I’ve never had the greatest skin. I won’t get all woe is me about it because I know there are people who have it so much worse. But it has been bad enough, and my self esteem just fragile enough that once, I actually called in sick because I was too embarrassed to face people.
I’m always one break-out away from self-imposed exile.
A fairly hefty portion of my life (never mind the money wasted on the newest zit zapping regimen*,) has been squandered in front of the bathroom mirror whimpering about blemishes and the state of my complexion. Remember Daria? I could have committed cartoon murder to have Quinn’s cute pores.
Last night, willing to try anything (within reason) to get skin that doesn’t require a good shellacking of make-up to be suitable for public viewing, I went here to try something new.
Glycolic peel, my friends.
I know, it sounds a little scary. You want to rub acid…where? But the whole experience was excellent. It was quick, mostly painless (there was a bit of a tingle) and now…. Now I want everyone I see to touch my face. Well, not really everyone, because eeew. But it’s so smooth! Like a baby’s bottom smooth. And aside from the appearance of two small very small blemishes, completely untraumatized by the process.
I’m impressed. And did I mention smooth?
From what I understand, it’s only going to get better. Next time? Microdermabraison. You’re witnessing the making of a dermatology addict. But don’t worry. It’d take one hell of a mid-life crisis to drive me to Botox.
* P.S. Money not wasted: Murad. I swear by it. And no, they aren’t paying me a dime to say that. Though, they totally should.
*** UPDATE ***
Aren’t you NYC gals lucky? Turns out, if you mention ThisFish, Silk Skin will give you a 10% discount. Bonus! For More information visit them at www.SilkSkinLaser.com.
Proactiv works really well too. I also have a Rx for a topical antibacterial gel called Clyndamyicin that has pretty much changed my life. Not to be too much of a dork or anything.
Funny, how I now feel compelled to comment after months of lurking. I, too, have had decades (!) of skin problems and now at the ripe old age of 34, I’ve developed rosacea. Now, I’m using Metrogel twice a day and it’s changed my life. I’m rosy, not red and my pores have shrunk. No more blackheads for me!
I love me some Murad. Amazing stuff there.
hee hee, glad you found something that works. I remember my first facial: I felt so porous and FREEEEE. I was afraid to go outside and swore I could feel the city air grime-ing up my face! Enjoy the glow!
Seriously. I was upset when I hit the big 30 this year, and realized that I still struggle with breakouts. Miss one night of scrubbing, and wham! It gets ten times worse. Isn’t this supposed to go away with age (or so they always promised)? aarrggh!
Maybe I’ll give Murad a whirl. Ask for a kick-back.
Seriously, I thought that too! Isn’t acne a teenage thing? Turns out, nope.
DO try Murad. Use it for four weeks just like they tell you (it might get worse for a week in the middle) and then suddenly poof! Nice skin!
I use Proactiv and I swear by it. I did try Muriad however when you switch from one product to another it can often be worse at first which it was. So I chickened out and went back to Proactiv. Yeah me, red hair, fair skin, freckles and pimples until I die.
GREAT!
Before clicking Murad link. Do be sure to check you computer’s volume. Especially if in crowded office or cubicle environment. “WELCOME TO ACNE COMPLEX”…I think I need to take the rest of the afternoon off.
I have been to Silk Skin as well, on 5th and 35th and LOVE their treatments… I would highly recomend it to others
Me too! Elizabeth, the esthetic director at Silk Skin gave me the glycolic peels for my acne, laser hair removal there for my underarms and I feel so much more confident about myself. 2 thumbs up!
ooooh, good to know… I’m 34 and still breaking out. It sucks! The worst is when someone will ask, “do you wash your face at night?” Um, yeah. You think that would help? grrr…
Love Silk Skin! Andrew the owner is really nice and cute too. I use proactiv as well, but I go in to Silk Skin to pamper myself a little once a month and it works very nicely in conjunction.
I think I’d be afraid to try anything with “brasion” or “peel” in the root because of sensitive, “red head” skin.
I broke down and went to the dermatologist. I had always thought I did not have it bad enough to go. Well she fixed me all right up! I have not had a zit of any real size or scariness in 2+ years now.
I thought it was just me! I’m 34…and have at times let acne really interfere with my life. I had perfect skin as a teenager, and then I hit 25 and wham! I mean, what the hell is that? Who has acne at 34? Those of us who’ve been there know all too well how you feel, Fish. I look at others with envy that they can go outside in the daylight and not feel self-conscious, that they don’t have to use their hair as a shield, that they can go swimming and not be ashamed…it impacts so much. I will def try Murad…thank you so much for sharing.
Adapalene is a prescription topical cream that works really well. Most days I can even go without makeup. It did get worse before it got better, but eventually it DID get better. Adapalene is also good for reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Yeah! Better for your skin than the “Proactiv” line…been there, done that…but as your skin ages that stuff is soooo bad for it.
Have any of you tried the Colorscience Makeup? They sell it at Silk Skin. I love this stuff. It is a new line made by the creators of bare escentuals. Complete mineral makeup. Stuff is great!
Is Silk Skin exclusive to NY? Doesn’t have a “location” link on the site…so that sucks for us in, well you know, other places!
Silk Skin is a cosmetic dermatolgy center in Manhattan. It is a medical spa basically… they do everything from Laser Hair Removal to permenant Eyelashes… the location is exclusively in NYC, sorry gals.
Be careful with glycolic acid products and waxing your eyebrows, the skin will rip off.
Oh my! That would suck!
Don’t hate me but I’ve always had good skin, I know I’m blessed and I’m thankful but now I’m getting fine lines. It looks like this would be good for that aspect. I’ll be in NY next week!!YAY!!
btw I’m an old woman…..almost 47 but still love this blog!
I forgot, can we see before and after pics now that you have your nice camera?
I’m a Retin-A addict. Of course, I’ve got a few years on you. But I started using it for acne years ago and, if I do say so myself, I look pretty damn good for my age.
To keep the peel baby softness, may I suggest Oil of Olay Regenerist Microdermabrasion and Peel kit. Very non irritiating and your skin will feel like velvet. Especially if you follow it up with a good skin protectant. I use Origins’ White Tea Skin Protectant.
Good for you for pampering yourself. New job, new phone number, new skin!
MicroDerm is amaaaazing! Even the home results are great.
I’ve been wanting to try Murad but I’m scared because I keep hearing about people having these really bad reactions. My skin is sensative so, I don’t know. My skin is bad enough, I don’t need it looking worse.
Hummm. I wonder if that would help with uneven color? Might have to look into it.
I know you’ve written some fantastic posts much deeper and soul-bearing than this but seriously, this is one of the best things you could have done. I too have been thisclose to calling in sick because of a break out and lord, that can ruin a girl’s day. Or week. Or first date.
Anyway, I’ve tried Micro and I swear by it. I’ve also had a blue light treatment and ultrasonic treatment which both seemed to have helped keep my face from looking like a grease ball. After reading this, I’m looking forward to trying the peel, too.
For you new yorkers… silk skin has a great microderm machine… I’ve researched this and they use the Power Peel which is the best in the industry. I highly recommend Elizabeth if u are considering a treatment.
try the laser hair removal too… sooo addictive
http://www.SilkSkinLaser.com
Really??? I tried Murad and it didn’t work at all!! I’m jealous, because I’d give anything to have clear skin. I’m glad you found that happy place, maybe the rest of us will soon.
Cheers.
That sounds great!
The softest skin is the bestest feeling.
I am laughing cause I am sitting here with an acne mask on my face and back. Does the Murad really work? Six more months till I can go see a dermatologist, lovely HMO’s but seriously I am refusing to see my bf due to the backne.
Hey, I’ve got crappy skin too. You’d think being an adult at 28 the whole zit minefield will go away.
This week has been especially trying, as I flew for the first time since terrorists tried to bring liquid explosives on the planes. Three days without my Nivea facial scrub (for Men, spank you very much) at warmy North Carolina resulted in four giganmongous on my face. Yes, I think I won’t be going on first dates for a month now. =) But I travel for work, so I’m cursed with outbreaks forever.
I always liked Proactive. It was always on the pricey side, but even more so now that I moved abroad. It would cost more than my monthly food budget. I liked the look of the site that you linked to, and the price seems reasonable enough. I just need to find out if you can get it in the UK.
Love the blog BTW, I haven’t found one in a while that I actually go though the archives to read more. I guess I stopped reading them when I stopped writing them.
OMG, I can’t believe it took acne to get me out of lurkdom…Murad didn’t work for me. Neither did Clinique’s acne line, AHA facials or microdermabrasion. Finally I went simple…a gentle cleanser (Cetaphil), benzoyl peroxide treatment (Neutrogena On-the-Spot), and oil-free everything (moisturizer, foundation, blush, powder). I haven’t had problems in 2 years.
Wow! Reading you post and then all the comments really made me feel that at least I’m not alone… I like a few of the girls that have posted have red hair and seriously sensitive skin. Acne really sucks especially when you had it for more years than you haven’t. I’m glad that you’ve found something that works. Maybe I’ll give it a whirl. I’ll probably try it on the inside of my arm before I rub it all over my face though.
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Yes, that was a squeal.
Are they paying you yet? hehe
I’ve never suffered from all-over acne, but I did used to get cystic acne–where I’d get one huge zit that I could feel developing and then turned into a huge, painful thing that took weeks to go away. My dermatologist put me on a low dose of doxycycline (50 mg. once a day), an oral medication used to treat a variety of bacterial infections, and since then I haven’t had one more big zit. No side effects either, and with insurance it’s only $10 for two months.
P.S. I missed MANY a day of work due to those huge zits…there is absolutely no way to ignore it or concentrate when you have what seems to be a golf ball-size bump on your chin that may or may not be oozing and that refuses to be concealed with make-up, and which everyone in the office is obviously staring at! Thank God I found a solution.
My dermatologist said, “if it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t work”, BUT I LOVE microdermabrasion combined w/glycolic peel. And, it DOES hurt (imagine a really, really rough cat tongue). Tip: Your skin will look fantastic for 3 days, then, day 4 you will look 80 years old – because of the trauma, the skin had plumped up; it will then de-plump and flake like crazy for a few days. Then,… bliss for a couple of months. An initial 6 treatments over 3 months is recommended in order to actually change the skin (so that you’re not wasting your money). Also, Retin-A is the ONLY way (still?) to really re-vamp collagen production.
I have the same woes – I am totally self-conscious about my skin, and feel that its just going to go on forever. I’m glad you found something that works for you, and its tempting me to try that kind of treatment.
yeah for you, Fish! Welcome to the club! If you loved the peel, you are going to just fall over yourself for the microdermabrasion bc it’s not even close to painful like the peel! (feels like a rough cats tongue on your face). anyway, then your beautiful skin will look like a freshly powdered babies butt. keep it up and you will be in heaven!
Silk Skin’s microdermabrasion wasnt’t too painful at all. I have alternated it with the glycolic peel and love the results! Liz is great there!
can you tell us how much the peel costs? and the microdermabrasion?
i guess i can just call, huh?
also, does the murad work if you just have sort of spotty, uneven, dry in some places and OILY in others sort of skin?
lbcat,
I did the same thing. Never had huge outbreak probs, just the occasional unwanted zits. I switched to ivory soap and oil-free moisturizer and my skin has been clear since. (2+ years.)
31 year old sufferer of the nasty cyst things only around my chin and only on that time of the month. I have been using Neutrogena Rapid Clear on my chin. I use Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner (it has glycolic acid in it) and that has kept most of the blackheads and the occasional whitehead away.
i still swear that the Loreal Pure Zone stuff is the greatest thing on earth… i was another of the ‘good skin when i was younger, horrible when i hit ~25′… that Loreal stuff is my saviour… Duane Reade stopped carrying it, so i thought it was discontinued and stocked up with a years worth from drugstore.com…
OK, the acne thing got me to post. I use to have very bad acne in college and went on Acutane (which was experimental at the time), which cleared up my skin for years. Then, I had a baby and the acne came back! So thanks for the suggestion to try Murad. Will get some TONIGHT! Love your blog, Fish.
I have been using Proactiv for four years and just recently (two months) my skin has been a disaster. I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried acne peels, clay masks, and I have been using mineral makeup for three years. I’m about ready to try Cetaphil as suggested by one of the girls…
I feel you. Acne is so much worse when you’re an adult, because you’re not SUPPOSED to have it. At least when you’re a teenager, as embarrasing as it may be, there are tons of other teens with the same problem. But now it’s like who’s going to take you seriously in a business meeting when you’ve got pus-filled bowling balls erupting all over your chin?
Not that I’m bitter or anything…
Anyway, I swear by a combo of Glycolic Cream followed by Retin-A Micro. I wash with cetaphil. And I take birth control pills and used to take minocycline antibiotics. So, I’m basically a big chemistry experiment, but it seems to be finally working.
Silk Skin’s peel is $150 and the Microderm is $150. There is a combo package where you get 6 treatment for the price of 5. Highly recommended !
go to SilkSkinLaser.com
I’m 26, and I’ve been fighting my skin since I was a kid, so I’ve pretty much resigned myself to the fact that this is a lifelong war. I’m getting my revenge, though… I’m writing my master’s thesis on the factors that might help prevent psychological distress because of acne. Mwa ha ha!
what’s crazy is acne seems to be such a taboo topic, but we don’t realize how many of us fight it. i went on accutane (2 treatments) after years and it cleared me up completely while i was on it. the week i was scheduled for a scar removal consultation (thanks to the cysts) i started breaking out again – but not the cysts, thank goodness! i kept my appointment with this dermatologist and she did a superficial peel right there (salicylic acid, i believe). in two days i was cleared up and it lasted about 3 weeks and i went back on week 4. today i start the fraxel laser process (3-5 treatments) of scar removal. i’m hoping this works well and that i can be rid of most of my skin’s issues. these problems are not exactly confidence boosters! oh, and my derm has put me on a washing regimen of panoxyl bar in the AM and a neutrogena acne mask in the PM (the mask has the same ingredients as the peel) and it works well. also, for the back- don’t wash. sounds gross, but just let water run over it-no soap, no scrubbing.
Well, ladies, I’m in a bit of a bind and could use some good advice! (Who better than girlfriends to give advice
I’ve VERY recently started using Proactiv and, um, how to put non-embarassingly- my face looks like a pepperoni pizza. It wasn’t gerat before, but wow- talk about a change for the worse. Am I cursed or does this happen often (the worse before it gets better symdrome)? part of me wants to hope things will get better, but the rest of me says to give up before you do more damamge. Hmmm- Sounds like several relationships I’ve had…..
I feel it is my duty to add to this acne forum. A lot of this information is useful, and while I’ve never considered a peel, I’m looking into it now. I’m also a long-time acne sufferer, and the single thing that has worked for me is cleansing with something non-offensive like cetaphil (or anything with minimal medical ingredients), and then gobbing – and I do mean gobbing – on the 5% benzoyl peroxide cream nightly. Give it a couple weeks. It WORKS.
Thank god I don’t feel so alone in this struggle to have nice skin anymore!
Glycolic is a godsend for acne suffers, with proper use. As an esthetician I would say just stick to the glycolic peels. I find that in the wrong hands microdermabration could make a bigger mess of your skin, and I have seen some messes!
I am the esthetician who gave Heather her glycolic peel, from Silk Skin. If any of you are in the New York City area we would be happy to help you with your acne and skin problems. We have a myriad of treatments that deal with everything from sun scarring, to wrinkles, to acne, as well as a daily regimen, and mineral makeup to take home with you.
If you mention ThisFish, we will give you a 10% discount.
For More information about us visit:
http://WWW.SilkSkinLaser.COM
It’s amazing, how many women read this blog, and how much they are obsessed with dermatologists…
I am obsessed with spelling. BTW it is spelled “excellent”.
Try spellchecker.
Thanks, bye!
Thanks! That’s what I get for adding things after-the-fact.
Oh, and BTW? Periods belong INSIDE quotations marks.
Try grammar.
Thanks, bye!
Like a couple of other people who have commented I had gorgeous skin as a teenager (and never appreciated it) but when I was 21 got a horrific case of the chicken pox and have had cyst type breakouts ever since (especially on my cheeks). Finally decided that I was sick of being driven to distraction (and having to wear makeup every time I left the house) Ive been trying one thing after the other, Im currently on a skin specific form of the pill, just starting my third month on twice daily antibiotics, and piling on the Proactiv twice a day. Its nowere near as bad as it used to be but some of the old cystes are still present and about two months old, and I am still getting new ones comming up.
For the other users of proactiv I have to ask, have you noticed how irregular dry areas, I dont get the repairing cream anywhere near the area under my eyes but after I use it on my cheeks I have black crinkled skin under my eyes that I have never had before.
Oh I am so going to have to try the peel. I’m 37 and have had **** skin my whole life. It’s so frustrating! I think I’d pay just about any amount for help at this point.
Us girls aren’t the only ones with acne problems. My boyfriend (who has tried everything) is dealing with acne AND a bad case of bacne. I love him dearly, and see how much this affects his self esteem (he won’t take off his shirt at the beach to reveal his AMAZINGLY buff body) Sometimes the acne is cystic, sometimes it’s not. I’m going to tell him about the doxycyclin. Maybe that’ll work. Thanks for the help!
Ok, so I know I’m not a woman, but being gay brings similar experiences
I’ve had skin problems for years…Retin-A worked in clearing it up for me, but the side effects were too much for me to handle, and I hated having to go through insurance to get it. I’ve tried like every product out there…the Clinique Acne Line, Neutrogena, Biore, Clean&Clear, Proactiv…all with nothing to show but worse-off skin. About 2 months ago, I started getting a facial every couple weeks, and use a combination of products from both Murad and Bioelements. I use the medicated Murad at night and the regualr Bioelements in the morning. I haven’t had skin this clear or smooth since I was little!!
Another piece of advice is to be patient with your regimen – it may take a a month or a bit over to see significant results, but just give it time!!
You guys all seem like you are finding way. I am 15 and people might think that I am still young and it will go away, but it doesn’t seem that way. It is not like those pimples that pop up every month, its like badly scarring and red and all over my face, I cant believe this happened to me. It has been like this for 3 years and I tried dermatolgist, proactiv, herbal pills and treatments, all and I mean all the over the counter products. I have my cousin who is a doctor and reccommended Retin-A, and birth control pills, so thats what I have been on for about a month, there are no changes. I feel so bad at myself everytime I look into the mirror, I hate people looking at me. And I hate when they suggest things like I dont know to use a moisturizer, or wash my face, or go to a doctor. Ahhh! Can someone please just tell me that retin-a will work. If not I am going to Murad, and then to laser…I really dont want to, but its so hard!
well I am 34 years old and as some of you had GREAT skin as a teenager then at 28 BAM! and been battling the Acne ever since ,,,I have spent TONS of $$ trying all different things & nothing has worked – not even 4 blue light treatments at 600.00
I am thinking of doing an at home loreal microdermabrasion but afraid that I will have bad results and dont want to have the Monday morning sales meeting tomorrow with worse looking skin than ever ,,has anyone tried it? comments?
I am a glycolic peel addict. I love it and my skin feels great since I have started having a facial once a month and a periodic 6 week treatment of glycolic. I guess my skin has never been that bad but I get the hormonal breakouts that seem to take forever to go away and my derm gave me a script for metrogel. Does anyone know if I am ok using this with all my glycolic treatments and products? I love the info on this blog. Hope someone can help.