Review: Skin Consultation & Q-Switch Laser with Skinlab The Medical Spa #SLClinic Singapore
Background:
I have to admit – when it comes to my skin, I am extremely low maintenance. My main criteria for a skincare routine (or lack thereof) is always convenience – I don’t want to spend too much time fussing over my skin.
I am rarely bothered to put sunscreen (I can already hear the collective gasp of dismay echoing from girls around the world), I moisturize sporadically according to my mood and I clean my face with a S$3 cleanser. Needless to say, I have suffered verbal and at times physical remand from my friends for neglecting my skin.
My skin is also quite dry and sensitive, hence my neglect has exacerbated my large pores and skin redness. Recently, I am getting sick of using makeup to cover up my flaws, especially since I love being active and heading to the beach – I just want to go barefaced confidently!
So I have been researching on skincare procedures that are non-invasive, painless and that will show immediate, lasting results, rather than spending money and time on endless products that are just marketed very well. Aesthetics lasers came up as a reliable option and I have always wanted to try out laser for my problem areas.
Being able to head out without makeup (without anyone asking if I’m sick or tired) is my eventual goal for my skincare journey with Skinlab & #SLClinic. Let’s hope it goes well! 🤞
First Visit:
So one sunny Saturday, I headed over Skinlab’s Tampines One outlet – it is located just opposite Dian Xiao Er on level 4, just look out for their bright facade! After a short wait and a warm cup of tea, I met with Dr Mark Lim @drmarklim of #SLClinic for my first skin consultation!
Dr Mark is really nice and friendly (read: didn’t scold me for not taking care of my skin) and I shared with him my concerns now that I am getting older. I have certain red patches and scars that I usually patch up hastily with makeup, my skin is generally dull looking and I am also conscious about my enlarged pores. We also discussed fillers for my eyebags and forehead, which we will tackle after I get my skin back on track.
For my skin concerns, Dr Mark recommended me to try their Q Switch laser first, which is less intense than the traditional CO2 fractional laser. There is a lot less downtime and less pain – which is definitely a relief for me. He actually told me that some gungho patients can tahan the Q Switch laser without numbing cream but that’s a hard NOPE for me cos’ my pain tolerance is zero 😂 so off I went to get my face cleaned and the numbing cream applied. If you are worried about the pain level (like me), you can ask them to leave the cream on for longer.
My uber-sensitive face usually stings from the numbing cream but Skinlab’s numbing gel didn’t hurt at all! After about 20-30 mins of me snoring away, they removed the cream and tada!
Headed back to Dr Mark’s room and we started on the laser! I really did not feel a thing at all, except for a part beneath my nose because I have a small reddish birthmark there and the pigmentation would absorb more light from the laser. It wasn’t super painful though, just a sudden, slight discomfort and when I told Dr Mark, he would decrease the intensity around that area. Again, please remember that my pain tolerance is a joke so it probably won’t hurt for anyone else (people do this without numbing?!) Also, to stimulate more collagen in my under eye area, Dr Mark also directed the laser near my eye troughs 😌 The whole laser portion only took about 5-10 mins and after they applied some moisturiser and sunscreen, I was good to go!
As for the downtime: I was quite gangsta after the procedure lol I immediately went to shop at Uniqlo for a while and then back to Dian Xiao Er for dinner. My face was mildly numb but it didn’t bother me much. During the dinner, my boyfriend commented that my face was getting redder and redder but we just thought it was the heat from the soup HAHA so I ignored it. By the time we were home, the redness was quite mild already and there is zero discomfort wheeeeeee! Verdict: No downtime – unlike horror stories of fractional laser I have heard before 👍🏻 I was back at work the next day too!
After First Visit:
In the first week, I took extra care to moisturise intensively so there was minimal peeling – in fact Dr Mark mentioned that the peeling is actually due to the numbing cream and not the laser! There was very minimal redness in the next day and my colleagues were already commenting that I looked a lot less tired and glowy! 🌟
After a week, I can see the final effect of my first laser treatment and the improvements are really significant! My chicken pox scar on my forehead has faded quite a bit. Additionally, my skin is so much more radiant, my pores have shrunk significantly and best of all, I have had zero pimples for nearly a month after my treatment with Skinlab.
I am so so happy to finally find something that works for my skin! A huge thank you to Skinlab #SLClinic for my great skin just in time for Chinese New Year visiting 🌸
After Second Visit:
After about 1 month, I headed back to Skinlab #SLClinic for my second session of Q Switch laser! This time, it didn’t hurt at all, and my post-procedure redness was also reduced – not sure if my skin is more used to the treatment.
After that, I also went home with Skinlab’s Liteguard sunscreen to protect my skin as it would be extra sensitive to the sun’s UV rays after the laser treatment.
Now that I am finished with two sessions of my Q Switch laser, I can really see a huge improvement in my skin condition. First of all is definitely the lack of acne outbreaks and clear skin – I have not had such a long acne free period ever! My pores are visibly smaller, which also results in a smoother complexion and my chicken pox scar is about 50% less prominent. I feel like the redness and patchiness in some parts of my face can still be lighter, but we will see after my next few treatments! But my skin is brighter and more radiant, which is great when I go without makeup. I am also looking forward to my fillers for my sunken eye troughs – will keep you guys updated!
Skinlab The Medical Spa & SL Clinic
EAST
10 TAMPINES CENTRAL 1, #04-30/32
TAMPINES ONE Singapore 529536
+65 6634 8101
https://skinlabmedspa.com/
https://slclinic.com.sg/