Sk:n | Laser Hair Removal Consultation

So . .puberty hit me with an almighty thud when I was 11 years old. Mood swings kicked in, acne army moved in and hair started appearing in places which I was mortified to discover. Back then shaving was a big no no because I was informed ''It is bad for you'', but as I got older, it was unbearable, so I introduced myself to a lady friendly razor. This I thought was amazing; hair was gone in an instant and my skin was smooth as a baby's butt! However at that age I didn't realise that the hairs would grow back faster than Usain Bolt running 9.69, be stubbly and prickly, and that in order to maintain the smoothness I desired to have I would have to shave near enough every day. 17 years later shaving is somewhat becoming a pain in particular one area which I find embarrassing to show; navel pubis. Unfortunately I have suffered for many years with excessive hair in this area which grows from the pubic bone to my belly button, and I am now seeking to sort it once and for all. I find myself shaving this area near enough once a week, sometimes giving myself ingrowing hairs which is, can I just say, an absolute nuisance. Not only that because of my skin tone, I have been left with shaving/razor trauma dark spots on my skin which looks like freckles but it is years of shaving the same area over and over.

Laser hair removal is something I have always looked into, but always backed out because a) price tag, and b) scared that my skin will be burnt/damaged. I even spent one entire summer researching laser hair removal, booking an appointment and then backing out because I was scared to go through with it. But I decided to bite the bullet and go to Sk:n with my problem a few days ago after discovering an amazing offer on their website.

For the month of August, Sk:n have got an amazing offer; 30% off all laser hair removal treatments.When I saw this I was instantly intrigued and proceeded to investigate further. At first I thought ''Nahhh, there must be a catch'' but no laser hair removal treatments really are 30% off. Immediately I completed an online form, which requests few details (i.e. name, email address and contact telephone number), and the following day I received a courtesy call.

Booking a Consultation

I received a call the following day from a lovely gentleman called Gerrad *I think*. So bubbly and friendly on a bright Sunday sunny morning was so lovely to hear. He proceeded the conversation by going through my details, which clinic I would be going to, who I would be seeing and finding a suitable time which fitted in well for my diary. I had an appointment booked 3 days after the telephone consultation which I thought was amazing and very professional, not to keep me waiting for days on end. As the consultation is completely free, Sk:n do require clients to hold their appointments with a £25 deposit, which is completely refundable once you have either attended the appointment or given sufficient notice (I think it's 24hours) before cancelling your appointment. This is of course to prevent people from booking appointments and then not showing up which is very annoying, not just for Sk:n but for any organisation.

Consultation

I arrived for my appointment 'bang on time'; I hate being late for anything important. I was greeted by a lovely Receptionist who confirmed my name and then asked me to complete several forms before my appointment with the Nurse commenced. The form is pretty self explanatory, asking me to be as honest as I can, not omitting anything medically important which may or may not have an impact on the treatment I am seeking to have. This took approximately 5/10minutes to complete, before I handed everything back to the receptionist and waited for the Nurse. Nurse Izabela greeted me in a very professional and kind manner and took me away to one of the consultation rooms which I must say was really nice; clean, refreshing with an air of professionalism.

The Nurse proceeded the consultation by explaining a bit about Sk:n, the Laser systems, my skin and suitability for the treatment and the pricing (which I already knew anyway). At each point Izabela asked if I had any questions which I thought was very thoughtful as there was a lot of information to digest in the hour or so I was there. I was then offered a free test patch test which I was a little apprehensive about but I thought if I am going to go ahead with it, obviously I needed to find out whether or not my skin would agree/disagree to it. I thought ''Sod it'' and decided to go ahead. I hopped onto the bed, Izabela explained what was going to happen and I was handed some 'swanky' funky glasses to protect my eyes from the laser. I had 3 areas tested; my skin and an area where there was hair. I was expecting intense pain to occur but I was surprised at how painless it really is. Some have described the sensation as an elastic band flicking against the skin which I can 100% say that is exactly what it felt like. The test lasted approximately 5 minutes, and I was done. Izabela applied Avene Thermal Water to cool the area, followed by a thin layer of Aloe Vera gel to keep the area soothed. Izabela asked me to keep an eye on the area, for any reactions/redness, and asked if I had any further questions to which I had none. I was then given a pack which contained my treatment plan, should I wish to proceed, along with lots of information about Sk:n, laser hair removal and etc. I was then escourted back to Reception, informed the Receptionist that I wish to receive my £25 back as it was only taken as a deposit, and should I wish to proceed with treatment I was informed to call Sk:n HQ and book my treatment via the sales team.


The whole consultation I found very informative, helpful and dignified. I was not pressured at any point during the consultation to go ahead with the treatment, Izabela made sure I received all the information so I could make a firm decision of whether or not I wish to proceed. Having thought about it for the past few days, although it is a lot of money to part with upfront, the fact that I will not have to shave, hide or be embarrassed of this area ever again, is well worth it. If I can part with an insane amount of 'moolah' for a pair of 'red soles', I can do the same for my body and improve confidence.

So what is my decision? . . Yes, I will be going ahead with treatment . .so keep your eyes peeled on my laser hair removal journey . . .

''It's just a house, but the memories still remain'' . . .#1

 . . . . Boy oh boy . . . . it has been an incredibly long time since I last rambled on here, but if you follow me on twitter than you may have an inkling as to why. 

After 24 years my parents decided to sell the family home. This gave my brother and I no option but to seek a 'roof' over our heads elsewhere. Although we were warned that the house would be sold this year, I honestly had no idea where the heck I was going to go. I had fears that I would end up somewhere not very nice and incredibly unhappy. However I have been incredibly lucky and found a property which is not far from my old home but most importantly I AM ON THE PROPERTY LADDER! I never thought I would be a home owner by the end of 2014, but I have managed to do it. I originally wanted a house, but seeing as it is just me (with my clothes and shoes), an apartment is a good starting point and hopefully in the future I will be able to get the house I long to own.

 
Due to my circumstances and situation, my parents and I thought the process would be 'plain sailing', which it has been to a certain degree, but now I am stuck at the legal part which my solicitor is busy working her way through. But I am hoping this won't take too long and I will be in the property in the next few weeks (eeek!). But in the meantime I am busy pining after my clothes (I stupidly put all my winter clothes into storage - not clever when it is now starting to get cold), and shopping for little  things I couldn't take from the family home, i.e. microwave, kettle. It is all rather fun however being able to plan/decorate/accessorise how I like without my mum whinging ''Put it back where I put it''.

 

I will update every so often with how I am getting on with everything to the point of completion/exchange. Hope this blog post hasn't been too boring either.

NEW! Cuticura Skin + Balance

Afternoon all

So it has been a while since I last blogged . .so much has happened over the past few months which I will update you all on in a different blog post. Anyway during the early part of the summer a package landed on my front door step . . completely unaware as to what it was I was somewhat rather excited to see what was inside. To my surprise I was greeted to a large wash bag (with my name embroided on the side - how cool is that?), and lots of products from the brand Cuticura. Now I associate Cuticura with the hand sanitiser, I had no idea they have branched out into skincare products.

Cuticura have launched products which are targeted at 3 skin types; Sensitive skin, Combination and Oily skin, and Dry skin.

Sensitive Skin

-Free of all fragrance, soap, alcohol and colourants. Blended with gentle relaxing ingredients such as Aloe Vera and Chamomile, the range helps to calm and soothe irritated and inflamed skin. 

Hydrating Facial Moisturiser* £1.79, 100ml

This moisturiser has been formulated to replenish irritated skin, leaving it calm and soothed. During my teens I use to suffer badly with acne to the point where my skin was sore from using so many products. However now that I am past that stage I very rarely suffer with such skin complaints which made it difficult for me to really discover whether or not this product was doing my skin any good. However that is not to say my skin might decide to 'protest' during the winter months; become sore and dry whereby this product may come back out again for another trial!

 

Soothing Facial Cleanser* £1.79, 100ml

This cleanser has been specially formulated with Aloe Vers and Chamomile to gentle cleanse the skin and remove traces of make up and impurities. If I am totally honest, this cleanser did absolutely nothing for my skin whatsoever. Hardly removed any make up as the packaging claims and I just didn't find it that great. 

Combination & Oily Skin

-Expertly formulated with extracts of Cucumber and Zinc PCA, to refine oily, shiny and congested complexions. Each product is oil free, working to balance the oil production on the t-zone, open pores and blackhead areas whilst maintaining moisture levels on dull and dry areas. 

Shine Control Facial Cleanser* £1.79, 100ml

This cleanser has been designed to cleanse oily and combination skin to remove all traces of makeup, impurities and excess oil. I personally found this cleanser to be pretty good; smelt pleasant enough to not be off putting, although a little drying afterwards. I did notice a slight reduction in the amount of sebum being produced on my skin, but there was not a huge reduction, which is a shame.

 

Oil-Free Facial Wipes* £1.79, 100ml

 These wipes are perfect if you are in a hurry and wish to remove stubborn make up and impurities. I don't usually like facial wipes as I find many of them are extremely drying and often leave my skin sore and dry. But these are really good; leave my skin feeling incredibly soft, not taut or sore. They remove make up very well in particular mascara which we all know is an absolute pain to remove. The smell is also very pleasant and not heavily over scented which some wipes can be.

Dry Skin

-Formulated to compliment and work with dry to very dry skin that can often feel tight and uncomfortable with a tendency to be flaky and drhydated. The range is formulated with Vitamin E to improve the skin's ability to retain moisture and protect it against further dehydration or tightness. 

Moisture Boost Body Cream* £1.79, 250ml

This cream is enriched with Vitamin E to boost suppleness and skin elasticity. Non-greasy and easily absorbed formula works to nourish and hydrate. I personally found this cream to be ok, but not brilliant. My skin is quite peculiar in that it needs a good thick moisturiser in order for my skin to stayed moisturised throughout the day. This cream did 1/2 a job for me; kept my skin hydrated for part of the day, but then I found myself reapplying which is not great for me especially if am busy at work! Not only that I was not too keen on the smell; reminded me of cleaning products which is not a scent I wanted to be 'sporting' allday to be honest!

Intensive Hand and Nail Cream* £1.79, 75ml

This cream provides an intensive hand treatment which deeply nourishes to rescue and repair any dry, chapped skin.  Enriched with Vitamin E this Hand and Nail cream seeks to lock in the moisture to give much needed allday hydration. I am obsessed with hand cream; I have a tube in my car, my desk at work, my bed side table and on my car keys! There is not 1 day I can live without hand cream as my hands need it so much. I hate having dry hands in particular the cuticles on my nails which lets face it, can look rather unsightly if not cared for correctly. I found with this hand cream it was pretty good; ensures my hands stayed moisturised throughout the day (without having to reapply several times), and the scent is rather pleasant.

The Cuticura Skin + Balance products are all formulated to target specific complaints we all have; dry, combination/oily and sensitive skin. Each product is created using ingredients which are gentle and kind to skin. The packaging and colouring of the products is simple and informative with sufficient information for the consumer to understand what each product is targeted at. I do however feel the price of the products are extremely cheap which to some may be a good thing. But to the skincare lovers this may indicate that the products are too cheap highlighting that the products are in fact no good. 

Would I purchase Cuticura Skin + Balance skincare products? Only the Oil-Free Facial Wipes and possibly the Intensive Nail and Hand Cream.

Hope you've enjoyed reading this blogpost.

*PR Samples