Skin Treatment

[plachonubon]

Hi

My wife wants to have treatment for dark spots on her face mostly from old acne (i think)

Can anyone reccomend somewhere safe and effective in BKK to do this.

Is laser good/safe? How much does it cost?

thnks

[Fore Man]

My wife had similar problems and made the huge mistake of going to a so-called board-certified dermatologist in Pattaya. He gave her laser treatment and then prescribed a cream to be applied twice a day. Within days the area he treated turned dark brown, most likely the result of overproduction of melanin in her fair northern Thai complexion, whereas beforehand all she really had were some faint beauty spots. He of course declined to accept any responsibility for her sudden change and we quickly left him behind...considering him a quack. I do not want to reveal his name on TV for fear of libel, but if you PM me I will arrange a phone conversation and give you the particulars.

Her cheeks remained this same ugly dark brown color for nearly six months and gradually faded away--or was replaced by new skin. She licked her wounds and we moved away to Chiang Mai and her complexion normalized over time. I tell you this because not all Thai skin is the same and what may help one person may well cause disfigurement in others. Looking like a human raccoon, My wife had to wear a headcarf around town for about two months and of course this truly is an anguishing experience for any woman but so much more so in the LOS because of the abnormal media and cultural attention given to attaining a perfect complexion. In the West one can easily bring such a charlatan to court and sue for damages, but in Thailand litigation of this sort would have been viewed as as frivolous. It could easily have been us paying him damages for maligning his name and practice.

Make absolutely sure you locate a doctor who has treated thousands of patients with the same symptoms and skin type as your wife presents. Caveat Emptor is very much the right phrase for this kind of medical care in Thailand. There are certainly qualified and experienced practicioners in Bangkok to be found.

Since that unfortunate time in Pattaya, we have discovered a very renowned and successful dermatologist in Chiang Mai; he is also medical professor and many Thai dermos consult his services on special cases. He has helped me clear up a late-breaking bout of psoriasis when nobody else could and I am aware that he does a lot of acne-related treatments. I'll be glad to provide his contact data if you request it.

I also noted a recent post that may interest you: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Skin-Issues-t231492.html

Good luck!

Edited January 14, 2009 by Fore Man

[plachonubon]

My wife had similar problems and made the huge mistake of going to a so-called board-certified dermatologist in Pattaya. He gave her laser treatment and then prescribed a cream to be applied twice a day. Within days the area he treated turned dark brown, most likely the result of overproduction of melanin in her fair northern Thai complexion, whereas beforehand all she really had were some faint beauty spots. He of course declined to accept any responsibility for her sudden change and we quickly left him behind...considering him a quack. I do not want to reveal his name on TV for fear of libel, but if you PM me I will arrange a phone conversation and give you the particulars.

Her cheeks remained this same ugly dark brown color for nearly six months and gradually faded away--or was replaced by new skin. She licked her wounds and we moved away to Chiang Mai and her complexion normalized over time. I tell you this because not all Thai skin is the same and what may help one person may well cause disfigurement in others. Looking like a human raccoon, My wife had to wear a headcarf around town for about two months and of course this truly is an anguishing experience for any woman but so much more so in the LOS because of the abnormal media and cultural attention given to attaining a perfect complexion. In the West one can easily bring such a charlatan to court and sue for damages, but in Thailand litigation of this sort would have been viewed as as frivolous. It could easily have been us paying him damages for maligning his name and practice.

Make absolutely sure you locate a doctor who has treated thousands of patients with the same symptoms and skin type as your wife presents. Caveat Emptor is very much the right phrase for this kind of medical care in Thailand. There are certainly qualified and experienced practicioners in Bangkok to be found.

Since that unfortunate time in Pattaya, we have discovered a very renowned and successful dermatologist in Chiang Mai; he is also medical professor and many Thai dermos consult his services on special cases. He has helped me clear up a late-breaking bout of psoriasis when nobody else could and I am aware that he does a lot of acne-related treatments. I'll be glad to provide his contact data if you request it.

I also noted a recent post that may interest you: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Skin-Issues-t231492.html

Good luck!

Thanks for your detailed reply, my wife's problem is only minor and I have heard other horror stories similar to yours.

I am certainly not in a hurry to start any therapy until I'm happy that it wont cause damage to her skin.

Glad to hear that no permanent damage was sustained in your case.