Skin Diary + Good News =)

Hi guys! how are you doing? Well, I was inspired to give hope to other ladies who is suffering from acne/pimples like me...I hope this post could help you in some ways :)

I've been having this battle against acne/pimples since I was 12...for the last 11 years, I hopped from one derma to another (looking for The One that could solve my dilemma), I had many expensive and painful treatments, and bought so many topical medications (both low and high end) that did not gave me any positive result that last...either these will only aggravate my skin's condition or the good effect will last me only a couple of months then they will start losing their effectivity...I'm just glad that now that I'm 23, my face is clearing up...this is because I have found my fairy godmother in the form of my current dermatologist, Dr. Michelle Manuel.

Dr. Manuel was recommended to me by my bf's mom...she said that she's good and doesn't charge high, so I decided to go. I went there late September 2008 for my first checkup. She listened to my concerns very patiently then she asked me for my history (what products I used, what treatments I had, and the effects they had on me) and the current products I'm using at that time..

I know I've said all these things to you in my first post but I just want to put a brief summary about my condition before showing you my progress within my 6months of treatment...Actually, I found some pictures taken before and during the treatment period..so I want to take this opportunity to show you all (I know that the best way to show how huge the improvements are) my progress pictures..I'm hso glad I'm really brave to show the whole world my bare face lol :)



BEFORE THE TREATMENT:




See how many acne I have? Gross right? This is how I looked like for a couple of months before I went to Dr. Manuel.

AFTER 3 or 4 MONTHS OF TREATMENT:



A HUGE improvement right? This is the result of the following:

- 4 months of taking Tetralysal antibiotic. The last month is for tapering the medication.

- 2x a day usage of glycolic soap, acne lotion, celeteque facial moisturizer

- sunblock (SPF 80) every morning.

- 4 facials (cleaning, vacuum and laser), a few injections (for the huge and deep acne), and a couple chemical peeling for my scars.

- Tretinoin every other night from fourth month.

NOW (my 6th month):I know I have makeup on this one but I only have a very light makeup on so you can still see the current state of my skin...I used (all MMU) Ellana sheer velvet powder primer, Dayna's Minerals foundation and a light blush...as you can notice, my only problem now is removing the few marks left behind from the deep pimples I had...I underwent spot peeling before I started applying Tri Luma cream on the spots last month..this is for lightening the discolorations. After a month of using the cream every night, the marks have lightened already but I still have the very dark ones on my right cheek..so I plan of coming back to my derma to ask for a faster whitening solution for those very stubborn spots :)

It still feels like magic for me..I have suffered from acne for 11 years and I was treated within 6 months..really amazing...This happened without my any of those "your skin will get worse before it become clear" or the phase of "purging" that I experienced before Dr. Manuel...As soon as I visited her and gave me 3 products to use (gly soap, acne lotion and sunblock) , my skin started to improve slowly but surely...surely meaning once they got healed, they never came back..so for those of you who are suffering from acne, don't lose hope..you just need to find the dermatologist and the products that will work for you. Just be patient coz there is no such thing as an instant result..better to do it slowly and safely rather than fast and then say "if only" in the end..so keep on smiling!


TIPS:

- be patient in looking for the right dermatologist and products for you

- be patient and consistent in your regimen..even if you don't think it is working, just continue to use the product coz there are products that take some time before you can see the full effect

- talk to your derma about your concerns so she can give you a solution for it..don't self medicate!

- try not to use any new product without consulting your derma so as to prevent any cross reaction with your treatment that can cause another bout of breakouts

- keep on smiling!

Before I forget, most of the products I use are priced below Php300 only and they lasts me 3-4 months of 2x a day usage every single day..So you don't really need to spend more to get better results...Till my next post! Ciao! :)

Foor those asking about where they can find my dermatologist, here's her info:

Dr. Michelle B. Manuel

MBM Medical and Skin Clinic
2nd Floor Wilcon Center
Visayas, Avenue, QC
Telephone # 986-6712

*I can give you directions how to go there..just send me a comment or an email (galebart_15@yahoo.com) :)

-=oOo=-

Yipee! I got in for the training in Bernardino General Hospital today! Even though I will not get any allowance or salary for this training, I'm still happy coz I can now practice my profession even though the training period is for 3 months only...I'll just do my best so that once the training is finished, I can be absorbed by the hospital to become an employed staff nurse :)