London: Earlier this year Anne Butcher underwent the new Deka Smartxide laser skin rejuvenation. She has kindly given us permission to publish her diary and to show the pictures of her treatment. Her diary and pictures take you through the treatment, which was carried out by Dr Aamer Khan at the Harley Street Medical Skin Clinic, and takes you throug the various stages of the procedure.
Anne: Friday 29th January at 1.15pm the anaesthetic cream was applied to my face, and pain killers were given to me.
Its now 2pm and my skin is cleansed. The treatment is started. Its a hot sensation but not unbearable. After the treatment my face is covered withsun protection. By 2.45pm its all finished and I am sitting back in waiting room.
My face is going hot and cold and starting to swell slightly.By 4.00pm I am in the car on the way home and the hot feeling has stopped.
Here is a picture of Anne shortly after her treatment:
During the evening I cleansed my face with wipes, my face was feeling very weepy and tender, I then washed it with vinegar water as I had been instructed, and put on a cream with a paraffin base which protects your skin, it made my skin feel very comfortable.
Saturday 31st January 7.00am Woke up eyes almost shut, face very swollen, cleansed my face vinegar water, you would think this would sting but it did not, infact it stopped my face from weeping. Then applied more of the protective cream. I have not had to take any pain killers. By midday my skin was feeling very tight and weepy, again cleansed with vinegar water followed with the cream. Eyes almost closed I slept a lot as I could not focus properly to read or watch the TV. All through the day and evening I cleansed my face every 2 hours with the vinegar water, then applied protective cream.
Sunday 1st February 6.15am Woke up and went and washed my face with vinegar water and applied cream, went back to bed, still very swollen.
12 noon – Got up washed with vinegar water and cream, swelling has gone down quite a lot, eyes not so tight, not weeping so much feel a lot better, no pain. Just tender when cleansing my face, I am now looking lobster red my skin has started to peel today. By the evening I stopped using vinegar water as I was peeling so much, face just feels tender, much less swelling. Cleansing with wipes, still applying cream regularly.
Monday 2nd February Looking a lot better! But still extremely red, peeling excessively.
Used wipes to gently cleanse my face. I am still using the paraffin based cream. As the day progressed my eyes felt a lot better not so tender and no weeping, I am improving all the time and the redness starting to tone down slightly.
Tuesday 3rd February Looking even better still rather red.
Peeling like mad, cleansing and applying cream. Still slightly swollen.
Wednesday 4th February Peeling an awful lot kept on applying cream every two hours. Still red but starting to see signs of redness calming down.
Thursday 5th February Much better today started to use CCLIft serum & BTime cream. Put some make up on my eyes, started to feel like myself, still peeling like mad.
Friday 6th February A week today still very red at times but can make up my eyes and use mineral make up. I still need to cleanse and I am applying the Btime cream and the CCLift serum, although they are not really sinking in just laying on top, but still not bad for only one week.
Saturday 7th February Went out of the first time, still putting creams on every 4 hours, near enough back to normal but still covering up the redness. I am very impressed with the results so far, I really do look like I have had a face lift.
Only 7 days after her treatment – Anne’s face is firmer and lifted – and by the way is Anne is not smiling for the sake of consistency in the photographs!
Pictures courtesy of The Harley Street Medical Skin Clinic, 96 Harley Street, London W1. www.harleystreetskin.co.uk Laser resurfacing costs from £1,200