While we all get conscious of our appearance from time to time, dealing with acne is not limited to what you can see on the outside. It’s not just physical – sometimes combating acne can be a mentally gruelling process. There might be a time when you feel like you’ve finally seen the end of it, only to be pulled back into the black hole of recurrence.
These are just some of the things Sherlene Lian, a professional makeup artist, experienced during her acne journey. She started getting acne when she was in secondary school. Things got better through time, with only occasional acne breakouts. She’s tried everything — from topical solutions, even resorting to natural products like eggs, milk and honey, to oral supplements. While they did help her at the beginning, the relief was short-lived… until she visited Dr Gerard Ee at The Clifford Clinic. Keep reading and be inspired by Sherlene’s journey towards clearer skin.“I felt I was the ugliest girl on earth.”
Aside from the internal battle she fought, Sherlene also had to contend with the harsh comments, whether intentional or not, made by people around her. “It got to a point where I stopped going out. I felt really gross and disgusted whenever I look at myself in the mirror,” Sherlene recalled. “I couldn’t go out to a personal care store without the store assistants handling me samples and asking questions about my acne… People just don’t understand.”
“The only clinic in Singapore which specialises in curing acne from its root?”
“I got to know of The Clifford Clinic through Facebook, and read that they are the only clinic in Singapore which specialises in curing acne from its root?” Sherlene shared. “Back then when I read this piece of info, I felt like I have struck lottery!” Although she was sceptical at first, she bit the bullet and tried what the clinic offers as a permanent acne cure for adult acne.
“Dr. Gerard painstakingly took close to an hour of microscopic and detailed work to introduce a tiny burst of electrical energy into 700-800 of my diseased pores via a very fine wire, one by one each time,” Sherlene said about her first AGNES Treatment experience. The following day, she underwent a Radio Frequency treatment and a drainage to remove the debris from the initial treatment.
The promised results? Reduced skin inflammation, no acne breakouts and recurrence, and improved condition of acne scars caused by previous breakouts. Those are already outstanding but the best part is the treatment has no side effects; it’s so safe that even pregnant and breastfeeding women can undergo it. And did the treatment hurt? “I have a fairly high tolerance for pain. The treatment felt like tiny zaps of electricity even with the numbing cream. On a scale of one to 10, I would rate it a 4/10 for the treatment,” shared Sherlene.
“I was already seeing drastic improvement to my acne!”
On her second day of undergoing the AGNES Treatment, Sherlene noticed that “redness appeared to have tamed and [her] facial oil production was significantly reduced.” After a few days, Sherlene noticed that it was the first time in months that her face was smooth to the touch — while the redness was still present, there were hardly any bumps.
In between her AGNES Treatment sessions, Sherlene underwent a Q-Switch Treatment that helped rejuvenate the skin and reduce skin redness. It’s a non-invasive 10-minute short procedure that uses high-energy laser pulse at a specific wavelength in a targeted area. This works great for people with hyperpigmentation because it breaks down the pigments into smaller fragments that get absorbed by the skin and later flushed out of the body.
“This Q-switch Laser Treatment for acne also helps to decrease oil gland secretion, kill unwanted bacteria on the skin and maintain balance in the skin so that acne breakouts are more controlled. This Q-switch Laser was done every two weeks,” shared Sherlene. “What was so convenient with this laser was that there was absolutely no redness after the laser. The skin looked exactly the same and I was able to put on makeup to go out or meet my friends.”
After a few sessions, Sherlene was glad to see that there was a noticeable improvement in her skin’s clarity and texture. After three and a half months of undergoing AGNES and Q-Switch treatments, Sherlene’s skin condition improved to 80% in clarity and texture!
After finishing the AGNES Treatment and Q-Switch Laser Treatment, Dr Gerard Ee also put Sherlene under the V-Beam Laser Treatment to help diminish the appearance of skin discolourations and treat acne lesions, fine lines, rosacea, scars, wrinkles and melasma. It’s a pulse-dye laser that targets fine blood vessels so you’re sure that it targets the root of your skin problem and not on the surface level.
“I’ve regained my confidence and self-esteem.”
And finally, after a year of going through the acne and acne scar treatments, Sherlene is happy to share: “You know how we women are constantly seeking out new beauty treatments, and are so conscious of how others perceive us? Even when we just spotted one new pimple on our face, we’ll attempt to conceal them perfectly, and pray that people won’t stare at that hideous spot during [a] conversation. You know what I mean? At the end of 2 AGNES treatments and 10+ Q-switch laser sessions, I’m happy to say that I’ve regained my confidence and self-esteem.”
With patience, perseverance and trust in the treatments, Sherlene now enjoys 90% acne clearance — absolutely remarkable!
Learn more about The Clifford Clinic here and Dr Gerard Ee’s acne treatments here.
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