REAL-LIFE STORY
PEEL AWAY YOUR INSECURITIES How one woman’s changed outlook on aesthetic treatments transformed her confidence for good While 38-year-old Bijal had never suffered from acne when she was younger, following the birth of her son five years ago she started to experience regular flare-ups due to stress and hormonal changes. She notes, “Spots were never really a problem for me. Of course, I had the odd zit once in a while as everyone does, but until I was in my 30s I never experienced full-face breakouts.” This had a huge negative impact on her self-image and self-esteem. She reflects, “There were a lot of days that I didn’t want to leave the house because of how my skin looked. At work it was okay because as a dentist I could hide behind my mask, but it was going out socially that I struggled with, and I would turn down plans because of how insecure I was with my face and my skin.”
Finding a solution After working with aesthetic practitioner Dr Uma Jeyanathan for several years and seeing her achieve great results on darker skin tones, Bijal approached her for help. “I’d never had any aesthetic treatments before and to be honest I was very skeptical of the industry as a whole – I wasn’t aware back then of how much science is behind the products and the treatments, and I thought it was a load of rubbish! I also didn’t think that there would be anyone who could treat my skin effectively, as you don’t see many practitioners who regularly treat brown skin. However, after seeing people with the same skin type as me leave Dr Jeyanathan’s clinic with amazing results, I really felt like she would be able to help.” Bijal made it clear to Dr Jeyanathan that she wasn’t comfortable
Before
Before
having any injectables such as botulinum toxin or dermal fillers but was interested to know what other non-invasive options the aesthetics industry could offer to help improve her skin. During the initial consultation Dr Jeyanathan assessed Bijal’s skin and took the opportunity to educate her on the benefits of aesthetic treatments. Bijal adds, “Education is so key for helping people understand how effective aesthetic treatments can be and why they work and talking to her really changed my opinion on the industry. If you have any skin concerns, I really recommend having an in-depth conversation with a practitioner as it can be eye-opening.” Following the consultation, Dr Jeyanathan created Bijal her own bespoke skincare treatment plan. To begin with, she had a course of NeoStrata chemical peels containing mandelic acid to help calm down her acne flare-ups and get rid of any existing spots. Chemical peels exfoliate the skin, removing the top layer, allowing dead skin cells to shed more effectively and stopping excess oil from clogging the follicle and reducing spots, and can be particularly good to have over the winter period. She recalls, “I had a chemical peel every four weeks until I was happy with my skin’s appearance. Because that left me with some acne scarring, I then had a NeoStrata citric acid peel to help lessen the appearance of the brownish marks. At the same time, I was also using the NeoStrata homecare products, because I was advised that there’s no point doing all these peels if you aren’t using the right products at home to maintain the results. I used the Mandelic Clarifying cleanser every morning and evening, alongside the Bionic Face Serum and Bio-hydrating Cream.”
After
After
38-year-old Bijal before and after six months of chemical peels, medical-grade skincare and two microneedling treatments spaced four weeks apart. Results show a reduction in acne and a brighter skin appearance. Images courtesy of Dr Uma Jeyanathan.
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