This summer, vanity enters a whole new realm of possibilities for me.
Plagued by a host of skin problems, I always thought there was only so much I can do to keep the unwanted zits at bay. But since my big day is drawing near, I realised I was getting desperate.
Urgh! The pores are still as big as the antarctic ozone hole and the uneven skin tone - gosh, don't even go there.
So I began googling for quick remedies to get rid of stubborn skin problems and I chanced upon a local clinic, known as Trinity Medical Centre (Marine Parade) that is feted by bloggers and bride-to-bes for their advanced non-invasive skin care procedures.
I thought I struck gold! So I wasted no time booking an appointment with the clinic.
I've been there at least three times now and each time, I get one step closer to being the ultimate Glambassador Bride when the forces of technology successfully pit against the will of mother nature. Haha!
I'm astounded by the results and thought I should share it with you beauty-loving belles too. Read on!
A few months ago, my skin was dull, pores were congested and of course, confidence was at rock bottom too.
Sigh... Once again I've fallen prey to a busy schedule and heavy workload. And since I was heading to Paris for my wedding shoot, I thought I needed to do something quick.
I visited the highly raved Trinity Medical Centre (Marine Parade) that is located at Marine Parade Central.
The clinic boasts a simple and professional interior, with informative medical posters plastered around its walls. There are also brochures at every turn to keep you informed of the latest services and technologies in the aesthetics world.
So if you're an aesthetics novice looking to find out more, you'll be happy to know that their space is like a real-life 'Google Search Results for Aesthetics' except that the information comes from legitimate sources. :)
Before the consultation, I was asked to fill in a Health Declaration form which I thought was rather responsible of them. Most clinics that I've been to simply administer the treatments that I requested without first understanding my health background. I always think this is an essential step to help minimise the possibility of complications later.
So if you're visiting an aesthetics clinic too, remember that the presence of this form is the first indication of the clinic's credibility. :)
I was invited to Dr Lim's office for a thorough consultation where I addressed all my skin concerns and also expressed my interest in treatments like IPL and Laser to even out my complexion.
Dr Lim recommended Aqua ST to clear the pore-clogging debris, rejuvenation laser treatment to restore the skin's original radiance, dysport to slim down the face and CO2 laser to remove the skin lesions on my face.
Basically, we're heading towards Perfect Skin Land! Haha!
I did not go through all the procedures at once since it might prolong recovery time. My wedding shoot was in two weeks and I can't afford the down time. Dr Lim suggested trying the AQUA ST, laser and Dysport treatments first.
Actually, I've done lasers before and I always suffer from a nasty pimple attack so of course, I raised this concern with Dr Lim. He attributed the cause to the lack of exfoliation before the treatment. Apparently, the laser purges the skin of impurities which leads to breakouts.
To prevent that, Lily of Trinity Medical Centre administered the Aqua ST treatment before the laser treatment to clean out dead skin cells and excess sebum.
The AQUA ST Treatment
The Aqua ST system is the newest skin treatment that provides both non-invasive exfoliation and delivery of topical solutions to safely and painlessly cleanse, exfoliate, extract and hydrate the skin.
The treatment will be able to revive my dull-looking skin on an accelerated basis without the complications and discomfort usually associated with invasive procedures. In addition, the Aqua ST is unique because it does not use crystals or other abrasive particles that can irritate the skin.
The treatment room.
Lily thoroughly cleansed my face before she used the machine below to enlarge the pores and remove the gunk in them.
I did not manage to take a photo of myself during the AQUA ST treatment so here's a photo of my friend, Joyce, instead. In this process, Lily is trying to vacuum the dirt from the clogged pores with the machine above.
The AQUA ST treatment provides a selection of topical solutions specific to the patient's skin condition.
Since my face was rather shiny and greasy, Lily applied the Aqua ST SA (Salicylic Acid) solution on me. It is specially formulated for oily and acne prone skin. Its active ingredients include Pentylene Glycol and Spirea Ulmaria Extract to penetrate the pores and dislodge dead cells for exfoliation.
Then Lily professionally extracted the blackheads with an extraction tool. Finally, my face was clean and ready for the Skin Rejuvenation laser.
I felt a prickly sensation whenever the laser beam touches my skin. Even though I have a rather low pain threshold, I thought it is still pretty bearable.
And time to time, the mild scent of singed hair wafts into my nose and weirdly, I felt good. Haha! Well, it is because I knew the unsightly facial hair is being eradicated as the laser touches those areas.
My skin was slightly red after the treatment.
Lily applied a soothing gel on my skin for about 15 minutes to calm the redness.
A few hours after the treatment....
My face still looked slightly red and battered.
But the downtime was pretty short. Its condition improved dramatically after one week and remained like that till today (which is a month later).
Aftercare is just as important as the treatment! I've been using several products to maintain my skins condition like LJH's Tea Tree range and their LJH P.Antarctica 77 Cream too. These products moisturise my skin while preventing further outbreaks.
Now that the skin is taken care of, I have another gaping problem to solve - my square jaw.
Even though I'm mostly okay with it but I know how unflattering it can get in photos and videos so I decided to do something about it.
And since I'm not big on jaw amputation surgeries (eeek!), Dr Lim recommended Dysport which is a botulinum toxin Type A that can help to reduce the jaw size with just a few jabs.
Dysport Treatment
Dysport is pretty much like Botox in terms of the mechanisms of action (neuromuscular blocking toxin) but the difference lies in its protein load.
Dysport has less of a protein load than Botox. This means that Dysport will result in the formation of fewer antibodies against it. An antibody is a large Y-shape protein produced by plasma cells that is used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses. In other words, the clinical effects of Dysport may last longer than Botox.
So how does Dysport slim my face?
We chew our food with a facial muscle known as the masseter muscle. You can actually feel it now by clenching your teeth. Then place your hand on the side of your face and feel the bulge. There you go! Those are the masseter muscles.
If you have big masseter muscles, it will give the illusion of a wide face. Those are the muscles that the Dysport treatment targets.
Dysport is a nerve-blocking agent. When injected into those muscles, it temporarily interrupts the nerve supply to the muscle and this results in muscle shrinkage and hey presto! A slimmer jawline.
How is Dysport administered?
A numbing cream was applied on the site of the injection and left on for about 20 minutes.
Then using a small, acupuncture-sized needle, a small amount of Dysport was injected directly into the muscle.
The dose of treatment will be determined by your doctor depending on your muscle mass and response to treatment.
Any downtime?
Not for me. The only thing Dr Lim advised against was massaging the treated area and exercising right after the treatment. I resumed my physical activities the day after and I was fine.
How long before results can be seen?
I noticed a difference after two weeks when I was in Paris.
Here's a photo of my slimmer jaw. Not too bad eh?
Any side effects?
Yes! It only lasts for three to six months! Boo!
On a more serious note, the possible side effects are pain on the injection site, slight bleeding, redness or bruising but these are usually short-lived and will resolve within a few hours of injection. Personally, I did not experience any of those side effects.
Does it affect chewing?
Not really. Unless you're chewing very tough meat which I was since I was doing the Atkins last month. I noticed my jaw got tired more easily. But the problem is quickly solved when I chew slowly.
How long will the effect last?
As I said earlier, it will last for three to six months depending on the individual's response. Then the Dysport is eventually metabolized within the muscle in which it was injected.
To be honest, I was extremely apprehensive before I tried the treatment. But I did a lot of research and spoke to Dr Lim several times.
I went ahead with the treatment because I convinced by the confidence of the doctors at Trinity Medical Centre. I was reassured by their dedication to help their patients achieve their aesthetics goal.
I felt that I was in good hands.
But!
You'll still have to remember that every treatment has its risks so do make sure that you have researched thoroughly on the procedures and also engaged an experienced physician.
The next treatment I tried was the CO2(carbon dioxide) laser treatment.
CO2 Laser Treatment
I've a small lesion on my face that irks me whenever I see it in photos.
Do you see it?
No?
Now?
Since I was heading to 'Perfect Skin City', I thought I might as well get rid of it too. :P
Dr Lim removed the spot using CO2 laser which vaporises thin sections of skin, layer by layer. As the wounded area heals, new skin grows to replace the damaged skin that was removed during the laser treatment.
The CO2 laser is usually used for resurfacing. Laser resurfacing is usually very precise and causes little damage to the surrounding skin and tissue.
Here's my face right after the treatment.
Dr Lim applied a healing gel on the wound immediately and also prescribed a steroid cream for me to apply everyday to reduce redness, inflammation and swelling.
4 days later...
The wound formed a scab that fell off after the 3rd day. This was how it looked like after the scab had fallen off.
After two weeks...
The wound has not fully healed. According to Dr Lim, it may take several weeks for it to completely disappear. Well, I guess for now, I'll just have to adopt the 'Patience is a virtue' mentality and wait. :)
I'm so nervous and excited at the same time! Can't wait to reveal my "new face" to you belles soon.
Meanwhile, please check back regularly for my skin care journey updates with Trinity Medical Centre. :D
If you're interested to engage their services too, here are their contact details:
Trinity Medical Centre (Marine Parade)
Address: 87 Marine Parade Central, #02-500A, Singapore 440087
Tel: +65 6344 0027
Website: http://www.trinityaesthetics.com.sg
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/trinitymedicalcentre.aesthetic
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Your guide to a sparkling lifestyle begins here.
Your friend,
Juliana