I can firmly attest to Laser Facial’s ability to treat pimples and pores, as shown in the before-after photos of my previous review. It did also give a slight collagen boost that lasted for about two weeks.
Some of you wrote in and asked me if I’d gone for more treatments, and whether a series of treatments would give better results. Thanks to Dr Daniel Chang from Gangnam Laser Clinic who recently invited me to try out five sessions of Laser Facial, we’ll be able to find out the answer.
1 Raffles Place #03-04 One Raffles Place Singapore 048616
Tel: 6536 8393
This time round, our focus would be on skin firming rather than pores and pimples. Apparently, Laser Facial’s setting can be adjusted to target different skin concerns. My current skin concern is skin laxity. The laugh lines and eye troughs are getting more visible due to the lost of volume in the cheeks.
A quick and proven method would be to inject filler at the cheeks. But fillers ain’t cheap. A syringe can cost around $1,000 with likelihood that most would require at least two syringes. That’s $2k to be spent every year.
Prior to me embarking on the “injectable” route, let’s see how effective the “no-down-time” and low-cost laser facial works in firming my face.
The Consultation at Gangnam Laser Clinic
It was nice and slightly awkward meeting Dr Daniel again. My previous review was brutally honest. Surprisingly, our chemistry was great. It was like meeting an old-time friend.
When Dr Daniel heard about my skin concerns, he shared that skin laxity could be treated with either of the following treatments:
- Lasers – Non-invasive; slightly effective
- Ulterapy / Thermage – Non-invasive; effective
- Threadlift / Filler – Minimally-invasive; more effective
- Facelift – Invasive; most effective
If you’ve noticed, the effectiveness and risk increase as you move down the list. For a start, he would use laser on me since this method is non-invasive. I am not very hopeful that this laser would do much for me. But we’ll see.
Laser Facial (Firming) by Gangnam Laser Clinic
Instead of two types of laser, three were administered this time round.
The First Laser
This laser created the most sensation among the three. It was also the only one that was accompanied by a burning smell. Here’s what I wrote in my previous review:
“First, an ablative laser was used to remove thin layer of the skin. Dr. Daniel Chang thoughtfully sprayed the laser on my hand, so as to prepare me for the sensation. It was pretty mild, probably a 1/10.
On the face, the laser felt a little stronger, maybe 2/10 in terms of pain. It was totally bearable and felt like multiple ant-bites. No numbing cream was administered (and I do not think it requires one).”
The Second Laser
This is the new addition. The laser was targeted at key sagging areas – 1) Laugh lines, 2) Jawlines and 3) Hairlines. It felt slightly warm and soothing.
The Third Laser
This toning laser rounded up the treatment by tightening the skin. My previous comment as follows:
“Next, a toning laser was used. This laser was supposed to tighten the skin. Dr. Chang gave the analogy of someone pulling the belt tightly. I didn’t feel anything from this laser. No pain. No heat.”
Dr Daniel commented that my face was appearing red. Hence he went low on the strength for this laser.
The Mask
I was ushered into another room where a mask was placed for about 15 minutes, followed by moisturizer and sun screen.
If you are wondering if you are able to put on makeup immediately after the treatment, the answer is ‘Yes, you can!’.
Related: Protect & Nourish Your Skin with PURITO Centella Buffet Serum
Overall Service has Improved
I was happy to notice better overall service this time round. The assistants were mostly friendly and chatty.
Unlike the previous visit, they took note of small things that made a difference, e.g. covering my legs with blanket during treatment, dimming the room when mask was placed. I respect company that responds positively to critiques instead of being all-defensive. This shows their genuine interest in bettering themselves to serve the needs of their customers.
Recovery and Results (Laser Facial for Skin Firming)
Day 1 (After)
I didn’t get the redness experienced during the previous treatment for pores and pimples. As far as my naked eyes could tell, there wasn’t any telling sign that I had anything done to my face. I’m guessing this is due to the lower strength administered this time round.
I also spotted two tiny dark spots which were not present before the treatment. These were sebum clogs “burnt” during the treatment to form charred comedones?
Anyway, I managed to squeeze them out a few days later.
Day 2 to Day 8
The rest of the recovery was exactly the same as detailed in my previous review, except that there was no redness. So, please check out the previous review if you haven’t.
Here’s the before-after photos for this round of treatment.
As usual, I happened to have a fresh round of breakout just before the treatment. The laser ‘killed’ the active pimples and I’d looked my best on day 5 and 6. However, new pimples started to form on day 8.
Here’s another perspective – frontal view.
The Results – Did Laser Facial Soften my Laugh Lines?
Yes, it did. My skin looked toned and firm from the fifth day onwards. My laugh lines were less visible. The tear troughs were less sunken, making me look younger and less tired.
See the red arrows in the Day 1 photo below? Observe the contour of my left cheek (your right) and you would notice that the sunken cheek appeared more lifted by Day 8.
Unfortunately, my old face revisited me from the 12th day onwards. Just nice, I would be having the second treatment in a few days’ time (Day 14) as the treatments were spaced two weeks apart.
Dr Daniel said the results are progressive. I’m eager to find out if the effect would be longer-lasting with each successive treatment. Stay tuned as I would report the results after the fifth treatment (early-April).
Post-update (14-May 2015): Cumulative results from 5 sessions of Laser Facial treatment is ready. Click here to view results.
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Don’t miss this:
Part 1 – Laser Facial by Gangnam Laser Clinic (The Treatment)
Part 2 – Laser Facial by Gangnam Laser Clinic (Pimples cleared in 7 days)
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