Sarah Chapman — Local services in London

Weeks after a Barrier Repair facial, I am still battling with the horrendous peri-oral dermatitis it caused. My skin was red hot for 24 hours afterwards, then red and blotchy for a few days after that. It all eventually cleared up, except for red, angry, painful and itchy marks around my mouth and chin. Those spread and spread and spread.

I've wrestled with leaving this review, as something clearly went very wrong with my facial this time, but previous visits to the clinic I'd had nice experiences with everyone. I'd even had this exact facial before with great results. However, given that I haven't changed any medication or skincare, or my own routine in ANY way, I know that whatever went wrong can't have been down to me.

The staff here have always been really nice, the girls on the front desk are lovely. And I really think if I'd been able to deal with anyone other than the manager Johanna Holt, I'd have been dealt with much more kindly.

Her emails to me have been atrocious.

As someone who's been to the clinic 7 times in six months, and who's had their skin assessed by the dermatologist there, and multiple facials and treatments, I was so sad to be treated the way I was.

After the reaction, I was told I had to come in before they could could help in any way. Not possible - I wasn't in London. As the heat left my face after 24 hours, I rang and said - I think my skin's getting better.

When it was clearly not, and the itchy, red pustular reaction began - I emailed asking for a refund. £360 to be left with skin worse than when you came in is not fair and with significant collections of photos shared, I could prove it.

It was ignored. I was again asked to come into the clinic.

I couldn't - I have a job, I work outside of London, and honestly I was so distressed by the redness and the itching, I didn't want to leave my house. I couldn't cover it up with makeup.

I was told to put Soolantra on it.

That made it a hundred times worse.

I emailed again, saying please acknowledge my request for a refund. The reply I got was wild. I could come into the clinic and spend £250 on a dermatologist to assess my skin. Other than that, nothing.

Five days out from my wedding, and WEEKS after the treatment, I am still battling with what that facial and the subsequent advice to use Soolantra did to my skin.

Having spent a lot of time and money to fix what Sarah Chapman Clinic did to it, KNOWING on their records I have rosacea, and KNOWING how sensitive my skin is, to reply like that added more distress and upset to an already horrible situation.

I was so appalled, I told them not to bother contacting me again, and have spent a lot of time and money trying to fix the state they left my face in. When a different dermatologist saw my skin, they were shocked. I showed them all the photos, and then visited IRL and they couldn't believe somewhere professional would not only do this, but when I showed them the email trail - behave so coldly.

I wish they'd do the decent thing and at least give me a refund.

Sadly, massively out of pocket from the other appointments and treatments elsewhere desperately trying to fix the damage before my wedding, the only recourse I have is to never go there again and leave this review.

Please please, please do not use them for anything close to an important event. And do not use them if you have even the most mild, most common skin condition. (Acne, eczema, rosacea - anything. Do not risk it.)

The tears and stress of having a problem I've never had before in the run up to my wedding - that still isn't fully back to normal - I wouldn't...

Reviewing this clinic is a hard one! I suffered from acne for years throughout my 20s, tried so many things, antibiotics, topicals, routines, products, etc. Having read all the rave about Sarah Chapman, I thought "If she can help me, I'll do anything she says". I didn't know much at the time, but I had cystic acne and acne scars which (you'd hope) a beautician working in such a high end clinic would know to spot straight away and tell you directly "You must see a dermatologist first". But no, I went in for a few LED treatments (pamper), and each time I went in I was recommended products over products (you'll soon realise it isn't a cheap brand). What bothered me the most is that no one sat me down to explain why I need all this, I just ended up spending money I don't have on skincare I would have (maybe) needed after sorting out my acne with a dermatologist. Because I put my trust in them. They had given me diet supplements which cost somewhere like £100 + lots of products + LED course treatments, and my cystic acne kept coming back every month. I finally went to see a dermatologist who rightly put me on Roaccutane, and by the time I finished, all the supplements had expired. I guess what I'm saying is if you have money to spare and spend, you should go, it's a nice clinic. If you are a mortal with a regular salary, making an effort to sort out a real issue, not just pamper, run for the hills. Staff failed to do what they are there to do, which is why I'm never going back there. Might use some of the products in the...

Avoid at all costs. They did not carry out a skin patch test despite telling them I have eczema and sensitive skin. I bought the wedding glow package which included 3 facials. They even recommended starting the package 3 months before the wedding (so not a lot of time before the big day!). I first enquired about this package in Jan for an end of May wedding (plenty of time to suggest/do a skin patch test). After my first facial my skin was rashy, red and bumpy - my skin had gone 10x backwards. Before the first treatment they reassured me there was nothing that could irritate my skin. These "professionals" should really have known better to carry out a skin patch test, especially for a wedding day package. Needless to say it was all downhill from there - the manager tried to make me turn my facial package that I had already paid for into an infrared package to help soothe and fix my skin. To make someone pay to fix their mistake is shocking and left me even more frustrated. After complaining, I got the infrared treatment for free - but it involved me travelling to their Chelsea shop countless times for hours worth of infrared treatment before my skin improved. I chose this brand as I thought they were upmarket, professional and a brand I could trust. It resulted in an extremely stressful time, when really I should have been excited/enjoying bridal...