An honest account through the eyes of my client...
If someone had told me six months ago that I would be writing a blog about my skin I would never have believed it. My skincare routine at 49 was washing my face and roughly slapping on whatever moisturiser was available from time to time. Having not worn makeup in twenty-five years, I was very mirror shy and only used to prioritising those around me. As such, I cannot say when I started to notice the reddening and angry-looking spots on my cheeks.
My attention was drawn to it by someone who said that I should see a doctor as it didn’t look healthy. I didn’t feel able to bother a GP with a few spots and flushed cheeks so ignored it until I saw myself on a night-time zoom call, where my chin, nose and cheeks lit up the screen making me look like a painted wooden gnome. That’s when I googled facial redness and spots and stumbled upon rosacea.
Being keen to find out if this is indeed what I had I found Rosy’s number at the Crystal Rose Skin Clinic.
Rosy actively listened, reassured, and encouraged me to come and see her for a skin consultation. As soon as I walked through the door she said, “It’s rosacea” (after saying hello!). I was given a written prescription pad for four cosmetics that would help – a cleanser, sunscreen, and two moisturisers. She explained that laser treatment can be very successful and prescribed a new healthy skincare routine with these Alumier products and a course of laser treatments after doing test patches.
She took initial photos and really drummed into me the importance of using a good high-factor sunscreen all year round. I had never put two and two together and I don’t know how I hadn’t realised that the sun is the number one factor in aging skin. As a non-sunbather, I had naively never seen the need for sunscreen, and as my skin was always free from products and makeup it has now scarily had way more than its quota of UV rays.
I honestly didn’t have any expectations when I met Rosy, other than wanting to find out if I did indeed have Rosacea, rather than any other underlying condition. Rosy has unexpectedly taken me on a very personal journey and opened a new chapter in my life where I have had to look at myself in the mirror and start to take care of my skin. Without going into details just getting me to look in the mirror was, and is, no small feat in and of itself. Initially, I found it really hard to make those five minutes in the morning and evening to cleanse and moisturise but wanted to do it for Rosy after the kindness she had shown towards me. When I went for my first laser treatment there was already a very noticeable difference in my skin, from the products alone, which just goes to show how much self-care does matter.
The laser process was quick and the small row of laser dots under my eyes, across my nose, and under the cheekbone felt like an elastic band being pinged against my skin. I was ready for my skin to feel hot afterward and had the aloe vera at the ready, but within the space of an hour, there was no sign that I had had it done at all. Rosy then took lots of photos of my skin for a skin analysis, which was a real eye-opener – if not a little worrying seeing all the sunspots just below the surface of my skin, over my eyes, and on my lips. If you ever want an incentive to wear sunscreen, I strongly recommend a skin analysis to spur you into action! I’m just hoping that after developing a skin routine with really good products and laser treatment I will see a change when we redo the skin analysis after a few laser treatments – or at least that it hasn’t got any worse!
I had to remain very disciplined between then and the next session with the skincare routine, but not wanting to let the side down for Rosy I persisted. I know this sounds a bit extreme, but when you have spent a lifetime in a caring role looking after others it is extremely difficult to start to prioritise yourself, or even feel that you are worthy of that time. When I walked in for the second treatment Rosy exclaimed that my skin was glowing and looked so much better. So much so, that I have to say that this time the laser treatment did smart more than the first, and Rosy asked if there was a reason why, such as the time of the month (which can make it more sensitive), or if I had been putting anything else on my skin. I replied to the negative and joked that “I could feel it more because my skin was now clean, and the first time it must have been dulled by dirt!” This session did leave tiny marks – but to be honest, I quite liked them as they looked like freckles and made me look younger. Rosy reassured me that a bigger reaction means more healthy skin changes at a cellular level, so I was happy that this meant something would be happening and the aloe vera took the heat out straight away.
I can’t lie and I wasn’t as good at performing my skincare routine between the second and third sessions (once a day, rather than twice religiously). There is a strong correlation between how you feel about yourself and doing things that will make you feel good. Going again for the third laser session, seeing Rosy, and feeling her passion for helping her clients was the boost I needed to make myself a priority again. That and a gift at Christmas which was the final Alumier product from my prescription pad that came from heaven in the form of a silk moisturiser! I have never experienced anything like it and it absolutely makes me want to moisturise twice a day – I can’t do it justice descriptively, other than to say that once tried, there is no going back! The laser was a little painful this time, so Rosy turned the settings on the laser down. It turned out that I was brewing a winter virus, which is probably what made my skin more sensitive. But afterward, there was no reaction whatsoever and no need for Aloe vera.
I have definitely noticed a big improvement on my right cheek, nose, and chin and a reduction in redness - although I’m now very aware of the spots on my left cheek. Writing this however does feel strange as I would never have been able to report if I had had a flare-up of Rosacea on my left cheek, which Rosy has explained is a chronic condition because I would never have seen it since I never looked in the mirror!
So, what can I say?
Being a woman of a certain age at a certain time in life there are multiple changes throughout the body. Some expected and some not so. It is very easy to assume that we must accept these changes and make do. Rosy has opened a door that I wasn’t consciously aware I had closed. She has shown me that there are people who really care, who take a leap of faith and go the extra mile, and who can share their passion to help you make the most of what you have to offer to yourself. I am looking forward to continuing on my journey and because of Rosy, I now believe that one day I may smile back at the reflection in the mirror.
If you believe you may be suffering with the symptoms of rosacea, or any other underlying skin condition - please book your skin consultation today and we can discuss your symptoms in great detail and I can provide you with a bespoke skin treatment plan to help you manage and overcome the skin concerns you have. I offer both in-person and online consultations to make this as convenient for you as possible. Book yours here.