Mermaid's before and after pics

[Mermaid]

Hello all,

I was just so proud of David for posting those photos. It takes alot of guts to show yourself at your worst hence I have decided to follow suit.

The before photos were not taken with a digital camera, nor was the photo after 7 IPLs. I was ready to give up at this point but decided to pursue my treatments because I was in an enormous amount of pain. It is clear in the first photo that I was suffering badly and I too had to be rushed to emergency on more than one occasion. These 2 photos were taken by my IPL doc and as you can see, this was the reason no one would treat me. But I was lucky to find a wonderful and brilliant IPL doc.

The last shot is me and how I look today. I'm proof that if you perservere, you can turn things around. It has been 2 years now and the after shot shows how my rosacea has gone into remission. The pic was taken a fair few weeks ago but it is how I look today. I am wearing very little makeup so you can see the enormous difference in my skin. All the before and after pics have not been touched up in any way. So now you see why docs said that 'I was the worst case I have ever seen'.

Just as an aside, my hair is very long and reaches down to about my waist which you can't see in the after photo. I think of my latest photo as my 'work in progress' photo. It is so hard to show my before shots and I cringe and feel the pain all over again when I see them.

Putting those pics up was not easy but I think it might be helpful for those who are in pain and suffering and give them hope that things can turn around. If I can do it, I pretty much reckon most people will reverse their rosacea to varying degrees if they do the appropriate rosacea friendly things. I still have a long way to go though.

Thank you David for inspiring me to do this.

Mermaid


photos removed per request

[fanta]

:shock: thanks for your pic :shock:

[RedHotCanuck]

Thanks for posting your pic Mermaid. Your results are amazing and you are a very beautiful Aussie.

Do you still do any more treatments?
How old were you when your Rosacea became really bad?

[IowaDavid]

Mermaid--I know what you mean when you say "cringe" at those older pics. The first pic I posted brings back very bad memories of living inside, doing nothing except avoiding flushes. It is painful to see that again.

Thanks for posting.

Now I need to find someone that will make me pretty now so I can post an after shot too. ;)

[Mermaid]

Thanks for posting your pic Mermaid. Your results are amazing and you are a very beautiful Aussie.

Do you still do any more treatments?
How old were you when your Rosacea became really bad?

You are far too kind my Sir and flattery will get you everywhere or at least an ice cold Cooper's beer, if you ever decide to visit our beautiful land down under Mike.

I contiue to have treatments but spaced out at bi-monthly intervals. I am just too scared to stop right now, for fear of going back to that dark place of fear and more fear.

The first pic taken by my IPL doc was the worst stage in my fight. My skin was highly inflamed, dry to the point where I was peeling constantly, cystic lesions, etc I wore that purple/red face 24/7. Most people know my story and every doc I visited, put it down to stress, so I went undiagnosed for a year, which rendered me housebound for about a year. I'm still trying to get around the fact that I probably was denied many treatments had I been diagnosed correctly. Anyway a very long and complicated story, so I'll save it for another time.

I first noticed that something was not right was when I turned 30. I would wake up with a burning spot on either one of my cheeks. I really didn't give it a second thought and it was in the following year at 31 years young, that my rosacea went crazy.

So determined not to let it ruin my life, I became hyper vigilant and aggressive in my treatment, thanks to Dr Nase and his book.

The first pic which is disgusting was photographed by my IPL doc before my first IPL treatment.

That was 2 years ago which makes me 34. From 31-32 was the most nightmarish and horrific time of my life.

I am so lucky to have come back from the brink and I hope my disgusting photos at my worst, will inspire those who feel lost and sad.

Today, I am completely blemish free, do not have any wrinkles (nice side effect when having IPLs), no diffuse redness, no visible vessels, very refined pores, but most of all, it is much harder to make me flush and it dissipates quite quickly. My neural pain is much better too. My skin is smooth, soft and matches my body colour as you will have noted in my after photo LOL!

My transformation has been dramatic and I pray for the day when all this is over. I still can't believe that I've come as far as I have.

David you are so spot on about looking at the early pictures. For me, I try to avoid looking at them because invariably, I am reminded of how much I suffered. Like I said, David, you were my inspiration to show the good, the bad and the uglyl I've got a feeling that your 'handsome' photos will happen very soon. Good luck bro.

Mermaid

[Kelli]

Amazing, Mermaid!

You are very brave and very striking! Love your hair!

Gotta ask... real curls? (I have perfectly straight hair and have always hated it. I always wanted curls like that, but my hair laughs at a curling iron.)

[Max]

The before photos were not taken with a digital camera, nor was the photo after 7 IPLs. I was ready to give up at this point but decided to pursue my treatments because I was in an enormous amount of pain. It is clear in the first photo that I was suffering badly and I too had to be rushed to emergency on more than one occasion. These 2 photos were taken by my IPL doc and as you can see, this was the reason no one would treat me. But I was lucky to find a wonderful and brilliant IPL doc.


just one question, mermaid: before pic shows pretty much redness on your ears - have they been treated as well?

[scrumptious]

Oh you poor thing!! That first shot looks SO painful :cry:

I think its amazing that youve turned it around and are now able to model again, well done for persevering when others may have given up.

May i ask. When you mentioned the neural burning, at what stage did you notice the IPL lessening that symptom? As you know i have just finished my second session with Dr C, using the YAG, and today i was out in high winds and rain and noticed my ski get the usual tingle 4pm ish where it wanted to flush. I didn't flush, am not sure if i would have if teh central heating was on, but the tingle has lasted all evening and my eyes hurt. I would class this as neural pain and man i want it gone! :cry:

[Iotrez]

Glad you have got good results, its encouraging to see them.

I notice that the before photo and the second photo(after 7 IPLs) seem to have been taken in different lighting conditions. The 1st one looks like natural light and the second one looks like a flash was used.

Its kind of a shame because it makes it harder to compare the results.

I was wondering if you had any more IPLs inbetween the 2nd photo and the last photo?

Thanks.

ps, you look absolutely amazing in the lastest pic.

[Mermaid]

Amazing, Mermaid!

You are very brave and very striking! Love your hair!

Gotta ask... real curls? (I have perfectly straight hair and have always hated it. I always wanted curls like that, but my hair laughs at a curling iron.)

Yep real curls. How I used to long for straight hair. Growing up, you don't have the experience to handle thick, curly hair, so it was the bane of my life.

Then I learnt how to control my hair with anti frizz serums etc. Also the longer my hair is, the better the curls look because the length weighs the hair down. A friend of mine (actually she took that after shot) decided to straighten my hair with those straightening irons. Well 3 hours later, I don't know who was more exhausted, my friend or me.

I must say though, that I completely loved it. It felt so 'swish' and luxurious, so be proud of your hair Kelli because I think you are gorgeous.

And congrats about starting Accutane. I think you will see great results.

Mermaid

[Mermaid]

just one question, mermaid: before pic shows pretty much redness on your ears - have they been treated as well?

Hey Max,

Yes from day one I have had my ears treated too. It has radically reduced the incidence of those horrible red, burning ear flushes.

Mermaid

[Mermaid]

Oh you poor thing!! That first shot looks SO painful :cry:

I think its amazing that youve turned it around and are now able to model again, well done for persevering when others may have given up.

May i ask. When you mentioned the neural burning, at what stage did you notice the IPL lessening that symptom? As you know i have just finished my second session with Dr C, using the YAG, and today i was out in high winds and rain and noticed my ski get the usual tingle 4pm ish where it wanted to flush. I didn't flush, am not sure if i would have if teh central heating was on, but the tingle has lasted all evening and my eyes hurt. I would class this as neural pain and man i want it gone! :cry:

Hey Scrumptious,

I can't even begin to tell you how much I am physically and emotionally scarred from this ordeal.

That first pic before IPL, was me on a good day. I wore that face and felt so much pain that I just couldn't imagine living my entire life like this. I became a regular at emergency clinics. I could see doctors recoil in horror when they saw me. Anyway, although I have further to go, it's fantastic to be part of the land of the living again.

I find it pretty amazing that I have made such huge strides, so after the initial shock wore off, I was determined to get my life back, as it isn't in my nature to give up. In hindsight, I wonder how I did it all and still am to a much lesser degree now.

Sorry I took so long to answer your question. I'm sad that you are going through that healing, sucky stage after your tx but it will settle.

I noticed a reduction in my neural burning at about tx 10. My doc combines IPL and the Yag 'painting technique' and it is giving me even better results.

Please email me anytime if you want to discuss this in more detail Scrumptious.

Mermaid

[Mermaid]

Glad you have got good results, its encouraging to see them.

I notice that the before photo and the second photo(after 7 IPLs) seem to have been taken in different lighting conditions. The 1st one looks like natural light and the second one looks like a flash was used.

Its kind of a shame because it makes it harder to compare the results.

I was wondering if you had any more IPLs inbetween the 2nd photo and the last photo?

Thanks.

ps, you look absolutely amazing in the lastest pic.

Hi Iotrez,

No both pictures were taken in daylight and in the same spot. The angle of my head varies in the 2 photos and hence I can detect areas of darkness where the shadow falls onto the wall behind. I can get some more photos when I fly to see my doc next. He doesn't use a digital camera either but I can honestly say that those photos are what I looked like, at the time.

When seeking a rebate from my health insurance company, my doctor had to submit photos of me at various stages of my treatment and a letter as to the degree that rosacea has impacted on my life. The photos were analysed by a group of doctors in order to determine if I was indeed a legitimate case. Number one rule was that no photo be digitally or otherwise enhanced. They are extremely strict about this. The IPL pics that I posted were the exact ones scrutinised by the health insurance company. On the basis of all this, I have been allowed a rebate on some of my treatments.

Yes indeed, I certainly have had my abundance of IPLs and in fact I still do have them at bi-monthly intervals, sometimes 6 weeks though too. I guage after each treatment.

Thank you Iotrez for your compliment about that last photo of me now :D I've worked so hard to get to where I am now. Still a long road ahead though.

Mermaid

[lobster222222]

Mermaid
First I want to say that you look beautiful and you have come along way in your treatment of this disease, you have my admiration. I have a couple of questions for you about your treatments, if you could answer them i would be grateful? I was wondering how many treatments did it take for your skin to get better rather than worse after an IPL. Or is it always bad after a treatment? I just had my second a little over a week ago and it looks really, really bad, it almost looks like the IPL is doing nothing but making my face worse. I am going to post pictures, but I want to have enough pics to post before and after then a week after tx, after each of my 6-9 tx's. I still find when I get out of the shower my face looks blotchy and bumpy for hours after, and it makes me sad and gives me the feeling Iam throwing alot of money away. Are you on maintenance mode right now or still actively treating? Iam taking biaxin 500mg every other day in between treatments and was doing a treatment a week untill this last one that really knocked me down, it left me with 2 small bruises and two blisters. Was the treatment, in your opinion, too agressive? I was just wondering if you had bruising and blistering after your tx's also.
Thank you for your time and good luck in the future.
john

[irishgenes]

John, I was reading this thread and noticed that you are using Protopic. I hadn't heard of this and googled it, finding this at the top of the page: https://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/protopic?
Just wanted to be sure you are aware of the risks.

[fanta]

if this is true then the strong macrolides could be dangerous as well, with them you just dont only get cancer in the skin but just as well cancer in the stomach, liver, blah blah blah. Guess I should only stay on 500mg clarithromycin for 20 days straight.

[lobster222222]

Irishgenes
Well that really sucks. I was not aware of the skin cancer or lymphoma issue, and my derm did not warn me at all. I went through two tubes of that stuff, well been nice knowing ya. :shock:

PS. I only used it on a small portion of my body, just my face. I think that is only 5% of my body so I hope if I stop now I will be fine :? I hope...

[fanta]

sulfacetamine is not exactly a healthy alternative but guess you gotta use something

[G24]

Fantastic results Mermaid.. Congrats :) Btw. You look fantastic :o

[arcticlobo]

I asked my derm and also my regular doctor about protopic/elidel when the FDA first came out with the cancer warnings. The both basically said "If I was a six month old baby and I covered my entire skin twice a day with protopic, then yes I would have some problems." The both essentially dismissed the idea that using either of these to treat seb derm on small portions of my face 4-5 times a week would ever cause any problems.

As a side note, have you tried Elidel instead of protopic? I assume you are using them for seb derm? I though protopic was very greasy when I used it. I just apply elidel once in the morning and it leaves no residue or greasy film on your skin. I like it much more than protopic.

[Mermaid]

Mermaid
First I want to say that you look beautiful and you have come along way in your treatment of this disease, you have my admiration. I have a couple of questions for you about your treatments, if you could answer them i would be grateful? I was wondering how many treatments did it take for your skin to get better rather than worse after an IPL. Or is it always bad after a treatment? I just had my second a little over a week ago and it looks really, really bad, it almost looks like the IPL is doing nothing but making my face worse. I am going to post pictures, but I want to have enough pics to post before and after then a week after tx, after each of my 6-9 tx's. I still find when I get out of the shower my face looks blotchy and bumpy for hours after, and it makes me sad and gives me the feeling Iam throwing alot of money away. Are you on maintenance mode right now or still actively treating? Iam taking biaxin 500mg every other day in between treatments and was doing a treatment a week untill this last one that really knocked me down, it left me with 2 small bruises and two blisters. Was the treatment, in your opinion, too agressive? I was just wondering if you had bruising and blistering after your tx's also.
Thank you for your time and good luck in the future.
john

Hello John,

Thank you so much for your kind words. Yep things have been very difficult for all of us but things can only get better from here. We also have the prospect of many new treatment options which Dr Nase has said are only a couple of years away.

To answer your questions, I didn't ever have that worse before getting better scenario. When I had my first IPL (the first pic), I was flushing 24/7. My doctor has always been very conservative, vigilant and willing to learn. He has a copy of Dr Nase's book and admires him greatly. My improvement has been over a 2 year period and on occasion, my skin is a little sensitive for a couple of weeks after each tx, but nothing that bothers me. Each tx gives me more and more clearance and I have noticed that the 'no downtime' which so many IPL docs love to use, is actually true now that my skin is stronger, but this has taken a very long time to achieve.

Now having said all that, Dr Nase has said the following:

I know this might sound weird, but in many cases one treatment may just cause moderate trauma and angiogenesis like you mentioned. I know too many people that have gotten worse before getting better.

For the price you pay, you would expect immediate improvement....... I know trust me. Did you see the photo where my face was burned from pulsed dye laser. I was sooooooo much worse for over a year. No way was I ever going to get another laser treatment. Before my first photoderm treatment I think I sat in my car for about 30 to 40 minutes trying to talk myself out of it.

Repeated treatments will debulk the vessels and remove hypersensitive vessels. You may have to go with a 590 nm triple pulse to ensure the safest approach -- right now, this seems to be the gold standard. You really cant go wrong with this wavelength and number of pulses.

Just some information to take in and assimilate. Rosacea is tricky to navigate. I hope the information helps in some fashion.

Geoffrey
------------------------------------------------
Dr. Geoffrey Nase
Ph.D. Neuro-Vascular Physiologist
Rosacea Research Specialist & Consultant
http://www.drnase.com

So you may very well be one of those people who has experienced increased trauma and as such may benefit from discussing Dr Nase's views with your doc.

No I have never bruised or blistered from any of my IPLs. My guess is that if you are bruising or blistering, then I think your doc is using too much energy. You just can't go in and blast away when the skin is so delicate and you really need to build up slowly. This will heal but have a chat with your doc about this. Bruising is never a good thing.

Hope this helps a little John and I'm sure with time, this stage will pass. Talking to all of us will reassure you too.

Mermaid

[Mermaid]

Fantastic results Mermaid.. Congrats :) Btw. You look fantastic :o

Hey G24,

Thank you for your sweet words. I'm getting all shy now. In this instance, I don't mind blushing though. Thank you again G24. You sure know how to make a gals day.

Mermaid

[Winnie M]

Hi Mermaid,

What you have is not outer beauty only, you have a grateful heart and always try to help others and that is the quality of inner beauty. Some wrote a long story about how they got their life back after IPL or laser treatments, but not one word mentioning about whom they got that important knowledge from.

I wish there was a special laser for seb derm, then I could show my before and after photos here :lol:

Best wishes, Winnie

quote="Mermaid
So determined not to let it ruin my life, I became hyper vigilant and aggressive in my treatment, thanks to Dr Nase and his book.
Mermaid[/quote

[SpencerK]

You do look great though Mermaid, I'm well happy for you. From the looks of your first pic you have been through hell, and come out the other side shinning bright. Good for you.

You are an inspiration to all the girls and boys on this forums.

Take care

Spence

[fanta]

Well, as someone being everywhere with my comments, I have to say that the pictures are quite impressive. Yes mermaid was indeed a bad case and Yes laser treatments may work for some. Mermaid, god bless you and may you live a long and happy life (with no Marc :lol: )

[Mermaid]

You do look great though Mermaid, I'm well happy for you. From the looks of your first pic you have been through hell, and come out the other side shinning bright. Good for you.

You are an inspiration to all the girls and boys on this forums.

Take care

Spence

Thank you Spence. My story has been one that indeed could be turned into a horror story. Yes it was hell and although I am very sensitive emotionally, I also have a lot of fight in me. Looking at those before shots even after the 7th IPL makes me feel sick in my stomach. Not just because I looked so horrible but it also brings back all the memories of how much I suffered.

I've always been so ambitious, so vivacious and lived life to the fullest, that rosacea pretty much stopped me in my tracks. Many know my story, so I won't bore everyone again but to be placed in a psychiatric clinic by my doctor because he thought I was burning the candle at both ends, while I was slowly getting worse and worse, was just the beginning of my nightmare. No one listened to me, no one cared except my family. I bought Geoffrey's book before anyone even diagnosed me because I knew that what I was experiencing was more than a case of mild stress.

I hope no one has to go through what I went through Spence. That is why I try to share and help as much as I can. It's all I can do. Life is good for me now but I still struggle with the psychological scars.

Thanks again Spence for your well wishes.

Mermaid

[Mermaid]

Well, as someone being everywhere with my comments, I have to say that the pictures are quite impressive. Yes mermaid was indeed a bad case and Yes laser treatments may work for some. Mermaid, god bless you and may you live a long and happy life (with no Marc :lol: )

Thank you Fanta. I think my case was beyond bad and although IPL/Laser has helped me so much, I knew that I needed to take a multi pronged approach. I do everything in my power to attack this rosacea and I think it is this combined approach and my 'never say die' attitude that has pulled me through.

I know for many, IPL/Laser does not achieve the desired results but I have a wonderful doctor who has stuck with me and worked with me to find the optimum way to tackle my particular case.

As I said to Spence, life is pretty good now and I count my blessings everyday and may god bless you in return.

Thanks again Fanta.

Mermaid

[scrumptious]

Mermaid i don't know yr story so i would be happy if you bored me with it. i didn't know you were admitted to a psychiatric clinic ! My Mum ended up in a psychiatric ward when she reacted badly to prescribed valium years and years ago and jumped out a window. She is one of the strongest people i know, so for it to happen to her it really can happen to anyone.

[fanta]

Mermaid, you deserve some weeks in a nice place like Tuscany, Southern France or Paris. I think a bit of traveling and shopping could help you moving on. You have so much to give the world being a kind, generous, intelligent and pretty woman

Mermaid, be proud of what youve accomplished and conquer the world

Fanta

[Bihbicat]

Thanks for sharing the pics Mermaid. It's so good to see that you are being affirmed by people on this thread. Just goes to show most people are good despite the odd unfortunate, if you know what I mean.

[fanta]

Just goes to show most people are good despite the odd unfortunate, if you know what I mean. :|

[Mermaid]

Thanks for sharing the pics Mermaid. It's so good to see that you are being affirmed by people on this thread. Just goes to show most people are good despite the odd unfortunate, if you know what I mean.

Thank you so much for your support Bihbicat. It was so hard to post those before shots but I hope people will see them and think, 'my god, I'm so glad that I don't look like that' and realise that even a worst case scenario (me), can get significant reversals or remissions. Perserverance and patience are the keys to success.

As for your quote above, I know EXACTLY what you mean :wink:

I hope you are doing well Bihbi and we'll speak soon. Thanks again.

Mermaid

[fanta]

As for your quote above, I know EXACTLY what you mean :wink:


women! [-(

[Bradley]

^Someone please give Fanta an award for comedy, he cracks me up everytime!

[Mermaid]

//

[hisightes]

Mermaid,
Your photos look great. It's amazing how far you've come from your first picture. WHat is your secret? I am currently having IPL's performed but I feel I need more. My ears are especially a problem.
I currently take supplements and think I am doing all I can, but am always looking for soemthing new.

Patrick

[DonH]

Hello all,

I was just so proud of David for posting those photos. It takes alot of guts to show yourself at your worst hence I have decided to follow suit.

The before photos were not taken with a digital camera, nor was the photo after 7 IPLs. I was ready to give up at this point but decided to pursue my treatments because I was in an enormous amount of pain. It is clear in the first photo that I was suffering badly and I too had to be rushed to emergency on more than one occasion. These 2 photos were taken by my IPL doc and as you can see, this was the reason no one would treat me. But I was lucky to find a wonderful and brilliant IPL doc.

The last shot is me and how I look today. I'm proof that if you perservere, you can turn things around. It has been 2 years now and the after shot shows how my rosacea has gone into remission. The pic was taken a fair few weeks ago but it is how I look today. I am wearing very little makeup so you can see the enormous difference in my skin. All the before and after pics have not been touched up in any way. So now you see why docs said that 'I was the worst case I have ever seen'.

Just as an aside, my hair is very long and reaches down to about my waist which you can't see in the after photo. I think of my latest photo as my 'work in progress' photo. It is so hard to show my before shots and I cringe and feel the pain all over again when I see them.

Putting those pics up was not easy but I think it might be helpful for those who are in pain and suffering and give them hope that things can turn around. If I can do it, I pretty much reckon most people will reverse their rosacea to varying degrees if they do the appropriate rosacea friendly things. I still have a long way to go though.

Thank you David for inspiring me to do this.

Mermaid




http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a11/bellamermaid/maria-bust2005.png

WOW! stunning picture.............very pretty! I am now thinking of moving to Australia. :wink:

[Anilid]

Hello Mermaid,

Congratulations for your results. You look absolutely fabolous.

I'm 28 and I have rosacea since 2000. I have a mild case now, but it was severe at one time. I've had 3 IPL and 4 VBeam, which is probably not enough. Anyway, I'm really encouraged when I see your pictures because I know that if things get really bad, I could trust IPL to get back on the right track.

Must be tough to live in Australia with such a fair skin!

BTW, how far is Montreal from Australia? :P

Jeff

[adelinapatti]

Mermaid, you are very beautiful and brave!! did you have an eye symptoms? if yes, what were they and did the treatment help you?




adelina.

[hisightes]

Great picture. You've come along way. If you don't mind, what kind of treatment did you receive? What machine did the doctor use and what settings? I am about to see a new doctor for my treatment of Rosacea and he seems up to date on the latest treatments but since you've progressed so much, I would like to know what your doctor did.

Patrick

[mitch]

looking good mermaid im just wondering do u still get flushes?

or have they also gone completely

[Buster]

I think this is how all australian women look like, and all men look like Crocodile Dundee.
Great picture in any event.

[BellaMermaid]

looking good mermaid im just wondering do u still get flushes?

or have they also gone completely

Hey Mitch,

I'm sorry that I missed your message. Yes I do still flush but only to extreme heat and extreme stress. When I do flush which isn't all that often anymore, the intensity and duration is greatly reduced. I can pretty much do as I like these days but I still have to make sure that I don't push myself. Lyrica is certainly helping me to finally address my last symptom, which is neural pain. I think 2006 will be a good one :D

[BellaMermaid]

I think this is how all australian women look like, and all men look like Crocodile Dundee.
Great picture in any event.

Hey Buster,

Your post made me laugh. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on who you ask, I don't look like the average Australian woman. I am part Italian and part Argentinian by heritage and my parents just happened to be in Australia when I popped out. The average Australian woman is more the surfie chick type. Blonde hair, bronzed bodies etc, so I do stand out simply because I look different. It usually works in my favour though :wink:

As for your comment about the men, yes it is quite hideous watching them carve up crocodiles in the streets. What a passion killer. They're always so preoccupied by the size of their knives :roll:

Anyway, thank you for the compliment Buster. I hope you are doing well and by the sounds of it, you certainly are. Just fantastic :D

[slippy]

Bella, any chance u could mail me ur pics?