Laser treatment leaves woman’s face bloodied and in pain
A WOMAN says she was left dripping in blood and in excruciating pain after an invasive laser treatment therapy at a clinic in Melbourne’s south.
South East
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A MORNINGTON woman said she was left dripping in blood and in excruciating pain after an invasive laser treatment therapy at a peninsula clinic.
The 46-year old mum, “Jane” said she felt herself going into shock and shaking after her Mornington therapist told her she “was a bleeder” and packed gauze to absorb the blood streaming under her metal eye covers during the treatment.
“At the end of the procedure, she basically wiped the blood off my face, handed me a care pack with cleanser, toner and moisturiser, said ‘there you go’ and sent me out to pay the receptionist,” Jane said.
“Then I saw myself in the mirror and nearly died … I thought ‘Oh my God, what have I done?’”
The clinic was only open for a few months early this year and has now relocated interstate. The therapist has not returned numerous Leader phone calls, emails and Facebook messages.
Leader is not naming either the client or the therapist for legal reasons.
Jane last week went public on social media with her concerns about her erbium laser treatment on February 25. She said she had since been contacted by seven other people — including a 73-year-old woman — who were also concerned about their treatment by the same therapist who has since closed her Mornington clinic and reopened interstate.
Dr Sally Shaw, the medical director of Peninsula Skin Cancer Centre, saw Jane for a general check on April 21 and quickly called the therapist for an explanation on what had been done to her skin.
Dr Shaw then reported the therapist to the Medical Board of Australia — but nothing could be done as she is not a doctor or nurse.
“This treatment takes off the whole top layer of the skin — it is extremely invasive,” Dr Shaw said.
“Patients are unconscious when they use this treatment in hospitals and they need proper dressings and follow-up by doctors and nurses. They are not sent straight home.
“Nobody would do this outside a hospital. I rang the medical board but there’s absolutely nothing we can do. A doctor or nurse would be struck off for doing this.”
Dr Shaw is also treating a 73-year-old woman who had seen the therapist in the hope of improving her appearance. She now has keloid scarring, allegedly as a result of the aggressive treatment.
“She was lucky she didn’t have a heart attack on the table,” Dr Shaw said.
“People shouldn’t have to go through pain like that. She is just beside herself now, hasn’t slept for weeks, and has keloid scars.”
The therapist this week posted on her clinic’s Facebook page: “A false and ludicrous post has been shared over social media in attempts to defame (the) clinic. These posts have been orchestrated by one person with the intent to tarnish our reputation. The photos that this women has shared look horrific to the everyday person however they demonstrate the normal healing process following such an aggressive treatment.”
Jane first attended the Mornington clinic for a consultation on February 12 to discuss facial scarring from allergies.
“I saw advertisements for the new clinic and the price of laser treatment had always deterred me, but everything was half-price,” she said.
Jane said she asked the therapist many questions about the laser treatment at the first consultation and learned the cost would be about $1200.
“She wanted me to use a skin bleaching cream twice a day for two weeks and another person there — I think a doctor — gave me a prescription for the painkiller inhalant Penthrox to use during the treatment,” Jane said.
“(The therapist) told me to expect some redness, possibly a little bit of inflammation, and possibly some weeping — I personally interpreted that to look sunburnt, puffy, and a bit watery.”
Jane said she did not use the painkiller inhalant whistle during the February 28 procedure as she had a “high pain threshold”.
“It was extremely painful but I decided to clench my teeth and soldier on,” she said. “I had metal covers over my eyes and then (the therapist) said ‘you’re a real bleeder — can you feel the blood running into your eyes?’.
“She continued on and I could feel I was going into shock ... I was freezing cold and shaking.
“She said, that’s to be expected, I’ve just used a level of laser on you that’s done under general anaesthetic. She said she could see my skin bouncing back and the results were going to be fabulous.
“Then at the end of the procedure she basically wiped the blood off my face, handed me a care pack with cleanser, toner and moisturiser, tapped me on the shoulder, said ‘there you go’ and see the receptionist.
“I saw myself in the mirror and nearly died. There was a blood in my hair and running down my neck.”
Jane said her face was burning by the time she got home. Three days later, her face was swelling and her eyes were closing. By day five, she was in “atrocious pain” and was developing acne-like pustules. Jane used natural skincare products to manage the pain and recovery.
Jane said reviews she posted on the laser treatment clinic’s Facebook page were deleted.
“I decided to go public with my story after (the therapist) kept removing my review,” she said. “I felt really vulnerable putting those photographs out there and I was very careful — I wasn’t saying to not go to the clinic.
“It went viral and within 24 hours I had specialists and other people who have been to the clinic contacting me.
“This isn’t about money. I just want her to stop disfiguring people’s faces. I want to speak up for every single person who has suffered in this way.”
The clinic’s website said the business was established in 2012 and provided quality services to more than 5000 clients including “celebrities, politicians, diplomats, ambassadors and community leaders”.
The website said the clinic had moved to Mornington in late 2015 but now listed its address interstate.
Interstate lawyer Paul Flintoft told Leader he was acting for a client who had been treated for pockmark scarring in 2014.
“I’ve seen photos and medical evidence and I’ve spoken with (Jane), whose story was consistent with the way my client had been treated,” Mr Flintoft said.
The Australasian Foundation for Plastic Surgery warned that laser treatments, like any cosmetic treatments, should be performed in an appropriately accredited day surgery, by a qualified practitioner.
The foundation said risks and complications associated with skin rejuvenation could include infection resulting in scarring, dark pigmentation, redness, pain, worsening acne, depression and trouble sleeping and skin sensitivity.
