my blog speaks louder than me...

i'm on leave for 3 days. hehe...
think the only time i have the 闲情 to update my blog is whenever i'm clearing my annual leave. lol

i'm bringing 14 days of leave from 2014 to 2015 cos didn't have much chance to clear them during this year.
I'm not a person who likes to be off from work. Not that i don't like to take a break.. but it's just not me. cos i feel irresponsible, even though i'm fully aware i'm entitled to my days off. haha.. Maybe i'm workaholic and i reckon my workaholic ex-bosses love me, ahhaa...my ex colleagues can come and tell me, Hey boss just now laugh at you, say u silly why never ask for Off-days from him one.
-_-
TSK

Anyway, the reason why i took leave besides the fact that i NEEDED to, was that i'm going for another round of fractional laser.

hur..

You can read my first session of Fraxel Re:Store here. Done in November last yr.

i thought i updated my 2nd session (done in May this year), but i guess i didn't after all, haha.... think too lazy Lol..
The only photo worthwhile to be uploaded from the last session is this..

The "Before" and "After" photos just after 1 session of laser.
"Before' photo taken in Nov 2013 before i did the procedure. The "After" photo taken in May 2015.
pardon the lines on the photo. Cos i took the shot from the monitor screen.
Can see my pitted scars looking less deep. They aren't gone but just shallower.

Yesterday they took my photos after removing the make up and compared them with the photos taken in May too.. but i paiseh to snap a photo using my phone cos the 3 nurses (or staff) were also standing beside me looking at them and discussing.. zzz. One even pointing out to me that got one pitted scar disappeared liao, haha..

The very friendly staff helped apply Numbing cream onto my face. She's so cute, asked where i will experience more pain and she will apply a thicker layer over that area. I'm quite sure my pain tolerance level is high but i still kiasu and asked her to apply thicker for the whole face.
Lol... see so thick


After around 45 minutes, the numbing cream like disappeared liao..

Another staff came and washed the numbing cream off. She was using alot of strength, even though my skin felt less sensitive to touch by then, it was painful when she wiped the cream off my forehead. i wonder why.
In my heart i was thinking, please dont wipe until the numbing effect gone can? Then later good game...

I was asked to go to another room where the Fraxel treatment would take place.
Dr Chan commented i looked scared.
I was, indeed!
I kept talking to him throughout in order to distract myself from the pain. Like what product to use and all etc...
He did 8 passes of the laser on my face. 2 Horizontal and 2 vertical passes on both sides of my face and then forehead, ending with nose and the skin above my lips (OUCH).
After that again, another 2 more horizontal and vertical passes each. The 5th-8th passes were painful. Doctor kept apologising to me hahaa.... he said he increased the frequency for me this time round.

Glad it was all over in 10 minutes. i was very guai already. The nurse who applied numbing cream told me some people need 30 minutes cos they keep screaming to the doctor asking for a break.
Isn't it more torturous to prolong the whole procedure like that??

Me after laser. Face swollen. Cant see the redness in the photo cos there was no natural lighting. It's not very red actually, but it was still painful from the procedure.

Boyfriend was not able to accompany me as he was still working, he was so apologetic but i'm perfectly alright to take a cab home myself with my mask on. Hee.. got a cab pretty fast without having the need to book. Yay.

Doctor prescribed a fruit acid which he said to use topically on my scars and nose.
I still have a tube of sunblock from my first session, so i didn't need to get more.

I'm using AHA facial wash which i thought was enough. Dr says fruit acid would be much more effective. Buy lo.. throw money like that very jialat, hahaa..

HydraQuench cream mask from Clarins was my life-saver since my second laser session. The first session i was using Hada Labo Intense hydration moisturiser. I applied super thick layer and finished the whole tub within a week, BUT no use. Skin still peeled like nobody's business and i couldn't talk to people without them staring....
This Clarins mask don't need to apply alot and it moisturises my skin very well. And lastly the SPF60 sunblock from the clinic which i applied over the moisturiser.
Dr says morning and night also must use. Even when sleeping. hmm..

It is 21 hours post procedure. I'm supposed to look my worst haha
My face is red and out of shape cos it's so so swollen. Very 夸张 one cos my cheeks are so puffy they are slightly blocking my view from my eyes, haha..
It has puffed up to 150% of its original size. haha

good luck to me. Blog again soon. i will be very free these 5 days.

It's time i do an update on my face.. heh..

Today is the 11th day since my Fraxel laser le.
Skin is still flaking slightly especially the lower part of my face, around the lips and chin area.

Take heart! i'm gonna upload a scary photo collage to show u the difference. haa..

The swelling takes probably 3 days to slowly subside. You can see that first day was really bad with the puffy face and the chao-tah look.
Third day onwards, the redness turns brownish, making skin very blotchy looking. The brown takes quite a long while to go away.. i just look tanned with whiter rings round my eyes, brows and lip area -_- Weirddddd haha..

After that was just flaking, flaking and more flaking.. Looking less toasty day by day. I just pile on alot of moisturiser, keeping skin moist when i'm not out.
Occassionally, there will be a small whitehead appearing. And when i scratch it away very, very lightly, the skin just bleeds! omg. Skin is super thin and fragile now.
Pitted scars are less deep but still there. I may need to go for 2 more sessions, maybe?
Scars aside, the skin does look more plumped up. i think the laser is good at treating fine lines and wrinkles hehe

I do go out now. I try to stay under the shade, or bring my brolly out. Just that sometimes, the flaking scares my friends off, haha.. but they are all very understanding, lol.

And it's difficult to cover up :(
I need to apply sunblock but my make up and sunblock don't seem to be very good friends.
They don't blend well at all! i end up removing everything and using simply a tinted moisturiser with sunscreen from Garnier.

This is actually a sample i bought but have never used it before. Was very surprised that application was so smooth!

Only thing is, the colour is abit too dark for me :( then my face will end up looking one shade darker than my neck and rest of the body. wail.....
but never mind, it will pass sooon!!!!

Still trying to experiment the best way to blend my make up and sunblock together....... hmmm

It has been 48 hours since my factional laser. And 48 hours is the time i should look my worst post-treatment.

pitted scars on my cheeks are still there.

Hopefully, the outer skin will peel off soon, i dont wan to stay this brown :(
It's the 3rd day and i'm bored at home already :(

i think i can start blogging more often now, haha

I'm finally clearing my 2 weeks of compliance leave :)


A sweetheart came and fetched me home right from the clinic, and bought me porridge for dinner. Thank you. What would i do without you?


The doctor prescribed a fruit acid and a sunblock for me. He said i could continue using my AHA cleanser from TDF.
He also said i need to hydrate intensively or i might turn brown. o_o!
I've gotten a moisturiser from Hada Labo earlier. A friend recommended this, saying it's holy grail for him. I just need to apply a thick layer over my entire face and go to bed with it.


I'm expecting my skin to turn very red and raw the next few days and then eventually brown, and hopefully return back to my normal colour.

Skin feels very rough now. Like pig skin.

Fingers crossed.

I went for my second appointment at Calvin Chan laser clinic today.

I'm supposed to schedule my laser treatments 3-4 weeks apart, but it has been 6 weeks since my last session. I was really busy and couldn't find time till this evening.

Today, this beautician who helped me remove my make-up advised me to do the Fraxel laser treatment (the 1 week downtime one) as it will be much more effective than Medlite. She said Medlite treatments are very slow and not so effective. She even suggested IPL. i was like, hah? Zzzz

Anyway, she helped me to use the machine to take photos of my side and front views and compared them to the ones i took 6 weeks ago.

Indeed, my pitted scars are shallower and the red marks are less obvious. Skin was brighter too, hehe..
When the doctor came and saw the photos, he was pleased that my skin was 'responding' well to Medlite and happily said, "Shall we do this again today?"

Today's laser session was longer. I was feeling happy about it, haha.. more value for money what. heh...
Dr said i frowned alot. It feels slightly painful but bearable though. And skin didn't feel as hot and raw as compared to my last session.
After that, i had AHA treatment again. 15 minutes and i was all done.

Photo taken right after the laser again.
i took photos so that i can do a comparison. No make up and very red, so please don't blame me for posting ahha..


And please 不要吓到.

First session VS second session of Medlite.
 
Skin isn't so red today, hehe.. and pitted scars still there la, but with a few more sessions, i really hope they will be smoothened out more.
Sigh.
(on a side-note, i think i am damn brave to post these photos up, wahaha...)


After 1 hour ( i went shopping after that, hehe), the redness subsided and of cos, got put make up conceal abit.



Please let skin be better!!!!! i aim to be able to throw out my concealer one day!

Today i did something i have always wished to.

I went LASER TREATMENT!!!
For the pitted scars on my face :(

Okay the main culprit for my scars are, my itchy fingers.
I have a tendency to pick my pimples/ white heads.. And before i turned 30, the skin recovery time was okay. Red scars but they fade fairly quickly. No pitted scars of that sort.

After i turned 30, i don't know why the skin like never heal liaooo... or it took a super long time to recover! Then pitted scars! And they are permanent! *horror!!!!* :(

I tried Diamond peel, AHA, collagen, and lately Snail essence, haha....
Though good but they will never work effectively on the 'holes' in the skin one.

Have been thinking of going for laser treatment cos it basically burns off your current skin, revealing new skin! hahaa... At least that's what i thought la..
But i was afraid of the downtime :( How to go to work?!

Anyway, i plucked up courage after i heard my friend share how one of his girl friends went for laser at this clinic in town, and the results were quite significant. Now she has good complexion and no holes in the face!
So i got the name of the clinic, "Dr Calvin Chan" and googled it.

And i booked my first appointment for consultation this evening!

Feeling all apprehensive about it!

Was in the doctor's room waiting for him. I was early for our appointment. I know i'm not supposed to be secretly taking photos... but i wanna blog about my experience.

Dr Chan was a late 30s-40ish man with a slight angmoh slang. Seems like a nice chap and didn't push for any treatments or products.
He just told me that i could consider Fraxel Laser treatment or Medlite laser for my scars.
The difference is, Fraxel would need a downtime of around 5 days, meaning you wont be able to face anyone for 5 days.. Results faster cos basically the skin is just all burnt off (i think?) and you will have a swollen, purplish face for a week. But after shedding, will be good skin below???

The latter has no downtime. However, will need around 3-6 months to see the difference.

So it's whether i wan one time jialat jialat or slowly improve lor.
He asked me if my work needs me to face anyone not.
-_-  i talk to customers everyday at work lorr. Unless i could take a week's leave, which i foresee is not possible at all.
Plus I'm not prepared to look like Barney for a week, so i opted for Medlite.

Dr Chan said i could just go for one session first and see how the skin responds to it. Then if wanna continue, come back 3-4 weeks later.

Anyway, i secretly took more photos of the treatment room... It has bright lights.

Doctor said i would be undergoing laser and AHA. Both treatments will only last 10 minutes each.

The beautician (nurse?) helped me remove my make-up and brought me to this machine to take photo of my face. Took front and side views. This was done so that we could see the difference on the skin after every laser session.
She also ran through 2 consent forms for Laser and AHA and got me to sign on both. Basically, i think if anything untoward happens, i cannot sue them la haha... no la

The Medlite laser machine. Can i even take photos of this? I didn't ask for permission.

The nurse said it will feel like rubber bands shooting on ur face. No matter what, do not open my eyes or struggle. I hear liao damn scared la!

Anyway, it wasn't as scary as i thought it was! In fact, it was cold air blowing onto my skin and more like needles shooting at me. Somewhat prickly and i could feel a heating sensation on my skin. The doctor was trying to distract me, asking me which bank i work at... etc. Appreciate that but I totally wasn't concentrating cos i could smell my skin burning!
The nurse said it was not my skin burning, but the facial hairs. OHH. . okay. But it did smell scary!
The whole procedure was done in less than 10 minutes i think.

My skin felt really hot underneath and some AHA nurse came in to apply the AHA on my face. First thing she exclaimed was, "Wah! So red ah!!!!"
-_____-!  very encouraging indeed.

The AHA was done in like 5 minutes?? Some gel like stuff applied on the skin and wiped off after that. like that 150 dollar already.
And the Medlite laser treatment is 300 bucks.
Add together is $450 for one session (not inclusive of gst.)

For that sheer hope of ridding my pitted scars, i'm ready to plunge into it at all costs. Guess would need 3-4 more sessions, depending...
I want my scars to be all gone. It's making me very depressed.

.
..
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Okay the AFTER photos..... (be prepared!!)


I'm feeling very apprehensive to post my makeup less and AFTER LASER RAW face.
Although they say this one supposedly no downtime one.. but for my ultra sensitive skin, even a normal facial will have downtime -_-

But heng the redness faded off after an hour.

BUT this photo was taken right after the treatment. I got such a horrid shock when i saw myself in the mirror.

It was 3 times redder in real life. Heng my phone camera not so good.

After trying very hard to conceal with alot of makeup -_-.... skin was still blotchy and red, but still can take bus go home kind.



When i went home and washed my face, the redness was gone, haha.. I dunno eh, seems like the scars are shallower. I hope with more sessions, skin will be smoothened out eventually.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks for reading my first laser experience haha... Will update more on follow-up treatment sessions.

And please don't hate me for scaring you with my photos haha!