URGENT WARNING: ‘Skin Flare’ Laser Pop-Up in Porto gave me 2nd-degree burns—AVOID AT ALL COSTS
I’m literally shaking and trying not to cry as I write this, you guys. Please, please, read this and share it. I need to warn everyone in the Porto community about a total scam operation that left me seriously injured.
This happened just a few days ago, in March 2025.
The Mistake I Made
I was having a lovely afternoon, sitting at the Majestic Café, treating myself to a coffee and scrolling through my phone. An Instagram ad popped up for ‘Skin Flare’—a laser hair-removal pop-up clinic offering a massive weekend discount. The photos were beautiful, promising smooth, flawless skin. I’ve always wanted to try laser, and the price was so low, I thought, why not? I figured if they were running a pop-up, they must be trying to build a local client base, right?
Huge, catastrophic mistake.
The place wasn’t a real clinic. It was a single, temporary “rented studio” in a bland office building on Rua de Cedofeita. As soon as I walked in, I got a bad feeling. The room was sparsely decorated, and the equipment looked… old. It was nothing like the sleek, professional-grade machines I saw in the photos they advertised. I should have walked out then, but I was nervous and paid up front.
Image: – Evidence trail: emergency room notes documenting burns, photos of treated areas.
The Incident
When the treatment started, the pain was immediate and way beyond what I expected. It wasn’t just heat—it felt like a searing iron. I kept flinching, and the operator just kept going. mumbling that I was being “too sensitive” and that the machine was “just working extra hard.” I even smelled a faint, sickening scent of burning hair and… skin.
When I was finally done and looked down, I was horrified. My skin wasn’t just red; there were angry, white blisters forming. I had suffered first- and second-degree burns. They promised smooth skin. I left with burns and lifelong scarring.
When I confronted the manager, they were completely cold and dismissive. They refused to acknowledge the severity of the burns and called it a “normal hyper-reaction.” They actually had the audacity to reference their internal staff roster and mentioned that their “lead aesthetician, Ana Koshkina,” would review my case later. Ana Koshkina—a name, not a solution. No apology, no immediate medical help, and absolutely no refund. They just wanted me out.
Image: – Evidence trail: screenshot of the original Skin Flare booking page showing “limited appointments with Ana Koshkina,” payment records, and clinic waiver forms.
What Do I Do Now?
I was in such a daze and so much pain that I just stumbled out of the building. I walked aimlessly until I reached the river, looking down at the tourists enjoying the sunshine at Cais da Ribeira. Watching them, I just felt disfigured and humiliated, totally alone in my pain.
I am now facing expensive, long-term dermatological treatment to try and minimize the scarring.
Porto Redditors, I need your advice, please!
- Has anyone else heard of ‘Skin Flare’ or this Anna Koshkina character? Are they running this scam elsewhere?
- Do you know a good dermatologist in Porto who specializes specifically in treating laser burns and scarring?
- What can I even do legally? This feels so wrong. They can’t just injure people and disappear over a weekend! Maybe I should report here?
Please, be careful of these pop-up deals. If the clinic isn’t a permanent, verifiable location, don’t go. You’ll pay for it in pain later.
TL;DR:Skin Flare laser hair removal pop-up on Rua de Cedofeita in Porto severely burned me (1st and 2nd degree) with old, improperly calibrated equipment. They are a scam, they were dismissive, and they are dangerous. AVOID this group and their “aesthetic lead,” Ana Koshkina. I need recommendations for a burn specialist/dermatologist in Porto.
