As a big-name fashion and beauty model, Penny Lane was used to putting her best face forward. Then a rogue infection left her with significant scarring and unable to work. Here’s how the LYMA Laser repaired the damage and restored her skin back to its former glory.

My face is my work, so when I had that taken away from me so abruptly, I experienced first-hand what it was like to feel hugely self-conscious and scared to be seen. I was on a modelling job when I noticed that the make-up artist’s brushes looked dirty but I didn’t want to seem like that girl who makes a fuss, so I didn’t speak up. Ten minutes after she’d applied the make-up, my face felt itchy and when I got home that night, my cheek was covered with inflamed angry red spots.

For three months I took three different antibiotics but it was still growing in size and starting to creep up my face. I was worried it was going to cover my face entirely. When I was speaking to people I could see they were staring and if I went for a job, I felt I had to apologise for my skin because it couldn’t even be covered up. I was living in Australia and no one wears makeup there, everyone’s at the beach all the time but I couldn't go in the sun or swim because it was so painful. It was all I could think about, so I stayed inside loads and kept my head down if I went outside. It was such a horrible chapter in my life.

I went to see a skin specialist who informed me I had the superbug that you can contract in hospitals. It was on the surface of my skin but had embedded itself into my follicles and developed into an open burn on my face. It just sounded beyond crazy to me! She gave me an incredibly strong topical antibiotic that finally killed it but I was left with significant scarring from it. I was completely devastated, I thought I was scarred for life.

I’d been given a micro-current gadget years ago but never stuck to it. Perhaps it wasn’t for my age range because I didn't see the effect that I wanted. With the LYMA Laser, I was fully committed because I had a set purpose for it and if it got my skin back to normal, it was totally worth it. Every day without fail, I spritzed the face mist on to get oxygen to my skin and applied the serum to get the laser working its best. You can do your whole face if you want to but I was just focusing on the area of scarring. I integrated it into my daily routine, spending 15 minutes going back and forth, up, down and over that area.

I couldn’t believe how quickly the scarring was fading and that gave me the momentum to keep going. After six weeks, I’d got such good results that I lessened the usage to a couple of times a week and in just two months I’d gone from being anxious of anyone staring at my face, to being confident in the way I looked again.

I‘m not keen on in-clinic procedures because of the down time and I worry I could have a flare up from those super harsh lasers. Plus, I’m 26 so I don't want to start those procedures yet if it can help it. The LYMA Laser does everything that those clinic lasers do and I think you’d probably rack up the price of the LYMA Laser in just a few sessions anyway. Also, the LYMA Laser is guaranteed for ten years which you’d never get with an in-clinic procedure.

The LYMA Concierge Service was amazing for me. They’re happy to answer any questions over the phone and talk you through how to use the laser best for you. I asked them lots of questions about safety around the eye area and if I should be using goggles and they reassured me that the LYMA Laser is completely safe without them. Having them at hand was wonderful.

I've already told a few of my friends who’ve suffered from blemishes about my experience with the LYMA laser. I’ve told them all that it’s worth investing in because not only does the laser zap away the scarring but the LED light clears away the surface bacteria that creates blemished skin in the first place. It's a win-win.

I’ve returned to modelling now and my confidence is back too. It’s been such an emotional journey. I was sceptical that a cold laser was going to be able to work on such an extreme case as mine but it proved me wrong and I’m super grateful for it.