No Pain, No Gain... Skin Care!

Nine to Five

Feb 23

Hello Darlings,

Like most aspects of my life, I prefer to keep my skin care routine simple. Except for one HUGE exception, being my dermatologist! I would see him every week if possible :P During my teen years I was genetically blessed with pimple-free skin, believing that nature took mercy on me and skipped my turn. Well not so true...

It turns out that nature played a cruel joke on me and blessed me with zits only starting at age 20! Ooh that big 20 came with a zit! In complete shock, I right away went on a search for a good doctor. I pursued this hunt with the same amount of effort as my shopping, completely unwilling to fail. And I succeeded in finding a “magic cure”!!!

Magic is not what I would call it, as it required lots of pain and dedication. I see my dermatologist 2 -3 times a month and he gets rid of those suckers with his little scalpel. What he does I have no idea nor do I want to find out but the zit or any sign of a zit disappears within an hour or two. So there really is no “magic cure” to having the so- called clear skin, as it does take lots of tennis ball squeezing (to distract from pain) and lots of visits. I’ve tried creams and all of the esthetician services, and all they do is just burn a hole in your wallet. My suggestion is simple, see a dermatologist and follow his suggestions. I am probably a bit too paranoid of getting acne at this age, so I visit him religiously. It is better to be safe than sorry.

I am also HUGE on sun block!!! Here are some facts to discourage your from overindulging in the sun ( from Dr. Brant's book):

1. Four out of five wrinkles are caused by sun damage.

2. There's no such thing as a healthy tan. Tans are not proof of glowing health, but visible evidence of DNA damage on a cellular level as well as shredded collagen and elastin.

3. Photo-aging is a term that describe how aging is accelerated by sun exposure

4. One word: MELANOMA!

Based on my dermatologist's advice, I have a simple system of five magic steps:

♥ Cleanse my face twice a day.

♥ Wear SPF 40 with UVA and UVB every day.

♥ Moisturize before bed.

♥ Apply a tiny bit of Vaseline under my eye if they feel dry.

♥ Visit my dermatologist regularly.

It has been an effective strategy. Personally, I do not believe that any skin care / beauty product can make a drastic difference on skin. However, I do believe that a professional can. Also, I think that when it comes to skin care the less you pile on, the better. If you would like to learn more about your skin and proper skin care check out 10 Minutes/ 10 Years: definiteness guide to beautiful and youthful appearance by Dr. Fredric Brandt. I love this book, it is very useful.

WHAT ARE YOUR SKIN CARE SECRETS???

With Love...

Marta