At 30, I don’t think I’m alone when I say, “my skin isn’t as smooth and radiant as it used to be”. Personally, for me, acne (yes, I’m still having breakouts at this age) takes forever to heal and even when it’s gone, it leaves its mark. In a bid to salvage my youthful skin, I’ve decided to give lasers a try after recommendations from several friends. They frequent SW1 Clinic, one of the largest aesthetic clinics in Singapore and because I’ve seen their complexions improve over the years (they seem not to age at all!), I thought it was high time to check this place out.
Consultation
Beautiful clinic with friendly staff. I’m amazed how spacious the place is!
I booked a consultation with Dr Low Chai Ling, Founder of the clinic. She’s an energetic soul and her passion for her work was quickly evident. She also lets you feel at ease, so I felt I was in good hands. I shared with her my skin concerns which were: skin redness and acne scars.
She recommended Vbeam Perfecta to bring down the redness. She added that I do have rather large pores, which I fully agree, so she suggested to also try the latest addition to the clinic’s portfolio: BB Aquatouch. She described the treatment as the ultimate skin renewal laser experience with results comparable to an instant “photoshop” makeover effect and many of her patients loved it. “Sure anot?” was my first thought. It sounded unbelievable to me but I thought my skin needs more saving, so why not just give it a try? I was then whisked off to have my face cleansed and numbed.
What is Vbeam Perfecta?
Vbeam Perfecta is the most advanced Pulsed Dye Laser Technology. It is the gold standard FDA approved, latest generation of multi-tasking laser that boasts a host of benefits including treating:
✓ Skin redness
✓ Acne scars
✓ Rosacea
Read More: 5 Pesky Skin Problems Vbeam Perfecta can Treat
What is BB Aquatouch Laser?
BB Aquatouch Laser utilises the 1927nm Thulium laser, a new wavelength which is more effective at targeting the superficial skin layers for faster clearance of pigmented lesions. Its benefits include treating:
✓ Photo damaged skin
✓ Enlarged pores
✓ Fine wrinkles
Diagram showing how unlike most traditional lasers, BB Aquatouch Laser technology targets only the lower part of the epidermis, leaving the outermost layer of the skin intact.
Read More: 10 Facts and Tips to Help You Combat Melasma
Zap Away
After leaving the numbing cream on for about 20 minutes, I could hardly feel any sensation to my face when Gigi, the staff assigned to me, cleaned it off. As a first-timer, I was anxious and not having researched on these lasers beforehand, I proceeded to flood her with questions. I was very impressed she could explain the treatments clearly to me. She’s also very friendly and attentive – upon sensing my nervousness, she gave me a squishy for assurance. How nice!
The treatment was done by Dr Michelle Lim, Senior Aesthetic Consultant at SW1 Clinic. She is also very reassuring (this is extremely important for comfort of treatment) and it really helped that she would first pre-empt me on how each laser would feel and what I would expect in terms of sensations.
Read More: A for Anti-Aging: Tips to Preserve Youth
First up was Vbeam Perfecta. All I could feel or “see” were light zaps. I was pleasantly surprised there was no pain whatsoever because you know, we’ve all heard scary and very painful laser experiences. Aside from the smell of charred hair, which I have many on my face, everything else was tolerable. BB Aquatouch was a different sensation; it’s roller tip and every zap is accompanied by a cold blast of air to rapidly cool down the skin. This is probably a stronger laser as I could feel more light zaps especially around the jawline and the area above the lips, but still, nothing intolerable.
The entire process lasted about 10 mins max.
Post Laser
I was so excited to see the results, I immediately went to the mirror in the treatment room. Gigi had to pull me out of there as I was admiring my lasered skin to apply a hyaluronic mask for me. After 10 more minutes, some moisturisers and sunscreen, treatment completed!
I walked out of the clinic without a hint of redness! Very interesting. However, as the day progressed on, the redness surfaced and increased in intensity. Dr Michelle did recommend LED Red Light Therapy to help speed up the healing but as I was in a rush, I gave it a miss. On hindsight, I should have done it for faster results! I’ve compiled more tips on how to survive a laser experience, so if you’re interested, click here.
Read More: What 3 Skin Doctors Think You Should Be Using On Your Face
1-2 Days Post Laser
My skin has turned darker from the micro-crusts forming and feels rough with a “sandy” texture. At this point, my skin also got a little itchy. RESIST THE URGE TO SCRATCH!
Furthermore, remember my sensitive skin and the many fine hairs on my face which were zapped away? Dr Michelle warned that I may breakout and although I did have some red bumps, they did not become a full-fledged breakout and subsided in a day or two which, in my record, is the fastest ever a pimple bump heals without any topicals.
To protect the fragile skin now, it’s important to slather on good quality sunscreen. Hence, I used SW1 Beach Hat UV-Protection Oil-Free Lotion every day. It’s at a higher SPF from my usual sunscreen, at SPF 50, it’s also water and perspiration-resistant and super light-weight. I’m really digging the matte look after so this has officially become my go-to sunscreen!
3-5 Days Post Laser
Micro-crusts started to fall off and skin feels smoother. I think my pores are more refined too. Though I still get new blemishes, previous acne scars are healing and fading faster.
Verdict – Laser Before & After
Despite doing little for the pigment spots on my nose, there’s no doubt a combination of these lasers improved my skin tone, texture and lightened pigmentation around my eyes.
All in all, I’m very happy with the results and can envision greater improvement of my skin following subsequent laser sessions. So, will I undergo Vbeam Perfecta and BB Aquatouch again? Absolutely!
P.S: Vbeam Perfecta costs $600 a session and BB Aquatouch costs $1000 a session. LED Red is a $130 top up.
~ Mandy
SW1 Clinic
SW1 Clinic is located on Level 13 of Orchard Paragon. Their contact telephone is 68178888. It is helmed by Dr Low Chai Ling and Dr Kenneth Lee, who also founded The Sloane Clinic in 2003. Their team of doctors who were also formerly from The Sloane Clinic include Dr Chua Han Boon, Dr Toby Hui, Dr Michelle Lim and plastic surgeon Dr Tan Ying Chien.
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