Micro-Dermabrasion / Chemical Peels / Laser (Facial)

[gymboxgirl]

OK, so it might be time to finally admit that I'm getting old and I've subjected my skin to waaay toooo much sun, and it might be time to take some action on those age spots (when and where did they come from!!!) and sun damage.

As I was walking past a couple of skin / dermatology places in Airport Plaza (Chiang Mai) the other day I got curious about what was on offer in terms of: dermabrasion / chemical peels / laser treatments. I've never really thought about having such treatment before, but if they are safe and don't do any long term damage I guess I don't see why not.

There are a bunch of these skin / acne / beauty places, pretty much all next door to each other... They all have glass fronts and loads of treatments on offer, from fillers and botox to lazers and dermabrasion.

I've no idea which is a good place, or if they all offer the same level of service. But, having just read another post of TV, about a horrific botox experience in Chiang Mai, I was wondering how can one judge a place over another... ie: are there better lazers to use than others? Are there gentler peels...? Are there things you should check for before signing up...?

Has anyone had such treatments in Thailand, and had good, long lasting (side effect free) results.

Has anyone had treatments (in particular in Chiang Mai) and can they recommend a particular place to go.

I haven't decided yet which of the treatments I should go with, as I thought I'd get some background first. So any opinion on which is better: laser, dermabrasion or peels.

Thanks.

[sbk]

I had the laser done in the US and I looked like a burn victim for a week but as my skin healed it got better and better and most people think I am far younger than my age. I've always had good skin, but it just made it that much better.

Not sure how much sun damage you have but my sister also did the laser and found it reduced her acne scarring quite significantly so I imagine it works with sun damage too.

Never had a peel or microdermabrasion tho...

[Sheryl]

It is very hard tio find laser resurfacing here (I only know of one source) and ditto facial peels. And, cost more here than in the US -- if you can even find someone who ha experience in doing them. they are not popular treatments among Thais.

What everyplace offers and will try to sell you is packages of IPL and microdermabrasion.

How mucgh good these will do you depends on your skin problem. They are pretty benign, though i.e. unlikely to harm.

They get OK results for light acne scars and somewhat help to even blotchy complexion. But they aren't going to touch age spots.

You can get thos elasered but it may leave a slight disocloration where the spot had been. These kinds of spots are not common to Asians and again, the various Thai dermatologists and clinics don't have much experience with them.

Depending on the problem, you might do best to wait until you are back in gfarang land and get a proper laser resurfacing done.

[lightstar]

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

I will look into it a bit more before going ahead, but it's nice to know that you are satisfied with the results.

[Konini]

I had a big laser treatment around my eyes about 8 years ago. Serious treatment, I looked like a burn victim (panda style) for several months, although I could hide it with green concealer and lots of make up after the first 2 weeks and I took to wearing big glasses so nobody would notice. The results were amazing. It was done by a dermatologist under aesthetic in a hospital. I would be very weary about any of the shopping mall type places. You're talking about your face, and you will have to live with the results for the rest of your life. I've seen photo's on websites of all types of laser, chemical peels and micro-dermabrasion gone wrong - sometimes carried out by doctors in the west. Do lots of research and please, PLEASE only go to a suitably qualified doctor (dermatologist or cosmetic surgeon) for any such treatment, preferably one who comes recommended by someone you know and check their qualifications - it's easy to send an email to hospitals/colleges to check them out. Just because the certificate hanging on the wall says they are member of some Association of Cosmetic Surgeons doesn't mean they are, or it could be a phoney Association. It costs nothing to do a bit of research. You're going to have to look in the mirror every day for the rest of your life.

Also, Retin-A, which is available over the counter here and originated as an anti-acne cream is really good for fine wrinkles and evening out skin tone. Takes between 6 months and a year for there to be a noticeable difference, but it does eventually come. A 250 baht tube lasts me 2-3 months (I probably use too much). Because it doesn't work overnight and changes are slow, my husband said I was wasting my money, so I went for 6 months of putting it on the back of one hand and not the other. Even he can't argue the difference between the two. It does make you photo-sensitive, so you need to keep out of the sun and always wear high SPF. I've had to for years, because I get a ring of freckles around my lasered bits!