Skin & Life After Facial Incident: What You’ve Always Wanted To Know - Part 1

Hello friends! Sorry for this long overdue post, whoops! I've been meaning to write about how life and my skin have been since the terrible facial but there really is SO MUCH that getting started gave me a headache. And then my iMac went mad when I was close to publishing so that sat me back by a couple more weeks. @_@

Well, here it is, and it so happens to also be the month the outbreak occurred 3 years ago. So.... Happy anniversary to me! LOL.

After more than 3 years since the horrible facial happened, I still get asked questions pertaining to the incident. I don’t mind getting questions, really, in fact I am glad that my posts have touched many people and given them the courage to reach out to someone for help. Or shed light on the potential consequences of a facial.

However, sometimes I do find it tiring to be replying the same questions over and over again, all day, every day. To me, this incident happened very long ago and I do want to put it behind me. But every now and then a website picks up this piece of old news and it goes viral and then I get flooded with questions again. To people who don't notice the date or look at my life updates, they think it happened yesterday.

So I decided to put together a two-part series, covering the most frequently asked questions, across various topics to help as many people as possible. I wanted to break it further but three posts seemed like an overkill.

Here's Skin & Life Post-Facial: What You’ve Always Wanted To Know

Part 1: Salon Identity, Case Resolution, Skin Updates

Part 2: Skin Updates, Doctors, Dealing With Skin Conditions

Q: What happened ultimately? Did the facial salon compensate you?

A: No. The salon people told me ‘Don’t worry, we will reimburse you for your taxi fares and clinic bills. Just keep the receipts’.

They paid me not a single cent.

I paid a lawyer to write a letter of request for compensation from the salon – just for my clinic bills and transport. My skin looked so hideous there was no way I could take public transport. I could not even look at myself in the mirror.

I did not ask for any form of compensation for loss of income or emotional trauma because according to my lawyer, you can sue for damages in the US for tens of thousands of dollars for that. The last time he checked, emotional trauma will have you compensated for $16 in Singapore. Haha wth.

Instead of simply closing the case with compensation on my medical bills and transport, the facial salon issued me a letter from their lawyer, stating none of my claims were valid and threatened to counter-sue for defamation if I ever published their name.

So I gave up pursuing the matter. I was tired from all that legal stuff, I had paid $500 for the lawyer letter and didn’t want to pay more or waste more time to fight in court. Some say I was bullied into silence. I know that, but I was too emotionally and physically exhausted from pursuing the matter.

Q: Can you tell me the name of the facial place?

A: I’m sorry I have to put my own safety above your curiosity. I don't want to get sued for defamation.

But here's how they look in my mind:

(Please don't tell me this looks cute HAHA, I'll be very sad if you do coz the salon people are not cute at all. I don't know how to draw cartoons!)

Q: I am thinking of signing a package with XXX salon, but I’m scared it’s the one that destroyed your skin. Is it XXX? 

A: Some people guessed correctly. I couldn't say yes and I wouldn't say no. So I didn’t reply. I just hoped they didn't go through something as damaging as mine.

Q: Will you ever go for a facial in your life again? Should I go for a facial with YYY? 

A: I do not advocate and will NOT encourage anyone to go for facials. I have lived without a single facial for the past 3 years and will not go for any more this lifetime.

But if you want to go for one, I cannot stop you.

See, the problem lies not with my allergic reaction from the facial, but in how the facial salon improperly handled the situation – by further aggravating the reaction by squeezing the pus when it was clear the bumps were abnormal, and by throwing me away like a piece of old rag and threatening to sue for defamation when I never even mentioned their name.

The salon I went to isn’t a small and unknown salon, so if a big brand with so many outlets can do this to me, they can do it to many more of their customers - like you.

There is no proper governance for this industry, so it's really a risk that consumers like you and I take.

Q: You are so selfish for not sharing the name of the salon. More people might end up like you! You did all these to gain fame.

A: Usually I just ignore such hate mails lol. But sometimes I want to ask ‘If the salon decides to sue me, will you pay for my legal fees to fight back?’ I feel pity for people who think anyone would put herself through this just to get 'famous'. Do they hanker after fame so much?

Q: Help! Can you tell me what to do? (attaches pictures of skin and relates story)

A: Usually I’ll reply starting with:

Dear ____,

Thanks for writing to me and I'm sorry to hear that you're going through this. I know how it feels to struggle with skin issues. However I am not a qualified doctor and cannot provide you a diagnosis.

Then I’ll tell them I wrote a post listing the doctors I’ve been to or clinics recommended by others.

I really do try to reply every single person who asks for help because I know how desperate a person struggling with skin issues must feel. Lonely, scared, lost, helpless.

But I draw the line at those who say they are desperate and claim to have read ALL my posts and then ask 'which doctor did you go to?'. -_-" Clearly they aren't desperate enough to help themselves first by clicking on the posts I have provided links to.

Q: What are you using for your skin now?

I wrote a couple of posts on my skincare routine, which changes with every skin doctor I see and time. In fact, I use NONE of the products listed in the posts anymore, but if you're interested, here are a few of them:

• Your Questions Answered: My Skincare Regime
• Here’s How My Skincare Routine Has Changed After 2 Years
• Doctors who don’t give a shit

Q: How is your skin now?

I post plenty of updates on my skin on Dayre - it’s where I write more about my private life. My writing is a lot more casual there too. You can find me with username @bunbunmakeuptips.

As of 16 May 2016, my skin is doing ok. No major issues, just some pimples around the mouth, under the jaw, old acne scars, comedones. By my skin standards, this is considered pretty good. I daren't ask for flawless.

Q: Do you still wear makeup?

A: Of course, I love makeup! 😀 It's just like drawing on my face and making all the things I love about it stand out, and concealing the stuff that I worry about. It alters the course of my day, and how I feel about myself. It makes me feel happy, confident, and less ugly.

To me, makeup exists not to 'trick' people into thinking we're a different person (not talking about cosplay or drag makeup here), rather, it is there to enhance our natural features and to make us feel good about ourselves. Look good, feel awesome, right?

In the media, we see perfect, flawless complexions everywhere. Doesn't help that I'm IN this industry where it's natural to get judged for the way you look, and flaws on the skin are the most obvious.

Q: Will not wearing makeup improve my skin condition? How do you know if a product will be safe for your skin? 

A: I can't say for anyone else, but NOT wearing makeup does NOT improve my skin condition at all. I've tried going without makeup for many days/weeks, and didn't see any improvements. When I wear makeup, I make sure I remove every bit of it before I retire for the night.

There is no 100% guarantee that something that works for others will work for you. Especially for sensitive skin, it's a risk every time. If you know you're prone to a reaction from a certain ingredient, then avoid it. Lucky you, coz at least you know what breaks you out. For the rest of us, it's a guessing game each time.

For the sake of keeping this post to a bearable length, I shall stop here. I'll answer even more questions in Part 2: more skin updates, current skincare, and why I stopped going to certain doctors.

For now if you have any burning questions, you can leave a comment below!

See you at Part 2! 😀

Part 1: Salon Identity, Case Resolution, Skin Updates

Part 2: Skin Updates, Doctors, Dealing With Skin Conditions