'Dr Mercy': Becca seeks Chicago dermatologist's help with 'port-wine stain' birthmark
Skin conditions take a drastic toll on a person's life, dropping their self-esteem and confidence. More often than not, people with skin disorders or abnormalities want to be invisible and avoid looks from strangers. TLC's new show 'Dr Mercy' features a Chicago-based dermatologist named Dr Mercy Odueyungbo who helps patients with unique skin problems and conditions.
Dr Mercy's approach of focusing on the comfort of her patients over anything else has made her one of the most sought-after dermatologists in the industry. The premiere episode gave us a peek of it when Becca, a 23-year-old, turned to Dr Mercy for help with lightening a 'port-wine stain' on her face. A port-wine stain is basically a permanent birthmark that starts out pinkish or reddish, and turns darker as the child grows. These stains most commonly appear on the face, although they can affect other areas of the body as well.
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Although Becca is keen on getting Dr Mercy's help with her birthmark, she doesn't want to get rid of it completely. Her goal, she says, is to remove the remaining redness to a point where it can be concealed with makeup. After spending years hiding and covering her face with makeup, she has become a pro at it. She showed off her impressive skill of applying full-coverage makeup in just under 15 minutes! This skill has helped her launch her career as a makeup artist!
Becca even took to her Instagram to create awareness about her skin condition by creating posts to explain it. Her content was well-received by her followers which gradually helped her in getting comfortable in her own skin and accepting it. "It's become such a huge part of my life. It makes me who I am and I still want to embrace that and not feel like it's disappearing completely because then I feel like I'm taking away a part of myself", she added.
Things haven't always been easy for her though. Becca and her family explained how a previous laser treatment left her entire face blistered, when she was still in middle school. The young woman called it "a really traumatic experience," adding that she no longer wanted to attend school afterward "and have people see me."
After a detailed examination, Dr Mercy discovers that she has a bigger challenge on her hands than she initially realized, with "blood vessels in different layers of her skin. But I have to be very gentle because if she's not comfortable, I'm worried she's not going to come back again," Dr Mercy says. "And I really want to achieve the best outcome for her." In any case, the session will include a detailed laser treatment. "I'm trying to come up with a treatment plan," Dr. Mercy says about Becca in the episode. "But she's had bad experiences with lasers in the past."
Dr Mercy explained that most patients require around six to nine sittings before seeing any sort of noticeable improvement. However, comfort will be a key part of the process in Becca's case. Dr Mercy focused on using the laser treatment to lighten the spots on Becca's central face, forehead, nose and lips.
After Dr Mercy had just begun the treatment, Becca was already glowing with confidence. Her parents seemed happier too, looking at their daughter smiling. We are hoping to see more of Becca, as she will have to come back for at least five sessions to complete the treatment. Let's hope Dr Mercy brings out the best in MUA Becca!
'Dr Mercy' airs every Wednesday at 9 pm on TLC.