Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Seeking Beauty From the Inside Out

It's my third time seeing Dr. Shanthala and it's just as special as the first time.  Things I can count on--a warm, welcoming hug, the offer of a cool drink and the comfort of the environment.  I feel beautiful just walking in the door. Soothing music and exotic decor are warm and inviting.  I feel hopeful and comfortable and I know I'm in good hands.  Dr. Shanthala sees the beauty inside of her patients and she lets them know, she let's me know.  She handles the skin delicately as she observes and considers her recommendations.  She compliments the canvas presented to her and her recommendations are to enhance, not recreate.  It truly is an experience to look forward to and I do.  

Our conversations are easy and move along as a conversation between old friends would after a long hiatus.  The topics are personal yet focused on what I need to feel better about me and my aging exterior. We decide on a microneedling treatment with PRP (platelet rich plasma).  I'd had two prior microneedling treatments and the condition of my skin is improving with each one.  Dr. Shanthala recommends the addition of  PRP and use of Bellafill (a filler injected underneath the deepest scar) due to the intense depth of  some acne scarring that troubles me.  Microneedling itself promotes collagen production in the skin.  When the PRP is re-injected with the microneedling treatment, collagen production is stimulated even more so by the growth factors that are contained in my own blood.  My results were excellent!  My skin was smoother and actually  glowed!  My pores were smaller and the scarring with each treatment is disappearing little by little.

I took pictures before and after and I even took a video with my phone during the procedure.  It's all so interesting to me.  I hope you will find it interesting as well.  

July 15, 2015 No Makeup


This first photo is on the day of treatment, I arrive with a clean face, no makeup whatsoever.
Numbing agent applied before treatment.
Dr. Shanthala applies a numbing cream to my entire face prior to the treatment.  It feels cool like menthol would and it definitely numbs your face!
While we wait for the numbing agent to take affect, Dr. Shanthala draws my blood.  The PRP is the yellow serum you will see below.  My blood is placed in the centrifuge and spun to separate the PRP from the rest of the blood product.  The yellow serum is rich is growth factors.  It will be re-injected into my face during the microneedling procedure.

Supplies used for my blood draw.



Centrifuge used to separate the serum from my blood.

My blood product post-centrifuge.  The serum is yellow.


Once my face is adequately numb, Dr. Shanthala marks my face for specific areas of concern.  In my case, I was troubled by some acne scarring.  You'll see that she has circled these areas in green.
My face is marked for areas of concern--scarring.





Here's the video I took during the treatment.
                                                                                  


The image below is how my skin looks post-procedure.  It's a bit red as a sunburn would be.  The skin is soft and shiny.


Post procedure, my skin is red.


The images below were taken one day post-treatment and then again several weeks later.  The deep acne scar is almost completely gone.
Top photo is one day post procedure.
Bottom photo is 19 days post procedure.


45 days post procedure

I'm still so very pleased with the result!  To think that I had been bothered by those scars for the majority of my life and now to be rid of them!!!  I'm very, very happy.


Thank you Dr. Shanthala, from the bottom of my heart.....

xo
Michelle