Disclaimer: The following post is sponsored. However, we would not promote or work with a business we did not believe to be reputable or relevant to our readers.
It’s no secret — our skin changes as we age. A few days ago, I took a peek at a “TimeHop” photo that Facebook so graciously afforded me. Yikes. It’s amazing to see how I have aged. Yes, I have had two children, and aging is normal… but still. Who wants to see that? (Plus, I haven’t always been conscious about my sun exposure, especially during my college years. What I would do to not have used a tanning booth! But I digress.)
I recently had the opportunity to visit a local plastic surgeon’s office for a little Q&A session regarding the state of my skin. Dr. Anna Petropoulos is the medical director of the New England Facial and Cosmetic Surgery Center, located on the North Shore. I met with both Dr. Petropoulos and Jeanine Oteri, her medical esthetician.
I’m not going to lie, I was extremely nervous to visit a plastic surgeon’s office. I immediately had visions of the “catwoman” and Joan Rivers (RIP). To further complicate matters, my childcare fell through and I had my 2-year-old in tow for my consultation. Fun.
It didn’t matter, though. The staff at New England Facial and Cosmetic Surgery Center couldn’t have been more accommodating. The office was welcoming, and I was immediately seen by Jeanine. She asked about my skin, what I was looking to achieve, and what I had thought about pursuing while at the office. Then we took some classic “before” pictures of my skin (that will never be seen on social media —EVER). She explained the many services offered at the office and the typical timelines for results. As a mostly-stay-at-home mom, I didn’t want any service that would require a long recovery. I needed to be there for preschool pick-up and soccer over the weekend. I was surprised by how many of the procedures had little to no downtime and still had great results. I was intrigued…
I then met with Dr. Petropoulos. She couldn’t have been kinder. We discussed why I was there and what I was looking to achieve — and she listened. She didn’t push me to do anything I wasn’t comfortable doing. We talked about laser options, peels, Botox, you name it. Speaking of Botox, she performs the second-highest number of Botox procedures in Massachusetts. This surely wasn’t her first rodeo. We agreed that sun damage was the number one issue plaguing my skin, and a series of photofacials could improve that.
Two weeks later I arrived for my photofacial (the kids were at home with Nana this time). The facial took one hour and I left the office looking a little pink, nothing more. Over the weekend my freckles and sun spots slowly began to disappear — yes, disappear! I am not even two weeks post-procedure and my skin looks clearer, my skin tone is more even, and the pores on my nose are smaller. WIN. I’ll return for a second photofacial to achieve the results I would like — and possibly for other procedures in the future. I couldn’t be happier with my results and a great first timer’s experience.
