FACING T HE F UTURE

It was a tough ask when I pressed Emma to open up about the serious accident she was involved in that left her massively battered and bruised. But it’s always interesting to find out what motivates people to do what they do, and how they react to life changing events. Even so, it’s not easy for many people to revisit traumatic times in their life. Total respect to Emma. I takes a brave, self-confident person to do this and, knowing Emma as I do, I knew she had what it takes.

At Vale Life, we always say “people buy from people” so we knew that many readers could relate to Emma’s story because they may also be having issues with their appearance and believe that things couldn’t be improved. It’s only when you read about someone’s experiences that you can have faith in the healing process.

Here, Emma tells the story of her traumatic accident and how that experience paved the way to her future in the skincare and aesthetic industry.

When did your accident happen?

I was driving to work on a Friday morning, had my suitcase in the car as I was flying that evening to Dublin to celebrate my brother’s birthday the following day. It was 2004. My sister was in Malaysia with her new son to meet her husband’s family. I remember this well as we didn’t tell her about me crashing until she got home, we didn’t think she needed the worry. She called the house one day while I was at home recovering, and I told her I had a bad cold. I was only six weeks into a new job, and she was admonishing me about taking time off sick so soon.

How old were you at the time?

I was twenty-five. I had moved home from Dublin about two months before. I was staying with mam and dad, had started a new job and was really enjoying being back in Wales. I had been on about four dates with David at the time.

How did it happen?

I was driving in the lanes, from St Athan to the A48. It was around a narrow corner and both mine and another car couldn’t fit through the gap. Our drivers’ sides crashed head on. My car had turned 90 degrees in the road from the impact.

Were you in the car on your own or were there passengers?

It was just me in mine and the other driver was on his own. The police told me he had whiplash but no other injuries. Drivers behind us stopped to help. I had called 999 myself and they already knew of the crash. I hung up on them to call my dad. Then a medic of some sort who was in a car behind me came into my car to hold my head and neck still. I remember looking at my face in the rear-view mirror and recoiling. I had a scarf around my neck, and I held it up to cover my face. It felt like it all happened in a few minutes.

Then the ambulance and fire engine arrived. They were fabulous. My mam had arrived by that time too, I remember talking to her through the now empty windscreen. The paramedics struggled to get a line in my veins, and I remember them cracking some jokes about it, trying to look down but getting told off for moving my head. I had to be cut out of the car and before I knew it, I was in an air ambulance on my way to the maxillofacial specialists at Morriston Hospital.

What injuries did you sustain?

I didn’t have an airbag as it was an old car. My face hit the steering wheel and the point of impact was my nose, which broke, and the tissue split into seven pieces. My skin was cut between my brows and my lips too. I fractured ribs on the seatbelt and my house keys hanging from my car key in the ignition cut my knee open.

When you realised the extent of your injuries, how did you feel?

I was pretty shocked. I’d never really liked my nose. I always joked about getting a nose job, but this was a bit extreme! I was also really thankful that the injuries weren’t worse. I didn’t damage my eye sockets or my teeth which could have been a painful and a long process to fix. Also, I was relieved to be wearing my seatbelt. I genuinely believe it saved my life. I would have probably gone through the windscreen without it.

How long were you in hospital?

I was in A&E for a few hours getting checked out for head and neck injuries, but all came back clear. There was an American nurse who was travelling around Europe and shadowing the staff. She stayed with me the whole time and stroked my hair. She had wet wipes and was removing all the blood that was in it. We talked about Obama as he had just been elected President and she was so excited about it. I was moved to a ward and my nose and face were stitched together that afternoon and I stayed in overnight.

My mam and dad came to get me the next day. I was hobbling with broken ribs and a bruised knee but walking out of there I remember thinking it could have been so much worse. We passed an air ambulance stand on the concourse. Dad got chatting saying I had been brought in by one, we found out they were funded by donations. I remember dad putting some money in for me.

Presumably there was going to be ongoing treatment...

I did end up back in hospital ten days later. I had severe headaches and shaking. It was at the time that the out of hours GP services were changing from your own GP surgery to a centralised system. We called three of four times over thirty-six hours. This was the worst I had felt during the whole time. I went to bed one night thinking I wasn’t going to wake up, it felt that bad.

I finally got an appointment to see a GP who took one look at me and sent me to A&E as I’d received a recent head trauma. He was baffled why I hadn’t been directed that way from my initial phone call to the out of hours team. It turns out I had low sodium levels which is a common side effect of concussion. I was monitored for two nights and allowed home.

Describe the work needed to your face...

The surgeons were keen to make sure the tissue damage was fixed first to minimise any scarring. They explained that the shape of my nose could be fixed later. “Let’s work on the tissue,” they said. I had 57 external stitches in my face and lots of internal, dissolvable ones. The tissue on the outside of my nose had split five ways and my nostrils had split open against my upper jaw.

My septum had split open too. I had some internal cuts to my lips, and it was totally split on the top left. I had also cut the skin between my brows. This looked really bad at the time as the muscles had parted; it was wide open.

I returned about five days later to have the external stitches removed. I had to keep them moist with a wax gel to prevent any marks to my skin. I remember a follow up appointment where the consultant remarked how fortunate I was to have not broken any of my facial bones.

Did you need cosmetic surgery?

I didn’t need it but opted to have rhinoplasty but that wasn’t until 2011six years later. I wasn’t happy with my nose; it was slightly bulbous on one side, which I could see in photos. It seemed like the right time for me and us as a family. In those six years, I had gotten married to David and had two children. We knew we wanted a third, and a break between breastfeeding and pregnancy meant I could have my nose done.

It sounds pre-meditated, but it wasn’t quite like that. I knew I wanted it done. David was about to start his own business; I knew things would be crazy busy when it started. Ruthyn was seventeen months old; I was at the very end of breast-feeding him and I had heard of a good surgeon based at Spire Hospital in Cardiff. I arranged an initial consultation, got the kids looked after and called David to make sure he picked them up after work from my parents. When I get home, he asked where I’d been. “I’ve been to see a man about a nose, and he can fit me in a week on Friday.” That was it - surgery booked. It was a really good experience, and I’m really happy I did it. The changes are subtle. He sculpted the bone, remodelled the tissue, and brought my nostrils in.

How long did it take you to heal?

I had lots of dissolvable stitches during the initial surgery. These usually disappear within weeks but, for some reason, my body doesn’t like dissolving them. I still have some visible in the scars in my lips. At various times my body would want to remove them like it would a splinter. Especially when I was pregnant, it was like my body said, “Oi! I’m growing a baby here, sod off!” My first pregnancy with Norah was the most annoying. I would have incessant itching in the scars within my nostrils and then one would appear, leaving an open wound behind it that would need to heel.

What job were you in at the time of the accident?

I was working for Hi-Reach Access at the time. I’d only started five weeks before. They were brilliant though. I had just over two weeks off work and then a fazed return. I also had the use of a fleet car which wasn’t being used by anyone and it was the starting step to a promotion.

Did the accident inspire you to become interested in aesthetics?

Yes, as I learned more about the healing process, I started looking into treatments to see what would improve my skin and improve recovery. So even though it was an awful experience, it did introduce me to the profession I love.

What creams/treatments did you use to help get your face/skin back to where it is today?

I used silicone pads for about two years to smooth out the scar tissue and was hypervigilant about sun exposure. I wore high SPF and didn’t sit in the sun at all with my face exposed. Before opening the clinic, I went to the dermatologist about my acne he talked about the value of vitamin A for scar improvement and that’s when I really started looking at treatments and a skin care regime to help my skin improve even more. It was my dermatologist that recommended I use Environ Skincare which is the first skincare brand we stocked in the clinic, and I still use it every day. For my scarring, both from the crash and acne (did I mention I suffered with acne?), I had regular micro needling treatments. This remodels the skin. Although they will never totally disappear, they can’t because the skin was ripped apart through trauma, they do look so much less than they have done, and I think they are still improving because of the regular treatments.

Are there any residual scars/ blemishes left from the accident? If so, what, and where?

I still have a scar between my brows, down the middle of my nose towards my left nostril and on my top lip. You can see them if you really look, but often people say they don’t notice them until I point them out. The scar on my nose is more noticeable when I’m dehydrated or tired. It’s like a hangover gauge! I also have lots of scarring within my nostrils and have regular nose bleeds because of that. I’ve lost some sensation on the bottom of my septum; do you know when it’s really cold out or you’re exercising, and your nose runs a little? I can’t feel those snot drops hanging from the tip of my nose or septum.

So you rely on friends to point out the drips?

Yes, pretty much – or a mirror check. How did the family react to your accident and recovery? They were all really supportive; especially my mam and dad who I was living with at the time. My brother came home for a few days to see me, and I caught up with my sister a few weeks later when she was home from Malaysia. She was a little shocked when she saw the initial photos, but fortunately I was healing quite fast.

Did you worry that you wouldn’t look as you once were before the accident? I was very conscious about it at first. I would bring it up with people as I assumed they were all looking; wondering why my nose was slightly swollen or marked. I took photos from the side, where you couldn’t see the bit that was more damaged. This is why I had the rhinoplasty. I don’t think about it anymore. It’s not perfect but it’s more balanced and I’m more confident for having it done.

How do you feel now that you have healed?

I’m really happy with it. I talk about it to clients all the time and post a yearly reminder of how a seatbelt saved my life. I still have scars; they tell my story of how lucky I was to walk away from it.

Through her experiences and those of her clients, we asked Emma what treatments she would suggest that could help her clients stave off the damaging effects of the winter months. Here’s what Emma suggests.

Winter Treatments

What damage does the winter cause to our skin?

Winter is a tough time for our skin. As the weather gets colder, daylight is in shorter supply, and our skin becomes dryer and can become more sensitive. It’s a good time to add a more nourishing moisturiser to your routine.

What treatments do you suggest for this time of year?

With the reduced sun exposure, it’s a fantastic time to treat skin concerns such as pigmentation and broken capillaries with our Ilumifacials and Alumier Peels. It’s also an ideal time to have your course of hair removal treatments. These treatments can’t be done if you have a tan, real or fake, so it’s a really busy time of year for us. We have lots of clients getting summer ready through the winter.

What can clients do at home to help their skin look its best during the winter?

Coming out of the Christmas season, into the colder months, it’s good to gently exfoliate the skin with Environ’s Revival Masque. An at home, build up treatment that contains active peptides and gentle acids to visibly smooth fine lines and wrinkles.

What are your most popular treatments for winter?

Lots of clients have more active treatments as we aren’t out and about so much in the new year. Hair removal and tattoo removal, as well as our Ilumifacials are really popular. Imagine not worrying about stubble rash or shadows this summer?

It’s time to start now.

Do you currently have any offers on?

You can have a Revival masque for free when you spend £150 on skincare with us; through our website or in clinic.

Having a simple but effective skincare routine is key to long term skin health and vibrancy. Adding the masque, worth £63 can really step up your routine. We have in clinic or virtual consultations available.

Any new treatments/products that you’d like to share?

We’re really excited to bring two new services to the clinic this year. I can’t say too much at the moment, but we’ll definitely be filling a gap, so we can be more rounded in our treatment offerings as well as back up our skincare advice with physically tracking improvements to your skin. We’re really excited with what we have coming up.

“When you feel beautiful, your selfesteem increases, and so does your confidence. This increase in confidence helps you with your relationships as well as in your professional life,” says Emma. “I’m living proof of that.”

Final Thoughts

Change your life...

If you would like to chat to Emma about your skin concerns, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You might be thinking that there’s no hope; that your skin issues can’t be helped, but if you read Emma’s personal journey, hopefully you will be heartened to know that there is a solution and, if you put your faith in the right person, your issues could be resolved.

As I mentioned in my introduction, chatting to amazing women since our return from lockdown has been both inspiring and humbling. Emma’s story is truly inspirational. We all have challenges in life but it’s how we deal with them that defines us.

Moving from Yiannimize to Wales, by Kean Dickenson’s own admission has felt a little overwhelming. But this Lamborghini owning twenty-three year old has a dream and nothing’s going to get in the way.