I have mild occasional acne but I’m choosing to use Retin-A for
its anti-aging properties; helping with acne breakouts is just a bonus - sweet! In my opinion I can easily pass for someone in
their late 30’s….I wonder if anyone else thinks this? Hmmmmm….
I was born in the United States but am of Asian descent but
am not a delicate porcelain Asian. My
skin is light to medium yellow/olive toned – I tan very easily even with
sunscreen.
I live in the Midwest where the summers are humid and the winters,
with its biting wind and dry air, are brutal to the skin. I run a humidifier at home during the winter
but my workplace is very dry – and my skin definitely feels it by the end of
the day.
My skin is “normal” (whatever that means) with a slightly
oily t-zone. In the summer my t-zone is
little oilier, in the winter my cheeks can get somewhat dry.
I use sunscreen everyday – the spf that comes in moisturizer and/or make-up; usually a 15 or 30.
Although I do not “worship” the sun I am out in the sun
during the summer months whether gardening or walking my dogs. I have also taken a two-week tropical
vacation each year for the past 10, where I turn a golden caramel color laying
poolside. At those times I wear
definitive sunblock with an spf of 30 or 50.
I do not wear a hat because they look stupid on me. I know with Retin-A use my time in the sun
and precautions I take to protect my skin will have to be re-evaluated.
I have never had a cosmetic procedure or any sort of
professional treatments such as a chemical peel, collagen or botox injections,
etc. For that matter I have never had a professional facial either.
When I say “occasional” acne I mean just that. I usually get one or two breakouts at a
time. But it used to be that a leftover
brown spot would disappear quickly and now I notice it takes 6 or more months –
and in that time I’ve developed another one so then it’s an additional 6 months
and then another one appears. So I seem
to always have one or two or three fading brown spots at a time. Very annoying.
Around age 39 I started to notice “changes” to my skin; the
texture and appearance. A few months ago
I purchased a cosmetic mirror with a regular mirror on one side and a 10x
magnification mirror on the other. I
curse the day I ever bought that thing!!
I didn’t know I had some sun spots.
I didn’t know when I smiled, lines appeared on my cheeks. When I furrow my brow why don’t the “goal
posts” go away quickly? What the heck!
My intention was to post pictures daily so that we could see
together my progress or lack thereof however I have tried several times with
different cameras to capture what I see but I am unable to do this without
professional photography. You know, it’s
one of those things that no one else would notice about your face but you do –
especially if you’re using a 10x magnification mirror!! I guess I’m lucky that these are things that probably aren't very noticeable to others.
My best friend tells me she can only see things when I point them out
and only if she studies my face closely. She
says I shouldn’t worry about it, that no one else can see it. But that’s just it – I can see it, it is my
face, it bothers ME. And I am doing this
for ME not for anyone else. Keep this in
mind if you choose to start a Retin-A regimen – it is a very personal choice;
one you should make for yourself for your own reasons.
I know there won’t be a drastic change since my skin is in
good condition and I know Retin-A use is an ongoing process to slow down the
signs of aging. So instead of pictures I
will post my own personal thoughts about whether or not Retin-A is correcting
any of the current issues that are reflected in my mirror (on both sides of the mirror that is).
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