Tiis-Ganda

Ayoko nang maging artista.

LOL!

I’m saying this because two or three weeks ago, I had treatments done on me at the Weigh Less Center (Mendez Medical Group) at SM Megamall.  And boy were they painful…painful physically and painful financially!

Remember when I was ranting about my underarms burnt by waxing?  Naku, it happened again.  Twice pa after that!  So I really swore to myself I’ll have my underarms lasered.  Sobrang nacacahiya talaga mag-sleeveless.  Plus my friend Dr. Sugar Blanco told me how her boyfriend was raving about her underarms not having hair.  She advised me to look for online promos, ‘coz that’s how she was able to have her underarms lasered without breaking the bank.

And then I saw this deal on Ensogo:

Perfect, di ba?  At our local dermatologist, each IPL session easily costs P3,000!  So this was great.  After all, I’m always in the Metro these days; Mendez Medical has a branch at Megamall, and our condo is near Megamall.  So on Friday last week after my class, I headed to its Megamall branch to inquire.  I had a feeling that I could get the same deal without having to go through Ensogo.  If not, I could easily purchase it online naman.  Basta, I’d rather clarify all the terms before buying.  So I went.  And, I was right!  I was able to get the same deal they’re offering at Ensogo!  But aside from the Php 3,000 3-in-1 underarm package, I was also greatly “encouraged” to avail of the additional P3,000 for four sessions of blue treatment + diamond peel to remove the “chicken skin” of my underarms daw.

First, my underarms were treated with the whitening cream.  While waiting for the cream to dry, I asked about their sclerotherapy.  See, it’s also on my bucket list—to eradicate my varicose veins and spider veins!  Ever since I gave birth, they’ve started being visible on my legs.  Plus I teach the whole day, and that requires me to be on my feet for long periods of time.  Eh you know how conscious I am about my thunder thighs ‘di ba?  Ngayon na nga lang ako nagkakalakas-loob mag-shorts-shorts, so I certainly do not want to ruin that newfound courage and conviction (hehe) just because of another legs problem.  I can’t just ignore this, because I remember my pretty cousin, Ate Frances, very vividly said this a decade ago:  “Basta ako, hindi ako magsho-shorts ‘pag puro varicose veins ang legs ko!”

The clinic attendant called one of the dermatologists there, a Dr. Panes.  She looked at my legs and estimated that with their Buy 2 Take 1 promo, I’d be spending a huge amount to fully eradicate the unsightly and painful varicose veins.

Whaaaaaat?!??

Napalunok ako.  Here I thought I’d only be spending P3,000 for my underarms.  I said I’ll shelf it for the meantime.

Then I asked about what may be done about my crow’s feet.  Botox daw.  Botox?!? Parang hindi ko kinaya.  Parang sobrang extreme na ng Botox ‘di ba?  Feeling ko, ‘pag ipinagawa ko ‘yun, parang retokada na rin ako.  Because honestly, never akong naging suki ng derma or any beauty clinics.  All my life, I went to a derma less than five times.  One of them was a few days before my wedding when I had a diamond peel.

Then Dr. Joel Mendez came to see me.  He was really nice, despite his status as a celebrity doctor.  He checked my legs and said it was OK naman daw, albeit ‘yun nga, some veins are starting to run through them.  He offered me great sclerotherapy deal—freebies worth around P6,000!  So, GAME!  I got only a fraction of the quoted total sclerotherapy package, para at least ‘yung mga obvious man lang ang matanggal.

So after the underarm whitening and excessive sweating treatment (before the actual IPL), Dr. Joel Mendez himself treated my varicose veins.  Pa’no?  Injection.  Yes, injection directly on my protruding veins.  At first, I easily accepted it.  I thought to myself, I just have to suck it up, as I expected only about five injections.  But nooooo!!!  My legs with not-that-many-and-not-that-big-varicose-veins got more than ten shots!  Intravenous pa ito!  So masakit kung masakit!  It was just nice that Dr. Joel made small talk as he was injecting me, at least nadi-distract ako.  He really was nice.

See the green, thin veins running down my legs?

My legs after the injections

I was told my legs would have bruises, and I was asked to buy an ointment to help with the bruising.  I refused to buy, because that would mean another gastos.  Tutal bruise lang naman.  Hindi ko naman akalain that my legs would look like this for several days:

And trust me, it looks worse in person!  This hindered me from wearing skirts shorter than my calves for a week or so.  But my legs are OK now.  I don’t regret having undergone sclerotherapy, especially when I learned that varicose veins also cause deep vein thrombosis—yes, the alleged culprit behind the sudden demise of Wowie De Guzman’s wife.

After the sclerotherapy, my pits were finally lasered.  Was it painful?  Not really.  It felt like a kid with a rubber band was tirador–ing my pits.  The pain was tolerable.  But honestly, it felt bitin.  Parang ang konti lang ng sinunog.  I can’t really see because hey, it’s laser.  Bawal tumingin or else.  Then after the laser was the blue peel ek-ek.  It was supposed to lighten my underarms and remove the chicken skin.  But my suspicions that the free whitening that came with the laser was not really effective was verified.  I mean, why would the staff of Mendez convince me to undergo blue peel pa ‘di ba?  But that was OK—after all, I was only really after the laser.  The blue peel by the way hurt.  As in it hurt.  Good thing it did not last for sucha long time.  I was also asked to buy this “post-laser cream”.  It’s what I was supposed to use twice a day.  And for three days, bawal mag-deodorant.  So what happened to my pits after that?  Well it peeled for about a week.  So yes, for several days I dressed like a woman monk: tago ang legs at kili–kili.  I’ve already told you that I was happy with my sclerotherapy.  Sadly, I can’t say that about my underarm laser-ing.  Yes, the effects were supposed to have been visible after the fifth session.  But then…actually, that was my second time to undergo an underarm laser.  The first time was several years ago, at a local yet very reputable dermatologist.  I just did not push through with the whole package because I chickened out with the price…it was P3,000/session!  Ang mahal ‘di ba?  But you know what?  After that one session, the hairs that grew back were very fine.  As in fine…finer than facial hair.  Balahibong–pusa talaga!  Thus I could not help but wonder: baka konting pitik lang talaga ng laser ang ginawa sa underarms ko?!?  Because the hairs that are growing back now look the same.  Anyway, I intend to mention this to the derma who will do my underarms during my second session.  I will return there probably next week for the second session of my underarm laser and underarm blue peel.  And for my free sclerotherapy shots.  And no, I still won’t get Botox.  I believe may pag-asa pa itong crow’s feet ko nang hindi bino-Botox.

Dr. Joel Mendez with his paintings

With Dr. Joel Mendez

By the way, the derma who worked on me told me that Dr. Mendez was an artist, and that some/several of the paintings on display there were his works.  She also concluded that that was why Dr. Mendez is a good aesthetician—because he is an artist.  Makes sense, right?

The two “normal” treatments I had made me respect artistas.  Sclero and laser hair removal lang ‘yun, but these two treatments really tested my patience and pain tolerance.  I also felt ugly, what with being with people who made me feel like my crow’s feet were already so bad.  I can’t blame them; in fact, I understand them.  I know the feeling when you itch to make something perfect ‘di ba?

And so I have finally decided.  Show business is not for me.  LOL!  Baboosh!

Tell me what you think!

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