1/21/05

These are my "Before" Pictures.

I have indented scars, melasma over lips and under eyes from bcp, spots of discoloration from previous breakouts, bumps, etc. Also some lines under my eyes (they are only when I smile though). I also have a slight lack of firmness. (The weird neck creases are just from how I had to move my arms to take the picture at armlength)

I am using a "gentle" regimen at the moment of diluted Super CP Serum and Exfol Cream.

UPDATED 5/25/08

I didn't seem to be making any progress with my routine and had become apathetic and neglectful of my skin for almost the last 3 years. By the end of 2007, I had decided if I was going to try to improve my skin, I had better stop fooling around and get with it.

Around the beginning of this year, 2008, I added Retin-A .05% and that seemed to improve the overall look of my skin. I began to notice improvement within just a few weeks.

I think the reason the CP's weren't helping all this time was because they couldn't get through the scar tissue to *do* anything. Even peels didn't seem to help. When I tried needling, I was doing it wrong and actually causing *more* damage.

I added a 1.5 roller to my routine on 5/8/08. (I may call it the dermaroller, but it's not actually that brand). I have used it a few times. I intend to post updated photos in the coming weeks, so you can see if there has been improvement.

Here is my routine as of 8/05/08:

SKIN CARE:

A.M.
Facial brush on dry skin.
Splash with water.
TTT
dab of Super Cop mixed with Day Cover.
Day Cover only around eyes.

P.M.
Gentle Clean
If needed, I exfoliate with a facial brush.
On Friday nights (1x week), derma roller.
LacSal after 30 min.
Super Cop 2x mixed with Retin-A after 1 hr.
Pat on emu.

SUPPLEMENTS:

A.M.
MSM 1,000 mg
Vit. C 500 mg - 1,000 mg.
Copper 1.75 mg
Multi (NSI Synergy Once Daily, also has 100 mg. Alpha Lipoic Acid, 120 mg. 500 mcg Copper, 100 mg. CoQ10, 100 mg. Green Tea)
120 mg. Ginkgo Biloba

P.M.
MSM 1-2,000 mg.
Vit. C 500 - 1,000 mg
Copper 1.75 mg

I take fish oil after a meal when I remember it.

DIETARY NOTES:
-I use olive oil, coconut oil and butter in cooking and on food.
-Quality protein daily: beef, chicken, fish, eggs, pork, etc.
-Low in sugar & refined carbs.
-I drink lots of ice water and iced tea sweetened with stevia. I like hot tea, and a cup of coffee.
-Almost daily drink of alcohol such as a beer or wine with meal.
-I try to eat some kind of vegetable daily and usually some kind of fruit. Some days I get in tons of veggies, and others I am lucky to get some iceberg lettuce. But it's usually somewhere in between.
-I try to avoid hydrogenated oils.
-Low dairy.
-Low processed foods.
-Exercise a few x week, such as walking, swimming and weight training.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SkinBiologyWebmaster,

Dear summerwave:

This is an excellent example of a good "before" picture. And even the black & white picture format seems to help indentify the areas you were working on.

We'd all love to see the follow-up picts when you have them!

Thank you,
-Skin Biology

I updated but only with more "before" pics. They are more recent pics, and I think you can see mild improvement, although with the amount of time and the aggressiveness of my routine, I feel it should have been much better. However, I recently added a 1.5 roller which seems to be helping the products penetrate and I am going to do the lactic acid peels more.

I updated with the side of my face that I hadn't picked as much, which has a lot less red marks.

I feel that my skin overall is looking better, apart from the red marks.

I have used the dermaroller 1 x per week for one month now.

Even though the pics are over 3 years apart, I didn't start getting real aggressive with treatment until the beginning of this year (2008), when I began using Retin-A, and then in May when I started derma rolling and using acids more often, and needling properly on the worse areas.

Notice the dark pitted areas around my chin in the 1st pic. The scar beside my mouth is also looking worse in that pic.

I think it makes the difference when you get the CP's down past that fibrous, tough old scar tissue where they can do some good. Before, I was using the "building up" aspect of the CP's more than I was getting enough of the "tearing down" of the old scars through needling, rolling, acids, etc. When you have scars as tough as mine, you must get the CP's down into the skin... a simple scrub or peel on occasion just didn't do it for me.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Summerwave,

If anyone has any questions or comments, feel free to post here

Thank you for posting your supplements and dietary info. Very detailed and helpful.

I just updated with more pics taken just a short while ago.

Can you see any change since the pics taken on June 13?

quote:

Originally posted by Summerwave:

WOW, amazing results thus far; keep at it Summerwave

Thanks, Lila.

I was scrutinizing my skin closely in the mirror today and see I have a lot of little "age spots" or hyperpigmentation that doesn't show up in these photos. It's faint but it is there, and ages the look of my skin. I am hoping these fade out soon.

Added another pic today for the fun of it

Added 2 pics I took on Friday sans makeup or skin care products. I hadn't rolled yet either.

Added another pic today. The reason it looks more red than the previous pics, is those were taken by a window with light coming in.

Hi Summerwave - I haven't seen your pics for a while and I can see some great progress. You must be thrilled!

I do see something in your routine that I question, tho.

P.M.
Gentle Clean
If needed, I exfoliate with a facial brush.
On Friday nights (1x week), derma roller.
LacSal after 30 min.
**Super Cop 2x mixed with Retin-A after 1 hr.**
Pat on emu.


I think you would see much better results if you DO NOT mix the SC2X w/ the Retin A. Retin A has a pH of about 3 while the CPs have a pH of around 6. When you apply the SC2X to the Retin A, you immediately raise the pH of Retin A to 6. That will lessen the action of it SO much. You will see much better results if you wait 30 minutes after LacSal, then apply Retin A, wait 30 more minutes (I know, long night), and then apply SC2X.

You are using the original Retin A (not the Micro) right?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: foxe,

Thanks, Foxe - you are always on guard for us about pH and that's great! If we're gonna use the products, we might as well get the most out of them.

Combining things is so much easier and quicker but I will take your advice. Maybe I should alternate nights of the products. Yes, I'm using the original. It's a generic.

Wow Summerwave, your skin looks really good, probably even better now that it's Sep 2009. You look younger in 2008 then 2005. Congrat.

Wow..that's really amazing summerwave. Can you tell me what it was you were doing wrong with the dermaroller? I had a similar issue and wonder if you can give me any tips and advice about appropriate technique. I have heard conflicting info from outside sources.

Thanks :-) You look beautiful.

Thank you, 1apple, for the comments. Sometimes it helps to look at those before pics and see the difference when I'm having a bad skin day.

petrified, I just saw your post. I'm not sure what you mean by doing wrong with the roller?

Now I am using it a few times per week but rolling very lightly with it. I'll give an update eventually on results.