142 AWW.COM.AU AUGUST 2014

Beauty

Perfect skin is the stu! of dreams – or the stu! of laser treatment, take your pick. And in case you’re wondering, this picture has not been retouched. Yep – this is my real skin, but I am wearing light make-up.

AUGUST 2014 AWW.COM.AU 143

ONE HOUR BEFOREI’m in the waiting room of a cosmetic clinic with my face covered in an anaesthetic cream. The cream will numb my skin so that my laser treatment will be as comfortable as possible. I’ve had a lengthy consultation with the doctor some weeks earlier, so I should know exactly what to expect. Yet, truth be told, I didn’t pay much attention.

When I look at photographs of clients who have undergone this speci!c treatment, I feel a bit sick. The women in the pictures look miserable, not to mention uncomfortable. I start to feel a little worried and ask if I might be able to take a sedative. Then I pray it kicks in ASAP.

10 MINUTES BEFOREI’m ushered into the treatment room and hop up on a massage-style table. I’m feeling pretty relaxed (hurrah for sedatives) when the doctor asks me if I’d like a pain-killing injection. Excuse me? I’ve birthed two children completely drug-free and managed just !ne. Do

I really need an injection? I start to feel genuinely nervous, but it’s too late to back out now. The doctor then injects my face with an anaesthetic

block – !ve times. He follows that with one to stop the vomiting.

THE TREATMENT BEGINSPlastic eye shields are inserted under my eyelids so that the light doesn’t do any damage. And then the treatment !

There’s a laser light out there to treat pretty much every skin concern going. Yet does it bring the results it promises and how much does it

really hurt? Beauty Director Kelly Baker investigates.

treatmentDiary

LASEROF A

!IN TERMS OF anti-ageing, laser treatments (during which a dermatologist or cosmetic doctor moves a hand-held laser light device over the skin) are where it’s at. They are quick,

simple and – better still – effective. Indeed, if you undergo an effective laser treatment, you’ll !nd that lines, spots and other signs of ageing will begin to disappear.

In fact, post-laser skin tightens and lifts, and collagen and elastin (the stuff that makes your face look plump and youthful) go into overdrive, meaning that, in terms of beauty anyway, the clock most de!nitely slows. Yet there are downsides, one of which is that laser treatments can be straight-up painful. Still, when I was offered a treatment that promised to both rejuvenate my skin and remove several pre-cancerous spots at the same time, I jumped at the chance.

“I start to feel genuinely nervous, but it’s too late to back out now.”

PHO

TOG

RAPH

Y BY

SCO

TT H

AW

KIN

S. H

AIR

AN

D M

AKE

-UP

BY S

AM

AN

THA

PO

WEL

L.

144 AWW.COM.AU AUGUST 2014

starts. I have a good pain threshold, but this is the worst thing I have experienced – ever! And I’m no stranger to intense beauty treatments. Botox, peels, you name it, I’ve had it. There’s the smell of burning and the disturbing click-clacking of the laser puncturing my skin. My left leg has started to shake. The doctor is counting down, gently letting me know how much time I have left. “Almost there, you’re doing great,” he croons.

FIVE MINUTES AFTERWARDSThe clinic nurse wraps me tightly in a heavy blanket and strokes my arm. I’m a bit stunned (thank the sedative for that). She carefully removes the eye shields and after some minutes (half an hour maybe – time gets pretty elastic in these moments) moves me from the treatment room to a recovery room. She stands in front of me and places my hands on her hips. Then she walks down the hallway and I shuf"e along behind her.

“That was horri!c,” I say as we shamble along.

“That’s what everyone says,” she says. “But they forget about that when they see the results.”

And then it’s off home.

24 HOURS AFTERWARDSMy face is pin-pricked with dots of blood. I’m swollen, hot and uncomfortable.

As directed, I’m cleansing every couple of hours with gauze dipped in iced saline. Each stroke is painful, but the heavy balm I’ve been told to apply immediately afterwards helps.

One side of my cheek is beginning to blister. I’ve taken some hard-core medication, but I know the signs. I’m about to experience the cold sore outbreak of a lifetime.

TWO DAYS AFTERWARDSThe swelling is decreasing, the blood spots have all but disappeared and that nasty, tight feeling has eased. It’s not all pretty, however. My cheek has a cold sore cluster the size of a child’s palm and my skin has some signi!cantly odd-looking patches. I can’t stop looking in the mirror. If I get very close, I can see the tiny pin pricks where the laser has penetrated.

FOUR DAYS AFTERWARDSMy skin is beginning to peel off. And I don’t mean in tiny little "akes. The stuff is coming off in sheets and, on the few occasions I’ve dared leave the house, I’ve seen the sideways glances. I feel truly awful.

My boyfriend comes to visit and I can see he’s shocked. He tries to put a brave face on it, but when I suggest I’ll recover in a day or two, he looks signi!cantly doubtful. I threaten to kiss him as a joke and he leaps away in horror.

DAY TWO My face is swollen and kind of lumpy. Tiny little dots of blood pepper my skin.

DAY THREE I’m red, hot, very, very sore and seriously wondering if I’ve made a terrible mistake.

DAY FOUR The tracks of laser marks criss-cross my face, neck and décolletage.

Laser treatments for lines and wrinklesThere’s probably a laser out there that will work for your skin tone and texture, and address any issues you might have, provided you see someone with the right expertise. They’re not foolproof and various doctors will give you slightly di!erent options. That said, the following usually holds true.

Traditional lasers, such as the CO2 and the Erbium, are better options for wrinkles and can produce amazing results. They do this by heating the water in the skin in order for the surface layer to literally vaporise. This prompts new collagen production, leaving skin smooth and plump. Yet the down-time is significant – up to three weeks – and wound care takes, well, care.

Laser surgeons are increasingly recommending fractional ablative lasers (such as the Fraxel Re:pair and the Pearl by Cutera – the one used for this article) or non-ablative lasers (Fraxel Re:store and the Clear + Brilliant Perméa). This style of laser leaves the skin red and slightly swollen only. If you opt for the non-ablative version, you’re likely to need two to four sessions to get the results you want. There are other lasers which do not target water, but are drawn to pigment, blood vessels and, in some cases, fat.

How it feelsTreatments range from uncomfortable to agonising, depending on your pain threshold and what your practitioner is trying to achieve. Your doctor will discuss pain relief with you beforehand.

The costTraditional or fractional ablative resurfacing will cost from $2000 to $5000 and upwards, depending on which clinic you visit and what specific skin issue your practitioner is treating. Fractional non-ablative resurfacing costs from $700 to $1500, again depending on who does the work and how many sessions you need.

DIA

RY P

HO

TOG

RAPH

S: C

OU

RTES

Y O

F KE

LLY

BAKE

R. T

OP

RIG

HT:

PH

OTO

GRA

PHY

BY S

COTT

HA

WKI

NS.

AUGUST 2014 AWW.COM.AU 145

The dark side

SEVEN DAYS LATERI can wear make-up! And I need it. I’m wearing a speci!c foundation designed for post-laser treatment and it hides my strange-looking skin well while allowing it to breathe. I collect my boys from school and other mothers !nally have the courage to ask me what I’ve done.

“I’ve had laser treatment,” I say gaily. “Soon I’ll be 21 again.”

And I laugh … because I’m able to. It’s only been a week, but I’m feeling more myself and looking forward to perfect skin.

THREE MONTHS LATERMy skin is dewy, glowing and, wow, I’ll just say it, pretty lovely. My pigmentation marks have all but vanished and my skin is smooth and soft. I do still have some !ne lines, but my face is more youthful and fresh-looking. Friends and colleagues ask what I’ve had done.

“Your skin is amazing,” they say.I’ve got to agree. Given my age (44)

and the fact that I grew up on the sunny beaches of Byron Bay in northern NSW, my skin is in super good nick and my laser treatment is largely why.

Am I glad I had it? Absolutely. Would I do it again? It’s a tricky question. The results have been terri!c, but the pain is seared into my brain forever. And so I’m going to have to say ... not on your life!

PS And those pre-cancerous spots? Still there! "

Learn more on the College’s website at accs.org.au or call 1800 804 781.

DAY FIVE The swelling has disappeared and I’m more comfortable, but the red patches are more noticeable than ever.

DAY SIX Complete strangers are looking horrified. My skin is gnarly, but I know the results will be worth it.

Laser treatments might be all the rage, but they’re not without their downsides. For example, the risks include skin discolouration and scarring, and poor results and laser treatments can trigger skin sensitivities.

“This is why it’s important to see someone with the right training and experience,” says Dr John Flynn, a spokesman for the Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery.

“Medical literature is full of trials and studies on the e!ectiveness and safety of lasers … but it’s not without risk. Getting the right mix of laser type, correct setting and selection for skin type is essential.”

Before you consider a treatment, the Australasian

College of Cosmetic Surgery recommends you ask the practitioner the following:

1What is your training or qualification in cosmetic medical practice and

specifically lasers?

2How many times have you performed this procedure before

and in the past year?

3What are the risks associated with this procedure and what is your own

complication rate?

4What are the alternatives to the procedure being considered?

5Can I see photographs of results in your own patients who looked

similar to me before treatment?

6Can I see photographs of the kind of results it will be possible for me

to achieve?

SIX MONTHS LATER and it feels like my

skin is in super good nick.

DIA

RY P

HO

TOG

RAPH

S: C

OU

RTES

Y O

F KE

LLY

BAKE

R. T

OP

RIG

HT:

PH

OTO

GRA

PHY

BY S

COTT

HA

WKI

NS.