My Chemical Peeling Journey with Dr Tyng Tan

As many of you know, I have been plagued by constant Acne issues (The condition wasn't that bad initially; but somehow got worst during my late teenage years due to factors such as exam stress, etc)

Like most lazy bums, I am one who did not really bother to do adequate facial care and used make-up to conceal my acne whenever I attend events, etc. Heck, I only have my ownself to blame for encouraging the growth of acne on my skin!

Somehow, I didn't have much confidence whenever I was seen without make-up (I even have friends appearing shocked and asking me about my acne when I met them without make-up on!) I was saddened. At the same time, I was at a loss of solutions.

As troubled as I was (and with my endless search of solutions), I came to learn about several treatments that *might* revive my skin.
Not sure if you guys have heard of it before, but that's Chemical Peeling. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_peel)

It is something I would never have imagined myself doing, but somehow I was quite tempted by the positive results that I have seen online.
There are actually not many clinics in Singapore that offer such treatments (even if there are, finding a GOOD doctor is another issue as I believe nobody wishes to risk their face should it fall in to the wrong hands!!)

So...After much sourcing and consideration, I decided to take the plunge and settle for Aesthetics And Hair Clinic by Dr Tyng Tan.

So.. What is a Chemical Peeling, you ask?
As quoted on Wiki, "A chemical peel is a body treatment technique used to improve and smooth the texture of the facial skin using a chemical solution that causes the dead skin to slough off and eventually peel off. The regenerated skin is usually smoother and less wrinkled than the old skin."

I'm sure you guys will be curious to find out the before/after effects of Chemical Peeling as I'll be personally reviewing it with real, UNEDITED photographs of my face.

Do not be shocked though as this will be the FIRST TIME I'm revealing my face naked of make-up. Ugly it'll be, but this shall be a honest review that you can actually make comparisons and decide its effectiveness. 

(Give me some credits for the sacrifice, will ya?!?! Haha)

Before my first consultation with Dr Tyng Tan, I had butterflies in my stomach.

I didn't really know what to expect of the results; and was clouded by thousands of questions in my head. Will there be side effects? Will my skin be affected permanently? Is there any downtime? What if...??

It was a mixture of emotions. I was excited, anxious and scared at the same time while I was on my way to Aesthetics And Hair Clinic.
Fortunately, the clinic was easy to locate as it was situated in Ngee Ann City. My nervousness simmered as I stepped foot into the place.
I introduced myself and filled up a form with my particulars while waiting to meet Dr Tyng Tan, and took a quick pic of the waiting area with my camera before heading in - Look at all the media features!

Meeting Dr Tyng Tan face-to-face was a surreal experience. (Not to mention that she is pretty, too!) She asked about my area of concerns and gave wise advice accordingly. As I usually have the habit of using my fringe/bangs to cover my forehead, she advised me to use a hairband and keep them away from my forehead as well as they might be contributing factors to my acne issues.

After accessing my skin condition, I was good to go.
According to her, Chemical Peeling offers visible fantastic results and will improve my skin condition tremendously.

I was thrilled at the thought; but somehow I was worried at the same time.

Looking at Dr Tyng Tan, I asked the question that I was sure anyone would have asked,
"So... Will there be any side effect?"

With an all-serious face, she replied that there INDEED would be; and I have to be mentally prepared for the peeling of skin that would be quite obvious over the next 5-7 days (She recommended to do it before the weekend so there would be ample downtime). 

Not only that, I have to take certain precautions as well, such as avoiding the sun as much as I can and applying sun-block. 

Being the timid girl as I always am, I would usually shun away at those thoughts BUT eventually decided to go ahead with it as I thought about how life-changing it would for me should the treatment work its magic. Furthermore, I felt I could trust Dr Tyng Tan as she seemed really professional.

As the old saying goes, "No pain, no gain", right?!

"So.. Are you mentally prepared for the session?" Dr Tyng Tan asked with a smile.

"YES!" I replied.

So off I am to begin my journey of Chemical Peeling!

I was brought into a cosy room where I would be receiving my Chemical Peeling treatment, and had to lie on the stretch. (Somehow it reminded me of my dentist visit. Haha)

Now... Ready to see the frightening pic of me and the ugly acne on my skin?!
(My face looks fatter than usual as I was lying down when I self-shot them!)

Completely ZERO make-up, ZERO editing. All posted as raw as they could possibly be.

Here's a close-up of my acne on the forehead. I would never have imagined taking a photo of them and posting on my blog one day; and I just did! OMG.

Look at those ugly things on my chin!

OH GOD.

Dr Tyng Tan's lovely assistant proceeded to do basic cleansing on my face before the procedure. Since I came prepared without any make-up on, I spared her the trouble of some hard-core cleansing! Hahaha.

When Dr Tyng Tan came into the room after my face was cleansed, I suddenly got nervous.

I realized I forgot to ask her a very important question earlier.

"PAINFUL OR NOT AH??!!"

I am one who is quite fearful of pain, but I guess I was vulnerable at this stage now. *shudders* 

Unfortunately, I wasn't guaranteed that the treatment would be painless as Dr Tyng Tan told me that it would have to depend on individual's threshold of pain.

According to her personal opinion, she said that one would experience mild discomfort; something like a burning sensation on the skin. (Okay... I guess that's kinda... ...acceptable)

But it wasn't that terrible afterall when she added,

The treatment procedure would only last for 2 minutes!

Sucking in a deep breath, I closed my eyes.

"Ready?" Dr Tyng Tan asked.
"Yep." I nodded slightly. 
I could feel my nervousness kicking in again.

It was then that I felt a brush brushing against my face.. Softly.. OK this is it. This is IT!
*brush* *brush* *brush*

I was somehow on a "expecting-a-sharp-pain-anytime" mode but surprisingly didn't experience any.
Ok, probably it's just the beginning, I thought to myself.

Halfway through the process, Dr Tyng Tan asked if I was experiencing any discomfort or pain.

"How are you feeling now?" she asked.
"Yeah, I feel fine! No pain at all!!" I replied. (And it was true!)
I even felt ticklish at some point.
Before I knew it, there was the sound of alarm.

"Ok, we are done with the treatment."

"HUH?!"

It was faster than I imagined, and I was somehow relieved that it was totally PAINLESS for me.
I immediately grabbed my camera (what a dedicated blogger I am!! *self boasting*) and took a photo of my skin condition - and this is how I looked just 3 minutes after the treatment:

A closer look:
(Notice the redness?)
Looks painful; but actually not.

                     So you might be wondering how my skin felt like after the procedure.
Well, I touched my face and it felt tight and cold to the touch. I could feel as though there was a layer of "something" on it; that's all.

After the Chemical Peeling treatment, I was led to another small room to settle down. It was so cool as there was a small make-up area where I can put on my make-up if I wanted to.

I took a quick pic of myself in the room before heading back out - In here; you may realize that the redness from the treatment has subsided a little:
I purposely lifted my bangs so I could show you my forehead. It's the most problematic acne area:-

I asked Dr Tyng Tan several questions that I believe would be of concern to girls who are considering Chemical Peeling as an option:

1) Can I still apply make-up as usual after the treatment?
YES! :) 

2) Can I still do my daily skincare routine such as facial mask, etc?
YES! :)

3) How long is the recovery process going to be?
Around 7 days! 

Dr Tyng Tan pre-warned me that I would experience peeling throughout the recovery period (reminds me of a snake shedding its skin. LOL); and I am NOT to give in to the temptation of peeling the skin on purpose. (She did tell me that I would have the strong temptation of peeling them since its human nature!! Now.. that's a challenge.)

I was provided one Post Treatment Balm and a Topical Gel as well which I would have to apply twice on a daily basis; morning and night. (Now, I can't be lazy!)

Artistic pic of the Post Treatment Balm (LOL):

I kinda' like the feeling after application of the balm; my skin feels tight in a right way! LOL.

Here's the topical gel; in which I had to apply on the problematic acne areas.

*squeezes*

Since I knew I was going to do up this review, I got hardworking and took different photographs of my face on separate days so you can see for yourself if the treatment is taking effect!

Here are photos of my skin condition on Day 2:
(Kinda' unglamorous.. But well...It's part of the process!)

I did not really experience much peeling; probably only a little.

My acne seemed to have "dried up" instead.

Let me show you a photo of my chin area.

Remember how it looked like before?
I did a side-by-side comparison (Left: During the day of treatment; Right: Day 2)

And here's my skin condition on Day 3 after treatment:
I took this picture one hour after I woke up:
(Pardon my messy kitchen background! LOL)

 No editing has been done to the pic at all. I swear!

I don't know if it's just me, but I feel that my skin condition looked nicer?!

(I went to work on the following Monday and one of my colleagues commented that my skin looked more radiant. I didn't tell anyone about my treatment at all and I was happy that someone actually noticed a difference after just ONE treatment?!)

Another close-up:

Day 3-6 has been pretty much stagnant; but I noticed my acne becoming less visible. I mean, they did not totally disappear - but it's obvious that my skin complexion was getting better!

Here's a photo of my condition after Day 7:

Got improve or not??! Let me do a comparison chart between my Day 1 and Day 7:

No editing done at all except for making the pic brighter on my "After Day 7" pic so you can have a clearer vision of my condition:

Yes, of course its not 100% yet but I am already impressed by the results since its only ONE treatment done! I would be returning to her clinic once every three weeks thereafter for more sessions and YES, my dear readers, do stay tuned for more to come! 

I will be posting more photos of my Chemical Peeling sessions on this blog soon.

 So follow me as I embark on this journey till the end of my treatment. :)

If you are someone who is deciding whether Chemical Peeling is for you or not, I'm sure my reviews will be helpful for you in one way or another.

Here's a photo of the recent me as I did an advertorial for Amore Silver.
I only put on eye-makeup while leaving the rest of my face untouched (not even BB cream or foundation at all!)

So... What are your opinions?! I hope you feel that there is an improvement, too! (I did!) 

If any of you are interested in Dr Tyng Tan's services in Chemical Peeling, you can read more information about it here and contact the clinic for any questions too!!:

http://aestheticsandhairclinic.com/service/chemical-peel-singapore

Address: 391B Orchard Road, Ngee Ann City

Tower B, #08-04, Singapore 238873.

Telephone: +65 6235 0010

Sponsored: Theraclear - Acne Therapy Treatment Review!

Seriously, what has puberty done to me?!

The non-stop growing acne, pimples, blackheads and even whiteheads..

They are just awful and painful to watch.

I have tried many different pimple creams, etc. But none of them seemed to be really effective.
Not until when I was recently invited by Innomed Asia and Cozycot
to blog about a great technology invention - Theraclear, an award-winning acne therapy!
I was sponsored to one treatment - and I'll be sharing my experience with you here...

So what is Theraclear, you ask?
Well, this may just be your solution to end your pimple/acne sorrows. With just one single treatment, you will be able to see immediate and visible results - and the price isn't that expensive!
Ah, I know what you are probably thinking...
"This is just too good to be true..."
(Because that was my initial reaction too!)

Ah, enough said. Here's a video introduction about Theraclear:


Theraclear promises these benefits:
-No pain.
-Fast 10 minute treatment
-Noticeable visible improvement after 1st treatment
-Effective on mild to moderate inflammatory acne, commodenal and pustular acne
-Requires no pre-treatment gels or anesthetics
-Personal treatment insert maintains hygiene and reduces risk of cross contamination

Now...I shall put my personal experience about Theraclear to the test and... Here comes my honest review.

The clinic that I was referred to was "Chua Medical Centre". Do note that they do not really accept call-in appointments. In order to be fair, they only cater to walk-ins.

The location is very near and within walking distance from Simei MRT station.

(It's situated at a neighborhood area, and you will definitely not miss this "CHUA MEDICAL CENTRE" sign!)

It's actually a small but cozy clinic.

Clean interior.

The waiting time was not really that long (around 8- 10 minutes). I was given a queue number and asked to wait at the waiting area while Dr Chua was busy attending to other patients.

With thanks to my dear boyfriend, he accompanied me to the clinic and assisted me in taking the photos. (See, I am giving him credits here! Haha)

And I finally met Dr.Chua! The doctor whom was in-charge of my Theraclear treatment.
Within less than 5 minutes of consultation and an observation of my skin condition,(My problem areas mainly lie on the acne around my forehead, etc.),he proceeded to request me to lie down on the bed stretch...

(Honestly, I was feeling really nervous as I have never been through anything like this before... Haha. Gosh, the mixed emotions while I was lying on that bed!)

Skin analysis of the right side of my face, which was in quite a bad condition.
(I was actually suffering more than just acne problems.. but major whitehead/blackhead breakouts as well :()

So here it is - The Theraclear machine!! It looked majestic... and quite scary at the same time.

 
Before the procedure, Dr Chua wiped off the make-up on my face. (I did not actually have any make-up on my face except for the eyes that day, but I let him clean it anyway.)
So if any of you out there are intending to go for the treatment after reading my entry, it is advisable if you go bare-faced - for the convenience of Dr Chua and yourself!

Before Dr Chua began, he advised me that I would experience tolerable pain during the treatment.
(My heart raced when I heard that because I am usually one who has a fear for pain!)
However, thinking about the fact that I would have a more beautiful skin after the treatment provided me a great sense of comfort... ...

And.. I guess I was ready...

AAAHH!!! It's finally on my face. AH, NOooooo. YES, NOoooo... YES!

The Theraclear tool working its magic on face..
(The feeling was just like having an air sucker trying to suck the life out of your face.)
Well.. It did not really hurt for the first few minutes..
But honestly speaking, it WAS quite painful at certain times during the treatment. I cannot lie about that.

The reason of why it hurts was because the tool was meant to BURN all your facial hair away.
And trust me, you can really SMELL it. That burnt smell was unmistakable.

(During the process, Dr Chua told me that I would love touching my own face after this because it would become so much smoother. Haha...)

Yes, there came a certain point of stage when I experienced really tough pain.

But it was still bearable and within my limits.

And the treatment was really fast - Before I knew it, Dr Chua told me that he was done.
The burnt smell was still lingering...
I was like "HUH?! OMG, how is my face now? Is it burned?! DO I LOOK BURNT?!"

He was amused and handed hand-held mirror to me. He said that it wasn't as bad as I thought. LOL.
Ah, my acne was still visible - but that was because this picture was taken one minute right after the treatment ended.
After the redness died down, I was actually quite surprised by the results!
Sorry that I have to censor my eyes because I really looked terrible with the smudging of eye make-up after the process!

A no make-up face pic that I took at home using my mobile phone - almost 2 hours after the treatment.

(As you can see, the redness that was around my left eye near eyebrow area has faded to a large extent!)

And here is a photo a few days later after the treatment.

And NO, I did not really apply much make-up or foundation on my face except for the eyes!
Can you see the difference?

And I realized my acne has stopped growing for the subsequent few weeks. I used to have new acne popping out on my face once every few days, and gosh - was that feeling terrible! And somehow I feel relieved that the growth has stopped.
Dr Chua has told me that one treatment would not be adequate, but I am already contented that the results are so visible within just one treatment.

Verdict: Although it may not be entirely true that Theraclear was described to be 100% painless, but it's still bearable. Jut that bit of pain for a more beautiful skin... Why not?
I have always believed in having natural and flawless skin without depending on the need for make-up products. (That is one of the reasons why I do not really use BB cream or powder on my face as I believe it will clog the facial pores heavily.)
And what Theraclear does is to vaccum and clean them entirely!

If you are interested in trying out Theraclear treatment for yourself too and see it work its magic on your acne, as below are the clinic's details. It's a well-worth experience!

Address: 248 Simei Street 3, #01-134
Singapore 520248
Contact number: +65 67853825

For more information about Theraclear therapy, you may refer to this site as well:
http://www.theraclear.asia/