Can BBL treatments transform your skin? Here’s my experience

Everything to know about BBL skin treatments, from the recovery to the results.

Keeping up with the latest in beauty technology is a full-time job. Even as an editor, separating genuine innovation from the latest trends can feel impossible. Whether it’s from my inbox or on social media, the constant news about face-lifts, injectable peptides and other extreme treatments has shifted the Overton window of what it means to ‘age gracefully’.

At 31, I wouldn’t say I’m overly concerned about ageing but I’ve started noticing small changes. Fine lines lingering around my eyes even when I’m not smiling. Pigmentation from years spent under the harsh New Zealand sun, and post-acne marks from my teenage years that never quite faded. I’ve tried everything from Botox and Rejuran to Kobido facials, but found the downtime was either too extreme or the results never lasted.

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The sweet spot for me is clinical skin treatments with minimal downtime. That’s what led me to look into BroadBand Light (BBL) therapy. Designed to target pigmentation, redness, uneven skin tone and early signs of ageing, it promised many of the improvements I was looking for without injectables or crazy recovery time. After a consultation at HÜD in St Kilda, I committed to a course of four BBL Forever Young treatments over five months. Keep reading for my results.

What is BBL skin therapy and how does it work?

One of the first things to clear up is that BBL Forever Young isn’t actually a laser (or a butt lift). Instead, it uses BroadBand Light, an advanced form of intense pulsed light (IPL), to deliver targeted wavelengths of light into the skin.

“Using different filters, we can selectively target excess pigment, unwanted blood vessels and diffuse redness, while also stimulating collagen and elastin production,” explains Diyan Mendis, Lead Clinician at HÜD. “As the light penetrates into the dermis, it creates a gentle, controlled heating effect that activates fibroblasts, the cells responsible for producing the collagen and elastin that keep our skin firm, resilient and looking youthful.”

Perhaps the most fascinating claim behind the technology is its potential long-term effect on skin health. “One of the discoveries behind this technology is that repeated BBL treatments have been shown to alter gene expression within ageing skin,” Diyan says. “In simple terms, older skin cells start behaving more like younger cells, reactivating pathways involved in repair, collagen production and healthy cell turnover.”

What results can you expect from BBL Forever Young?

The biggest benefits of BBL Forever Young are brighter, firmer and more even-toned skin. While corrective BBL is designed to target concerns like pigmentation, redness and visible blood vessels, the Forever Young treatment focuses on improving overall skin quality by stimulating collagen production.

“The changes are often more subtle but very powerful,” says Diyan. “Skin becomes brighter, firmer, smoother and develops that healthy, plump glow that people often associate with younger skin.”

Patience is key, though. Unlike treatments that deliver immediate results, the effects of BBL Forever Young continue to develop over time as collagen remodels, meaning improvements become more noticeable throughout your treatment course and in the months that follow.

Who is BBL Forever Young recommended for?

BBL Forever Young is ideal for anyone wanting to improve their overall skin quality, while slowing down the visible signs of ageing. It’s commonly recommended for people with sun damage, uneven pigmentation, redness, rosacea, acne-related inflammation, loss of firmness or simply skin that’s beginning to lose its glow.

But Diyan warns it isn’t suitable for everyone. “We don’t treat recently tanned skin, and darker skin types require careful assessment because the increased level of melanin can increase the risk of unwanted side effects,” she says.

What to expect before and after a BBL Forever Young treatment

At HÜD St Kilda, I started by having a thorough skin assessment with Diyan to chat through my skin goals. During my consultation, she took Observ photos to analyse the deeper layers of my skin, and I let her know my areas of concern: sun damage, post-acne scarring, broken capillaries and fine lines around my eyes and forehead.

I lay down on the comfy bed while Diyan fully cleansed my face, then applied protective covers over my eyes and a layer of gel to help the BBL device glide over the skin. She explained there would be two ‘passes’, each with a different purpose.

“The first pass uses settings designed to target visible signs of sun damage and inflammation… The second pass targets the dermis to gently heat the deeper layers of the skin. This stimulates collagen remodelling and tissue tightening, helping improve firmness and skin laxity over time.”

The treatment itself is fairly painless. I’d describe the first pass as ‘zappy’ with bright light and not too much heat. The second pass feels a bit like getting an ultrasound; the device moves back and forth over the skin as it gradually heats up. Diyan worked section by section, always checking in with me about the heat levels.

Afterwards, she applied skincare (a pigment inhibitor, hydrating serums and SPF) so that I could safely go about my day. My skin never looked too red afterwards, so I didn’t feel the need to put makeup on.

The downtime from BBL is fairly minimal. It’s important to avoid too much heat on your skin for the next week – so no hot yoga or saunas, and keep yourself out of the sun. You can expect to see some pigmentation rise to the top layers of your skin, appearing like little brown flecks. Do not pick them! This is totally normal and will fade away over the next one to two weeks as they heal.

Do BBL skin treatments work?

As you can see from my (truly terrifying) skin analysis photos below, there’s a noticeable improvement in my redness and pigmentation, and a reduction in those pesky flat red marks left behind after breakouts.

Pigmentation before and after BBL

Before (left) and after (right). After four sessions, there’s less density and a lighter colour within the pigmentation filter, which shows the reduction in epidermal pigment.

Redness before and after BBL

Before (left) and after (right). This is the result I’m most happy with – a noticeable reduction in the redness on my forehead and cheeks from broken capillaries and post-inflammatory erythema (post-blemish red marks).

Before and after BBL Forever Young

In the daylight filter, my skin on the right looks more even and hydrated. The glow you see is from my skin reflecting the light more evenly – a sign of a stronger skin barrier. As Diyan tells me, the collagen and elastin produced through my course of treatments also means I have long-term results to look forward to, as my skin continues to improve over the coming months.

Would I recommend BBL?

Overall, I’m really happy with my results. My skin looks clearer, feels smoother and is generally in better health than before I started the BBL treatments. While it has been a long process, I’ve learnt a lot about my skin along the way, particularly how it reacts to inflammation, which I’ll continue to be mindful of in the future. If you’re looking for a corrective treatment that also offers all-around skin rejuvenation (that keeps working in the long run), I’d highly recommend it. I’ll definitely be back for maintenance treatments every six months.

What to know before investing in BBL skin treatments

The time of year matters

Like any clinical skin treatment, BBL Forever Young is a big investment of your time and money. For best results, book in after summer, so you’re not exposing your skin to excess heat and sun, which can cause pigment flare-ups. Same goes for those of you planning a Euro summer holiday – wait until you’re back before starting the treatment.

What you do at home matters

Another important factor is at-home care. I’d highly recommend bringing all the skincare you use with you to your consultation, so your skin therapist can see exactly what your routine is. They’ll be able to recommend the best at-home care to help boost your results. There’s no point spending hundreds of dollars fixing sun damage at the clinic, only to go home and not use sunscreen! I was prescribed a topical pigment inhibitor, which acts like an ‘umbrella’ to protect your skin from all types of pigmentation.

As Diyan tells me, a healthier skin barrier and less inflammation will respond better to treatment. For best results, focus on keeping your skin barrier healthy and use daily broad-spectrum sunscreen, carefully prescribed vitamin A and antioxidants to continue supporting collagen production. Something often overlooked is stress and diet, which can trigger inflammation in the skin. “A healthy, antioxidant-rich diet and stress management also plays an important role in reaching the results we’re after,” Diyan says.

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