January 16, 2022 - How the Bagatin global anti-aging treatment brought life back to my bura-broken skin in Split. 

There are several reasons why Bagatin Polyclinic is the best.

And it's not just because they were named the International Cosmetic Surgery Clinic of the Year at the prestigious IMTJ. Or that they became the first clinic in Croatia and only the 65th in the world to receive the coveted TEMOS Accreditation - in the fields of Medical Tourism Excellence and Quality of International Patient Care. Or that 11 Bagatin Clinics’ doctors made the list of best doctors in 2018 chosen by patients from all over Croatia (najdoktor.com). 

Or even because Bagatin Clinic was named the leading dermatology clinic in Europe according to the analysis of European dermatology clinics, as compiled by Global Clinic Rating – an international accreditation body for medical institutions.

The Bagatin success story is evident in many ways, but perhaps best shown in how it grew from a small Bagatin brothers' operation with a turnover of only 30,000 euro offering just aesthetic surgery in 2008, to over 100 employees in 2018 and revenues of 5.5 million euro with four departments (and 120 employees in 2019). 

And once you finally visit the Bagatin Polyclinic, all of these accolades make a lot more sense. 

While I have written about Bagatin's honors over the years, I first visited the Split clinic late last year after a skin flare-up prompted me to take a deeper look into what was going on under the surface - and the VISIA Skin Analysis was just what I needed. 

Whether I left the appointment happy or not, I can't say, but that had nothing to do with the standout experience itself. However, learning that only 1% of my skin was not inflamed, my rosacea is off the charts, and the 2+ liters of water I drink a day is doing nothing for my dehydration was precisely the wake-up call needed to kick my skin into shape. From that point on, I was dedicated to investing in my skin health and was grateful for the treatment map medical cosmetologist Daniela Šestan personalized for me. 

Now that the holidays (and excessive eating and drinking) are over, I took the first step to new skin with the Reviderm global anti-aging treatment earlier this week. And it could not have come at a better time. 

I, fortunately, made an appointment at Bagatin on the final day of bura in Split last week.

My skin - parched. My lips - cracked. My broken capillaries - fresh. 

I needed rehydration - and fast.

I had no idea what to expect other than that I needed to spare an hour and a half for the treatment. Professional as can be, Daniela promptly greeted me in the Bagatin waiting room right on schedule to begin.

"You don't need to do anything other than relax," she said, which are words I rarely hear, so I made sure to make the most of it. 

The treatment began with Daniela cleansing and cleaning my face with massage-like strokes that almost had me asleep within the first 5 minutes of the treatment! After a thorough cleaning, Daniela used an ultra-light enzyme scrub so as not to damage my skin any more than the wind already had. After a gentle exfoliation, it was time for mild microdermabrasion, which Daniela ensured would not hurt, nor would it be too harsh for my skin type. You could really feel the crystals working off the dead skin cells, which in turn improves the appearance of sun damage, wrinkles, fine lines, age spots, and acne scarring. 

After every section of my skin was thoroughly treated, Daniela used a series of serums, which were penetrated deeper into my skin thanks to ultrasound therapy, which helps the skin create new collagen while improving its firmness and elasticity. The painless ultrasound therapy was done in two 12-minute parts on each side of my face. The warmth from the treatment even helped me nod off a few times! Daniela said my forehead lines reacted very well to the ultrasound, which I could still notice four days later. 

The most unique part of the treatment is the final act - the collagen wrap. After more serums were smoothed on my skin, Daniela wrapped my face with pure collagen, covering my eyes and mouth with only open space over my nostrils to breathe. While this may sound scary, the collagen wrap is activated with a cooling liquid and is kept on for 20 minutes - or 'nap time' as Daniela called it. And I promise you won't remember another time you napped so well. 

Daniela finished the treatment with moisturizer and the most important ingredient them all - SPF. An hour and a half later, my skin journey had taken its successful first step. When I looked in the mirror, I noticed a glow I hadn't seen in years, fewer fine lines, and an immense reduction in the redness I've just accepted as the norm. But it doesn't have to be. 

As with any treatment plan, dedication is key, and the Bagatin neuroscience treatments are up next in my healing process. 

Your skin doesn't have to suffer in Split so long as you have Bagatin around.

You can find all of Bagatin's services on their website. 

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.