One of the most helpful pieces of information that you can find as you look into a treatment or procedure is a candid experience from someone who has been through it. Charlotte recently had her first ResurFX™ treatment at Q Med Spa and wanted to share what the experience was like for her so that people can have a better idea of what the treatment entails. Each client’s results and experience are individual to their specific situation, however hearing from others on their skincare journey is a valuable piece of the process. Join us over the course of a multi-post series as Charlotte recounts her experience leading up to the treatment, why she chose to have it done, and what the process and results have been like for her.
I’ve always been extremely lucky with my skin. Throughout my high school years my “English rose” complexion was rarely adorned with anything more than my favorite pink shimmer lip gloss and trusty mascara. Occasionally around certain times of the month I would grow another chin overnight – a big, red and throbbing chin that devastated my high school world. In reality, this was nothing more than a hormonal breakout.
Being a dancer, I would need to wear full stage makeup for performances and so my mum introduced a basic skincare regime to help with makeup removal. A gentle cleanser, toner and a moisturizer from a brand she had used and trusted for years. Some nights my routine would consist of spritzing my toner in a spa-like manner, and others I would grab a face wipe and call it a day. It’s all about balance, right?
So where did it all go wrong? After a couple of years of being on a specific birth control pill, my general practitioner recommended it was time to change, and so began the battle with my skin. I switched and almost immediately my skin responded with large and painful cystic acne on my cheeks. Month to month the acne would travel from one side of my face to the other. I initially put it all down to the stress of starting Dance College, which took its toll on my body physically and emotionally, long days and nights, with very little time to rest. Their approach to ‘breaking in new students’ felt like it was going to break me….and in turn I broke out! Naturally, I began trying to cover my breakouts with makeup and heavy foundation to mask the redness and uneven skin tone, which only clogged my pores and caused more issues. My mum would send care packages with tea tree oil topical treatments, and mineral makeup to aid my cause! Eventually after months of hoping it would all work out, I scheduled an appointment with my doctor to resolve the issue. He looked at me like I had 6 heads when I described my issue as acne and told me he could only prescribe a topical cream to aid with the problem areas as my acne was not severe enough. To anyone who has ever used a topical benzoyl peroxide, I salute you! My skin felt like a cheap itchy sweater that I couldn’t take off! Combined with my mother’s suggestion to use mineral makeup, the redness and irritation left me with a complexion similar to a flaky croissant. I broke-up with benzoyl peroxide after sticking it out for 6 months, and decided it was most definitely him and not me!
Fast forward to my twenties and my cystic acne, whilst not yet a thing of the past, was certainly not as aggressive. Leaving the house without makeup was just not an option; I’d tried every acne product on the market, including herbal supplements and even switched to lactose-free dairy products. I had tried treatments of all kinds, microdermabrasion and even high frequency facials, and whilst they helped for a week or two at a time, ultimately nothing prevented the breakouts at the cause.
I dreaded the renewal of my dancer head shots, knowing the photographer would need to put his retouching skills to good use! In an industry based 50% on talent and the rest appearance, my confidence was at an all-time low. It felt like people were having a conversation with the breakout on my cheeks, not me. Eye contact is a beautiful thing, when you don’t have insecurities erupting on your face. Even on my wedding day, whilst most will see a beautiful summer day and a happy newlywed couple, I see past the layers of airbrush make-up and can’t help but notice the uneven complexion and cystic acne, the product of months of stress about seating charts and picking napkin colors. My husband thinks I am beautiful in a trash bag, but I longed for the days of waking up barefaced next to the love of my life not desperate to hurry up and cover my face with makeup.
Cue Q the Medical Spa at Lindsay House, my skin’s saving grace! Now in my late twenties, I am blessed to work full-time as a Spa Coordinator along with owning my own dance studio in Webster! My day-to-day life is not without stress or worry, but for the first time in the last ten years of my life, it’s not shown on my face in the form of angry cystic acne! Two years of regular chemical peels, corrective skincare and pampering with a purpose has changed the relationship I have with my skin and equally with myself. I am filled with emotion even typing the words, ‘I can go to Wegmans without makeup on.’
Whilst I am break-out free, like a bad smell, acne lingers on! I now have an orange peel type ‘pitting’ left like footprints from the years of acne scars on my cheeks. Jennifer, a co-worker and good friend at Q Med Spa, has played a huge role in the turnaround of my skin and suggested we try the new ResurFX™ laser. When she told me what this magical treatment could do for my scars, I didn’t hesitate to say yes! The words “collagen production” evoke the same emotion as finding a killer pair of shoes on sale or discovering the softness of the align pant at lululemon.
A few weeks later, a very nervous me lay on a treatment bed in Jennifer’s room, smothered in numbing cream and reciting the mantra in my head, “It will all be worth it.” 30 minutes of cold sweating and apprehending the pain I was about to endure, Jennifer wiped away the numbing cream and said, “Ok, are you ready?” I took a deep breath and thought of that 19-year-old who started most mornings in tears looking in the mirror before getting ready for the day and said, “Let’s do it.” What followed was a quick, 20-minute treatment which consisted of a dull pricking sensation followed by a feeling of heat. Waiting for the laser to be fired was worse than the feeling it caused! I left the treatment with a slightly puffy and red face, which Jennifer told me to expect to last through to the following day. Over the course of the following week the redness subsided, and I kept my skin hydrated with a simple and nourishing moisturizer. By day 3 and 4 of the aftercare, my skin had a grainy texture which could only be felt not seen. I applied makeup like normal and carried on with my life and daily routine as normal.
The next step is to continue with the next three treatments, spaced four weeks apart, and I could not be more excited. For just four hours total treatment time, mild discomfort and a total of four treatments, my skin will be the best it has ever looked. Co-workers, friends and even my husband, who sometimes wouldn’t notice if I dyed my hair bright blue, have already noticed a difference in my complexion. To go from suffering for so long with a problem that can at times make you feel vain and shallow, to hearing the words, “You have beautiful skin, what do you use?” is an incredible feeling.
So to anyone struggling with their skin, or anyone who knows a teenager who can’t maintain eye contact because they are dowsed in low confidence, or for those of you suffering with adult acne thinking, “This is so unfair,” please do not suffer in vain! I can’t thank Jennifer, ResurFX™, and the patient who complimented my complexion last week upon check-out enough. You have made this 28-year-old finally love the skin she’s in!
ResurFX™ is an FDA-approved non-ablative laser technology that is used for skin resurfacing to treat a variety of skin conditions including age or sun spots, fine lines and wrinkles, stretch marks, hyperpigmentation or discoloration, uneven skin tone, and acne or surgical scars. It penetrates the lower layers of the skin to stimulate collagen growth without damaging the skin’s surface which improves skin texture and tone and tightens loose skin. To learn more or to schedule a consultation appointment to find out if you are a candidate, call Q the Medical Spa at (585) 244-1010 to speak to a Spa Coordinator or visit QMedSpa.com.
*Experience and opinion are that of this particular client. Individual results vary.
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