My friend Dee had full-face cosmetic laser surgery in 1998. Dee looked wonderful and recommended Dr. John Dmytryshyn when I said I was interested in the procedure. Since the best endorsement a cosmetic surgeon can get is a recommendation from a prior patient, and because I had heard of Dr. John Dmytryshyn previously, I made an appointment without hesitation.

Dr. Dmytryshyn has been performing cosmetic surgery in Vancouver for twenty-five years. He is a well respected and frequent guest on television and radio in Canada and the United States. On my first visit, a consultation costing $100 (refundable if cosmetic surgery is done), determined what I expected and what I might actually achieve with cosmetic laser surgery. Almost opposite from Dee, who had dry skin with very fine wrinkles overall (which vanished after surgery), my skin was oily with large pores. The few wrinkles I had were from laugh lines around my eyes and mouth. Dr. Dmytryshyn told me that the finer lines would be softened or gone completely, that my pores would appear smaller and my complexion would have a more even tone. He said that the deeper lines between my brow and around my lips would still be there. At this time, he also explained some (extremely rare) risks involved with cosmetic laser surgery, such as scarring, nerve damage and infection. ( Please note that Dr. Dmytryshyn's clinic has a 25-year safety record.) In addition, because my natural skin tone is medium, he said my skin might be lighter or rosier after the procedure. After our visit I met a staff coordinator who took a digital picture of me and literally erased my facial imperfections with a magic wand on a computer screen. I got a good idea of what I might look like after laser surgery and I liked what I saw. I made a decision right then to have cosmetic laser surgery.

The day of the procedure, which is done in an operating room in Dr. Dmytryshyn offices, I came in free of perfume and cosmetics and with my hair tied back as instructed. Dr. Dmytryshyn marked the lines around my eyes and mouth with a pencil and spoke to me lightheartedly about what he was about to do. He soon had my jitters calmed with his relaxed and confident manner. Hardly minutes passed when the nurse approached and gave me an injection. I got sleepy very quickly. The next thing I remember is the nurse asking me if I knew where I was. The surgery was over. It was mid- afternoon. I had been there about three hours. My face felt stiff, but it didn't hurt. The nurse instructed me on post care and gave me prescriptions for pain pills (for the burning which would soon begin), antivarals to prevent cold sores, antibiotics to ward off infection and a salve for my face. When my ride arrived the nurse took me to the car in a wheel chair. That night, still heavily sedated from the surgery, I slept quite comfortably.

For the next five days I followed instructions and soaked my face several times a day with warm water mixed with a bit of vinegar. It stung but it felt good when I held the cloth to my skin. It also hurt when I put the thick ointment on to keep my skin moist after every soaking. Nights were agitating until I figured out it was the caffeine in the pain pill that kept me awake. I switched to a pain pill without caffeine and slept better. None of these discomforts, by the way, ever made me sorry I had the procedure done, nor did my awful appearance for the first few days.

The burning peaked at the 4th day and gradually subsided. The redness changed to pink after a couple of weeks and stayed pink for a couple more weeks. Remarkably, I could cover it up with a green foundation that the cosmetologist at a drugstore recommended. During this time, my skin peeled and peeled as if I had a bad sunburn. My face looked its best about a month after surgery, while still under the trauma of the procedure -- which accelerates cell rejuvenation and gives you a baby-face flawless glow. This is when I received the most comments about looking good. Now, six months later, I am very pleased with the results. Since I always had a youthful appearance, I can't say that I look years younger like Dee does, however, my pores are smaller, my skin tone is more even, and the laugh lines around my eyes only appear when I smile.

In retrospect: Am I glad I had cosmetic laser surgery? Yes, I am. Do I recommend Dr. Dmytryshyn to friends and family? Yes, I do.