certainly feel I can tell when I've been missing more than a few days. As much as I love my PaloVia, I would personally advise you to get an ultrasonic device such as the ultrarenew. It's actually meant for plumping and lifting. I've been using an ultrasonic device and can vouch for that myself. A lot of people here seem to love it as well. Also it is much cheaper than a PaloVia. If you don't like the results with the ultra renew, you can always upgrade to a PaloVia. Good luck
January 10, 2013

by Sherri

Hi Dennis, are you still using this device? If so, are you still pleased w/your results? You mentioned lifting of the eye area, did you use the laser on the brow line? What about the nasolabial folds, did you get significant improvement in this area? My main concerns are lifting and plumping. Thanks!
June 27, 2012

by Teresa Callahan

I, too, would like to know if there is an alternative natural gel to use with the PaloVia.
I despise the serum that accompanies the machine.
Surely, something else would work?
May 27, 2012

by Trena Morris

Has anyone experimented with using organic aloe vera gel with the Palavia? Or any other organic alternative other than that comes with the device? I am allergic to a lot of ingredients in most facial products and have to be very careful of ingredience such as "mineral oil".
March 18, 2012

by Dennis

Lynn, I'm really bummed that you had no result s since mine have been so positive. I also used it on a female friend of mine for a month solid and it really helped her crows feet.

I wonder if it's just the certain users? I've read that some procedures, such as thermage, have no effect on certain people.