REVIEW: 2nd Sessiong Brightening Laser @ DRX Clinic

~AG~

It has been two weeks since my first brightening laser treatment, time to report on my second laser session which happened yesterday. I asked the nurse whether my back acne/pigmentation had improved, and she said they took a before picture so I could compare. Before the treatment, I also asked the doctor whether the pigmentation has reduced. Dr. Tsu said surprisingly my skin condition on my back improved. He remembered the pigmentation was more brown previously. Now it has been significantly lightened. I was so HAPPY to hear that! :) 

I was actually not expecting visible result from the first brightening laser session. My skin tends to take a while to recover from acne or scarring. However, I was at the point of desperation to improve my back acne/pigmentation. On top of the brightening laser treatment, I have also been diligently applying the Lightener cream twice a day on the back area. The dual effect of brightening laser treatment and topical cream has helped lightened the pigmentation on my back area. It is worth every single cent spent on the treatment.


The brightening laser treatment breaks down the dark pigmentation to make the skin appear brighter. Dr. Tsu said the effects of the brightening laser is not the same for everyone. It depends on your skin condition. I would be going in for another brightening laser treatment in two weeks. That is the last one before the big day. Hope it makes a significant difference. Wish me luck!

REVIEW: Brightening Laser @ DRX Clinic

~AG~
Doctor Tsu has been my trusted dermatologist for over two years now. I am a commitment-phobe, and usually not "loyal" to my hairstylists, dermatologists and other beauty therapist. So two years with DRX Clinic, specifically with Dr. Tsu, is a phenomenon. 

The last time I saw Dr. Tsu was in Nov 2016 for my acne breakout after my trip to Italy, as I needed immediate help before my engagement photoshoot. Ever since then, I have not followed-up with him.
This time I decided to see him because it is about a month before the my day. My back acne scars and sun spots have been an issue for me. My back is one of the body parts in which I am very self-conscious about. While trying on my cheongsam, my wedding planner commented on my back acne pigmentation. Second instance was when I was trying on my evening gown and my fiancé commented on my back acne pigmentation also. Thirdly, while trying on a dress, my mom commented about it again. I thought that the Diamond Peel Back Acne Treatment @ My Cozy Room has helped with the pigmentation. But apparently not :( Time for a more dramatic intervention for my back acne pigmentation.

 Ketoconazole cream to be used to cleanse the back area

The lightener cream to applied twice a day

 Acne Spot Lotion to treat existing acne

During the consultation, Dr. Tsu mentioned that my back area was not bad at all. He said there was no need for oral medication. He advised on an body shampoo (2% Ketoconazole) to be used to cleanse the back area and to be left on for 2-3 minutes. Then a lightener cream (4% hydroquinone) to target the pigmentation and the acne spot lotion to treat active acne. The lightener creams costs S$106.80 and the ketoconazole cream costs S$10.70. Though, he said I would not see that much of a difference in a month's time. I told him that I wanted more visible results. He said for the laser treatment, it takes a few sessions to notice the difference. He said for the laser treatment, I might not see drastic difference, because I would only be able to do 3 sessions before my big day. 

 My back acne scars and pigmentation are quite obvious *cries*

The whole laser treatment took about 15 minutes. There was no need for topical numbing cream. The nurse clean the back area and then Dr.Tsu started the laser treatment. Compared to IPl hair removal, the laser treatment was less painful. This is coming for a person with very low pain tolerance. The procedure itself felt like static electricity, and I find it slightly ticklish. During the laser treatment, I commented to Dr.Tsu that I smell something burning. He said that was the smell of your body hair burning. Haha! This brightening laser treatment has no downtime and is not painful at all. My ultra sensitive skin did not have much redness. Dr. Tsu advised that the skin tends to get dry after laser treatment. He recommended that I apply body lotion to the back area after I applied the lightener cream.

Slight redness fter treatment 

I will be going for my second laser treatment session in two weeks' time. Will keep you all posted. 

REVIEW: DRX Clinic Journey Part 10

Credits to DRX Clinic

~AG~

After 10 days in Italy, my skin suffered from some serious breakouts. Many tiny pimples appeared on my eyebrows and forehead areas. I had stopped taking Spironolactone 5 months ago, and my skin was doing alright. But the daily intake of dairy products caused my skin to go crazy. I needed help ASAP. On the day I arrived in Singapore, I scheduled an appointment with Dr. Tsu. Since my prewedding shoot is in less than two weeks, my skin woes had to be addressed quickly. 

After telling Dr. Tsu my skin woes, he advised to take Spironolactone again. My concern was that Spironolactone takes a while to see the effects. Last time, it took about three weeks before I could see my skin improving. My prior prescription was for two tablets of Spironolactone in the morning. Now, Dr. Tsu advised to increase the dosage since I wanted a faster result. He prescribed two tablets twice a day. Dr. Tsu did point out that taking a higher dose of Spironolactone could result in an irregular period cycle - meaning period coming earlier or later than usual, or having two periods in a cycle. That sounded scary to me. When I was first on Spironolactone, my period the month after was unbearable. I asked Dr. Tsu whether that could have been due to Spironolactone, he replied that his other patients did not mention that as a side effect. Though, my chronic period paid could have been because of the medication. For the sake of beautiful skin, medication it is. 

Dr. Tsu prescribed Spironolactone for a month. Let see whether the extra strong dosage will help combat the pimples. My goal is to use this medication short-term, as in for a month or less only. Wish me luck! Dr. Tsu Profile

AG & MG Beauty Award 2015

AG'S TOP 5 PRODUCT FINDS FOR 2015

SKINCARE 

Favorite makeup remover: Bioderma Sebium H20
- - Still on my favorite list for 2015! It is a must-have to remove sunscreen, makeup and impurities. Gentle on the skin, and effectively removes face makeup. The acne-fighting ingredients such as zinc gluconate and copper sulphate help purify the skin. My skin feels fresh after use.

Favorite toner: Derma-RX Toner
- - Never thought that toner is an essential part of skincare regimen till I met this Derma-RX Toner. It thoroughly preps my face for the next skincare steps. Plus, its AHAs content helps exfoliate my sensitive skin. 

MAKEUP

Favorite lip product: VDL Expert Color Lip Cube EX
- - Creamy texture. Very pigmented lip color, almost like a lip stain. Its unique packaging makes application super precise.  

Favorite eyeliner: Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Liner
- - Super fine eyeliner tip. It goes on smooth and stays on all-day! 

Favorite facial moisturizer: Laneige Water Bank Essence_EX
- - Perfect for my sensitive combination skin,  it hydrates my skin without leaving it feeling sticky. The scent is refreshingly oceanic.

MG'S TOP 5 PRODUCT FINDS FOR 2015

SKINCARE

Favorite toner/essence: SK-II Treatment Essence and SK-II Clear Lotion

::: I use the treatment essence and clear lotion twice a day.
Treatment essence has been consistently part of my skincare regimen since the start of this year.
Clear lotion has only been part of my skincare regimen since September of this year. Clear lotion has salicylic acid which helps fight off blemishes. It acts as a toner.

Favorite lip balm: Nivea Watering Lip Care
::: Because it goes on very smoothly. It leaves my lips well-moisturised without feeling sticky or leaving a residue. The thin and sleek packaging makes it handy to carry around.

Favorite cleanser: Korres Wild Rose Daily Brightening & Refining Buff Cleanser
::: My blackheads are reduced after I use this daily cleanser. It is a scrub that is gentle enough for every day use. 

MAKEUP

Favorite concealer: Cle de Peaue Beaute
::: Starting using this concealer this year. Because it is GOOD! It covers up my dark circles, acne scars and any redness. This concealer provides high coverage and fully hide my blemishes. Other concealers does not fully cover my acne scars. Plus, it lasts the whole day!

Favorite lip product: VDL Lip Tint
::: I love the color! It is nice! The texture is smoooth and it is moisturising. An easy way to create gradient lips.

REVIEW: DRX Clinic Milia Removal

~AG~

Before

After bearing with obvious milia that appeared under my eyes a year ago, I decided to toughen up and undergo milia removal. During my previous appointment with Dr. Tsu, he recommended electrocautery to safely removal the milia. The first question I asked was whether it was painful. He then responded that the pain is minimal but also informed me about the procedure. Firstly, he said even with electrocautery, the milia might re-appear. Secondly, he said there are risks of infection because the skin is being cut. Thirdly, he said they might be scars after the procedure. Lastly, he mentioned that there will be some downtime as there will be scabs on the electrocautery area.

Also referred to as thermal cautery, electrocautery is a safe procedure in which a direct current is passed through a resistant metal wire electrode that generates heat. The heated electrode is then applied to the skin tissue to achieve varying degrees of skin tissue ablation, thereby removing the oil seed son the skin. With merely a week’s downtime, the process is fast, safe and painless, and with our doctors personally administering the treatment, you‘re sure to be in good hands.  http://www.drx-group.com/drx-problem/drx-clinic/

Electrocautery process:

1.Facial cleansing by the therapist

2. She then applied numbing cream, and put saran wrap over the applied area

3. Waited for an hour for the numbing cream to work its effects

4. Therapist wiped off numbing cream 

5. Zapping of milia by Dr. Tsu

On areas where numbing cream was applied, there were only a slight sensation. Those areas that were not graced with numbing cream, it was painful! Especially when he was removing the milia on my under eye area, I started tearing up. On a pain scale of 0-10, 10 being the worst pain of my life, the electrocautery process was a 7. I will definitely hesitate from undergoing electrocautery again.

I have low pain tolerance! It was more painful than an ant's bite. It was like a burning pain. You could smell the burnt effects. It took Dr.Tsu about 30 minutes for my forehead and under eyes area.

At the end of the procedure, he showed me a mirror so that I can check on myself and inform him if he had missed any milia. After seeing the mirror, I was shock to see the aftereffects of electrocautery. My skin was red and there were "donut holes" where the zapping were done.

6. Dr. Tsu generously applied antibiotic onto those effected areas. He mentioned that I should come for a follow-up in six weeks, during that visit, he will examine and remove any recurring milia.

After the procedure, my skin was significantly red and there were "donut holes" on my effected areas. After about two hours, the redness subsided and the donut holes became scabs. The areas where the electrocautery were performed were tender, I had to be extra gentle when washing my face. There was a stinging sensation when I washed my face, similar sensation as to when you are cleaning a wound.

Yes, there is definitely downtime. The day after, my forehead looked as though it has been attacked with numerous mosquito bites. It does make me self-conscious. It looks scary so I try not to focus on in when I look at the mirror. With that being said, I did go to work the day after. Dr. Tsu mentioned that it will take 2-3 days for the scab to fall off.  

It has been six days since the electrocautery procedure. The scabs on my forehead has fallen off and there are little to no scarring. However, there are still some scabs on my under eyes. Though, it is not as red anymore.

DRX Clinic Journey Part 6 (5 Months After)

~AG~
My follow-up visit with Dr. Tsu was two weeks ago. Finally, found the time to write an update about it. So what did Dr.Tsu had to say about my skin condition?

Firstly, he said my skin condition has improved. Yay! Somehow I felt that it has too. My mother and boyfriend also commented that my skin looks much better now. Worth every extra minute spent on the skincare regimen, and every dollar spent on the Derma-RX products. It has been about 5 months since I started on the Derma-RX skincare regimen. Some topics that we discussed during the visit:

WHITEHEADS
There are still white bumps on my forehead. But Dr. Tsu explained that they are not pimples but whiteheads (clogged pores). He recommended me to continue applying the Comodone Formula and Blemish Formula on the trapped whiteheads.  

ACNE SCARS
There are some acne scars on my chin. Dr. Tsu mentioned that the scars will take some time to fade away. He said that if I am really concerned about the scarring, I could do some laser treatment.

MEDICATION
He continued to prescribe me the spironolactone for another 45 days. My next appointment with him is in mid-November. Because I had told him that I still suffer from large pimples during the time of the month, he advised me to continue with the medicine to see its effects. I have been on spironolactone since mid-July, it has been three months of continued consumption.

EFFECTS OF EVENING PRIMOSE OIL
Before my appointment with Dr. Tsu, a question appeared to me. I wondered whether the consumption of Evening Primose Oil (EPO) supplement triggered my acne outbreak in April-May. I was taking EPO daily to combat my severe PMS symptoms. Dr. Tsu mentioned that EPO might cause breakouts as it affects hormones. He told me not to start on EPO just yet, as my skin is just "recovering".

"BACTERIA FOOD"
Sugar + Diary Products = Food for Skin Bacteria. Both these two bacteria "food" are my weaknesses. So for those that are suffering breakouts, you might want to cut down on these two ingredients. Yes, it is super difficult. But your skin will thank you for it.
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Overall, I trust Dr. Tsu. He is very easy to talk to, and takes the time to patiently answer all my detailed questions. Regarding the Derma-RX products, there are some hits and misses. I will say some Derma-RX products will not be repurchased such as the Milk Cleanser, Foaming Cleanser, Hydrator, Alpha Beta Gel and Sunscreen. FYI, the tinted sunscreen I am using now is the old formula. They now have a new and improved formula.

From Left to Right: Milk Cleanser, Toner, Comedone Formula, Acne Spot Solution, Blemish Formula, Alpha Beta Gel, Max-C and Tinted Sunscreen

Here are the Derma-RX products that I like the most are, according to their ranking:

1) Max-C - LOVE LOVE this serum. My skin feels instantly firm after use.

2) Toner - Found a newfound love for toner because of this product. It keeps my skin fresh and balanced

3) Blemish Formula - This gentle formula works to tackle pimples and whiteheads

4) Comedone Formula - Keeps my oil glands under control, and helps with pore control

5) Acne Spot Solution - Reduces my red/whitehead pimples