Acne Surgery & Refill Day at CaraDERMe

There’s no gentle way to put this. The trio I got from Avene? It was a major let down. It clogged my pores LIKE CRAZY and I ended up having acne surgery last week. Acne surgery’s something I’d like to believe that’s beyond me since I’m turning 30 in a few months. Boy I was wrong when I 911’d my dermatologist and she told me I needed more than just a facial. Being in a relationship with her half my life (I've been a client since 1998, 15 years now!), those words just hinted me I’m in trouble. Big trouble.

So for good 1 hour she went pricking, injecting steroids and giving me the sermon once again – just like the prodigal daughter if I may put it. The result? This is my forehead (link, pardon the extra messy hair) and right cheek (link). It’s so bad all over that 1) I won’t dare take a frontal shot and 2) won’t post those photos in this entry just so you can just open the links/photos at your will, hoping you've already had breakfast as you read this. *snicker*

The damage doesn't end there. I was told not to wear foundation until I get over this treatment. *sobfest* If I absolutely must, my dermatologist, Dr. Rose Gatmaytan, only approved face makeup from 2 brands (good thing I have some items on hand): Clinique and VMV Hypoallergenics. Since I also broke out along my hairline, my usual shampoo and conditioner has to take a step back and be switched to either Neutrogena or Aveeno. Naturally, I have to stop all commercially available products and go through another round of her prescription. I've been on different cocktails for years and I go back to this every so often just because it damn works. Zero luxury, pure pain, 100% results. LOL


11am: 16 minutes late *eeep*



Phoebe's Anti-Acne Maintenance Treatment Prescription



As you can see, the bottles and jars (on top) are labelled AM/PM then numbered. 15 years of doing this and I cannot for the life of me still memorize what goes in first.



AM Routine



PM Routine



what hurts the most


I had my acne surgery last 26 January and so far, most pimples have dried up and I'm starting to itch and peel like crazy! I have a few beauty commitments this week so please cross your fingers with me that my skin will behave and heal faster the next couple of days. :)



Dr. Rosario "ROSE" Gatmaytan, M.D.
CaraDERMe Clinic

3rd floor EUROCREST Building
#126 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air Village II,
Makati City, Philippines
(632) 899-9677

NOTE: Please do not self medicate using my prescription. Call the number above to schedule an appointment with Dr. Gatmaytan (the receptionist will not make any recommendations).
17 comments on "Acne Surgery & Refill Day at CaraDERMe"
  1. So sorry to hear about your acne surgery (didn't even know there's such a thing). I'm currently using Avene and it doesn't break me out. It's labelled hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic, maybe one of the ingredients might have caused the clogging. VMV Armada is still the best sunscreen for me, hands down. Get better :)

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  2. Re: Avene -- lucky you! :) Totally agree with you regarding VMV Armada. It's absolutely one of the best sunblocks in town!

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  3. The whole bill includes the acne surgery? Reasonably priced I must say! I also use Avene every now and then but I get breakouts after a while.

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  4. Yes it does. The down side: I need to get the procedure done every 2 weeks til I fully recover. The prescription creams only lasts me 3-4 weeks too. :(

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  5. Oh my! The price you have to pay (literally) to have blemish free skin. Hope your skin gets better soon! :)

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  6. Hi there! I'm so glad to see your post about this, I just recently had my acne surgery in the same derma. I'm just wondering if you've had some depressed scars after the treatment as well. I'm just really worried that they'll be permanent :( thanks!

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  7. Hello Chesca! No scars of any kind for me from Dra. Rose. Hope yours heal up fast!

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  8. Oh really? You're so lucky! :) how is the cream for rosy cheeks? Does it really work? :)

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  9. It worked for me. One thing to note though: don't apply it when you're still breaking out or scarred as it will turn the attention to the surface you're trying to cure. I only use this when I'm absolutely pimple free and when I'm not self-tanning. I'm naturally golden fair (like MAC NC 20-25) so just a little goes a long, long way. :)

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  10. Oh coolios!!! :) thanks for that! I was so excited to get that last week but she prescribed the scar treatment first. How long does the process take? Like peeling and getting rid of the scars? I seriously thought it'd be really fast considering my face wasn't that bad. :( it's been a month and my face is still red and full of scars. Tiis ganda talaga! Hahaha! I'm just freaking out cause I have to go to the beach nextweek. *sigh* thanks for answering my questions btw :) love your blog <3

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  11. Thanks for the blog love! :)

    What's your prescription like? If you have Requinol (A, B or both), it takes a little longer to heal up (around 3 weeks in my case). You should come back to her (unless she said otherwise) every 2 weeks. Have you gone back since you got your prescription?

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  12. Hi, its been awhile since I visited your blog. That's why I got surprised to have come across this recent post when I googled about doc g, how was your skin now?
    Im planning to consult her as I have regular cystic acne poppin out of my face and terrible case pf bacne :(
    Would you have an idea how much will she charge for back cleaning? How is the pimple injection? If you have to visit after 2 weeks, do you still have to pay a fee?

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  13. Hello :) Good to have you back!

    My skin's better now thanks to her meds and regular facial cleaning. I had to go through 4 acne surgeries to get past all the nasties. The pimple injection doesn't hurt after the surgery anymore cause I was so numb. :) Sorry, I haven't gone through back cleaning; no idea how much it will cost. The checkup every two weeks required another surgery in my case so yes, I had to pay again.

    Hope this helps! :)

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  14. Sis I've been a client of Dra. Gatmaytan way back 5-7yrs ago. My face was so flawless then. Unfortunately, I stopped seeing her due to distance of work and the fact that I thought everything is Ok on my face + Caraderme is a little pricey. Now, I do not know the reason why my pimples started to appear on my chin and dramatically spreading on my face. currently i am using organic toner and organic acne soap i bought on IG shop. I'll just finish those and if Im not satisfied with the result, i have to see Dra Rose again. Those stuffs you posted were previously my bestfriends. Do you have an updated price lists of Caraderme's procedure?

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  15. Sorry to hear that your pimples are recurring...I hate when that happens! :( Her website (http://caraderme.com/prices.php) seems pretty updated based on my bill. Call her clinic to double check. Good luck with your next appointment!

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  16. Hi how many days po bago natanggal umg pamamalat ng face nio? Im dra. Gatmaytan's client thnx po

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