Carbon laser peel
Carbon LaserPeel.
A layer of carbon lotion applied to the skin then targeted with laser, lifting oil and debris out of the pores and refining the surface.
At a glance
- Placed by
- Trained laser clinician, treatment plan and settings signed off by our Medical Director
- Price
- from $399
- Consultation
- Free
What it is
What carbon laser peel
actually does.
Carbon lotion plus laser for oily, congested skin and dull texture. Carbon laser peel, also called a Hollywood peel, in Bradford, Ontario.
Why the carbon is there
The interesting part of this treatment is the trick at the centre of it. Laser energy needs a target to be absorbed by. On skin with no significant pigment and no vessels to aim at, a laser has very little to grab.
So you give it something. A liquid carbon lotion is applied across the face and allowed to sit while it settles down into the pores and binds to surface oil, dead cells and debris. The carbon is intensely absorbent of the laser wavelength used, so when the laser passes over, the energy goes into the carbon rather than into your skin.
The carbon is vaporised in a fraction of a second, and everything bonded to it goes with it. The gentle heat delivered at the same time also has an effect on oil production and on surface bacteria, and stimulates a mild collagen response.
Where it fits on our menu
It sits between a facial and a real resurfacing treatment. More than a HydraFacial in what it does to oil and pore size; considerably less than CO2 or Morpheus8 in what it does to structure and scarring.
That middle position is exactly why people book it. It makes skin look noticeably cleaner and more refined with minimal recovery, which is why it acquired a Hollywood name in the first place: it is what you have before you are photographed, not what you have to change your face.
Who this suits
Oily and combination skin. Visible pores across the nose and cheeks. Blackheads and congestion. Skin that looks grey and tired rather than damaged. Mild inflammatory acne, as one part of a broader plan.
It is a good option for men, who are under-represented in most clinics and who tend to have oilier skin and larger pores, and who often want something with no visible recovery.
Who it does not suit
If your skin is dry and dehydrated rather than oily, this is not your treatment and we will suggest a skinbooster or a HydraFacial instead. If you have textural acne scarring, it will not touch it. If your main concern is redness, BBL is the right tool. If you are tanned or recently sun-exposed, we will not treat you.
We do not perform it in pregnancy, over active infection or cold sores, or where recent isotretinoin use means the skin needs time.
At the appointment
Your skin is cleansed and assessed and protective eyewear is fitted for everyone in the room. The carbon lotion is applied evenly and left to settle for a period so it can work into the pores properly, which is a step that should not be rushed.
The laser is then passed across the treated area, usually in more than one pass with different settings: a first pass to remove the carbon and lift debris, and a second, gentler set of passes for tone and heat. You will hear a series of quick snaps and see small puffs where the carbon vaporises.
Afterwards
Expect mild warmth and pinkness settling over a short period, and skin that feels smooth and matte. Some people notice a mild purge in the days afterwards as loosened congestion clears.
Use sun protection, skip the sauna, hot yoga and heavy exercise for a day, and leave strong actives out of your routine briefly. Because there is so little recovery, this is one of the few laser treatments we are comfortable scheduling close to an event, though not on the same day.
If it is wrong for you, we say so before you book again. A nurse-practitioner-led clinic has a licence at stake. That is the whole reason we are careful - and the reason the honest answer sometimes is "not this, and not yet".
Concerns
What it treats.
Every concern below is one we would consider carbon laser peel for. Open any of them for the honest version: what actually causes it, and what we would and would not do.
Being straight with you
When we would
tell you no.
Every clinic lists who a treatment suits. This is the other half. If any of these is you, say so at the consultation and we will talk about what else might work, or about waiting.
- You are tanned or recently sun exposed. We will not pass a laser over that.
- Your skin is dry and dehydrated rather than oily. A HydraFacial or skinbooster suits you.
- You have indented acne scarring. A surface treatment will not reach it.
- You have persistent cystic acne. That needs a structured plan or a prescriber, not this.
- You are pregnant, or you have an active cold sore in the treatment area.
- You want what a treatment with real recovery gives. This one has almost none.
Who performs it
A nurse runs
the room.
Every treatment in this clinic is carried out by a licensed clinician - never a technician, never someone on a weekend certificate. Your treatment plan is then signed off by Alex Dinovich, FNP-PHC, our Nurse Practitioner & Medical Director, who has more than eight years in injectables, skin health and laser.
- Performed by Kaitlyn Meli, RPN · Ashley Bravo, RPN · Yuliya Leonov, RPN
- Signed off byAlex Dinovich, FNP-PHC - Nurse Practitioner & Medical Director
- Licence#13564840
- Experience8+ years in injectables, skin health and laser.
How it works
Four appointments'
worth of care.
Nothing here happens on the same visit you first walk in, unless you want it to and it is right for you. This is the order we work in.
- 01
Consult
We look at what is actually bothering you, ask what you have tried, and tell you honestly whether this is the right treatment. Costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
- 02
Plan
Your clinician maps the plan with you and agrees it before you commit to anything. The plan is signed off by our Medical Director before treatment begins.
- 03
Treatment
Your clinician carries out the plan exactly as it was agreed. You are told what is happening, where and why, before it starts - and the quoted price does not change on the chair.
- 04
Review
We see you again to check the result and adjust the plan for next time. The first appointment is the start of the plan, not the whole of it.
What it costs
Where this
treatment starts.
Carbon Laser Peel starts at from $399. That is where it starts, not a figure everybody pays: your plan is confirmed in person before anything is booked.
The consultation is free, and the number you are given at it is the number you pay. It does not change once you are in the chair.
- ConsultationFree
- Carbon laser peelfrom $399
- Medical-grade peels from $99
- HydraFacial from $229
- BBL light therapy from $150
Questions people actually ask
Straight answers.
What is a Hollywood carbon peel?
A layer of liquid carbon is applied to the skin and allowed to settle into the pores, then a laser is passed over it. The laser energy is strongly absorbed by the carbon, so the carbon is vaporised along with the oil, dead cells and debris it has bonded to. It is sometimes called a black doll facial or a carbon laser facial.
How much does it cost?
The Hollywood carbon peel is from $399 at our Bradford clinic. We confirm your plan and the final cost at consultation, and we will tell you if we think a cheaper treatment such as a HydraFacial or a salicylic peel would do the same job for your skin.
Is it actually a chemical peel?
No, despite the name. Nothing about it is chemical. It is a laser treatment that uses carbon as a target to give the laser something to attach to, which is why it works on skin where a laser alone would have nothing to aim at. Calling it a peel is a marketing convention, not a description of the mechanism.
What does it help with?
Oily, congested skin, enlarged pores, blackheads, dull surface texture and mild uneven tone. It has a role in mild to moderate acne because it reduces oil and surface bacteria. It is popular before events because it makes skin look immediately cleaner and more refined.
Is there downtime?
Very little, which is a large part of its appeal. Most people are pink and warm for a short time and go straight back to their day. That is also the honest limitation: a treatment with almost no recovery is not going to do what a treatment with real recovery does.
Will it clear my acne?
It helps oily, congested, mildly inflamed skin, but it is not a cure for acne and it will not resolve cystic or persistent acne on its own. If that is what you have, we will tell you that a structured acne plan or a prescriber assessment is the honest route, and this can sit alongside it rather than instead of it.
Will it remove my acne scars?
No. Indented, textural scarring needs remodelling from below with microneedling, radiofrequency microneedling or CO2 resurfacing. A carbon peel works on the surface. If your scarring is the flat brown or red marks left after spots, this can help with the surface component while the pigment is addressed separately.
Who should not have it?
We do not treat tanned or recently sun-exposed skin, active cold sores, open or infected skin, or during pregnancy. Recent isotretinoin use requires an interval, and higher Fitzpatrick skin types are assessed carefully because laser energy near melanin always carries a pigment risk. We will tell you if it is not safe for you.
Related treatments
Often considered
alongside.
If this is not the whole answer for your face, one of these usually is. Every one of them is planned by the same nurses, in the same room.
Come and see us
Get the real
number first.
The consultation is free, takes one appointment, and ends with a written plan and a price - whether or not you go ahead. If a form is not your thing, text us instead and a real person will answer.
- Clinic444 Holland St W, Unit #2
Bradford, ON L3Z 0G1 - Phone647-333-6805
- HoursMon, Tue, Thu 9am-7pm
Wed 9am-5pm
Fri, Sat 9am-4pm
Sun Closed