Hey guys!  If you already follow my Instagram page herbsandherbs you will know that I recently had laser treatment on my cheeks in an ongoing effort to help control my rosacea.

What is laser treatment? How can it help rosacea?

A Vascular laser emit’s wavelengths of light that are targeted at the tiny vessels found just under the skin.  Heat from the laser’s energy builds in the vessels causing them to disintegrate. This type of treatment can greatly reduce visible redness and help to manage the red ‘bumps’ and pimples some rosacea sufferers experience too.

Why do I have laser treatment?

I am very lucky to be able to have my treatment through the NHS in the U.K after being referred by a dermatologist.  I was having a particularly bad time with it a couple of years ago.  Day to day both my cheeks constantly felt hot, itchy and were visibly red and blotchy with spot like bumps. It felt really uncomfortable and sore. I became very self conscious of what it looked liked and it massively affected my confidence.  Simultaneously, the stress of going through a hefty break up made my rosacea flare ups the worst I had experienced.

I was basically at a loss with what do next because in my mind I had tried everything; antibiotics, topical gels from the doctor, experimented with a gluten free diet, trialled a mountain of ‘gentle’ skincare products…the list goes on. Nothing seemed to be helping my rosacea in a way that made me feel in control of it. That’s when I asked to see a dermatologist.

After being on the waiting list for a good 7 months I met with a kind and incredibly understanding dermatologist in London. He knew how much this was affecting my day to day life and mentioned the effectiveness of Laser.  After a long chat he said he would refer me to a laser clinic, but mentioned it might not be possible to get it on the NHS with all the cuts that were being made.  By some miracle not too long after I received a letter in the post with an appointment to have my first laser treatment in July 2016. I had a while to wait but I was overjoyed and felt incredibly grateful.

Where am I at with my laser treatment now?

At the start of April 2017 I had my third laser treatment. I had to take a week off work and hide because my face puffed up like a balloon and my cheeks were very bruised!  I thought I’d share some photos with you to show how my skin has healed over the last couple of weeks post laser treatment. Very happy with the results so far. It is definitely helping calm the redness on my cheeks and I don’t have epic flare ups on a regular basis anymore. Anyway, here are some photos… If you’re squeamish maybe look away now!

For the first two days, the purple bruising developed as did the swelling:

Then as the week went by the swelling calmed and the bruising slowly healed…

And a week after laser my skin looked like this:

It’s now been about two weeks and my cheeks are still a little red but hey, that’s rosacea for you! I am so happy knowing that it’s not half as aggressive as what it used to be and that I can confidently cover little bits of redness up with make up.

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This is me yesterday at brunch with a pal. See how much it’s healed in such a short space of time? I’m amazed. Skin is fascinating.

Thanks for reading! Rosacea is a tricky one but i’m starting to feel in control of it.

Herbs and Herbs x