pores and scars
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free skin care · Sun May 13, 2007 12:47 am

I thought exfoliating the skin would decrease pore size and improve scars. Boy was I wrong. After using Olay and Murad exfoliaters, I find that my pore size has increased and my face never looked worse with reddish acne scars (I stopped getting acne about a year back but the scars never disappeared).

Am I the only one for whom exfoliation is causing me to look older? Or should I be using stronger exfoliators like youthful essence, derma wand, or epidermx 2? Which of these three products would you recommend for improving pore size & acne scars?

Thanks a bunch!

free skin care · Sun May 13, 2007 6:16 am

Angel, nothing will reduce your pore size as it's mostly genetic. What you can do is keep your skin exfoliated and clean so that oil and debris don't collect in the pores making them seem larger.

Sometimes (often), scar damage is worse below the surface of the skin than it is on top. It really takes awhile to heal and repair that. Exfoliation is still your best bet for reducing the look of scars. Aggressive exfoliation, though, can cause even more damage. Just take it slow and gentle and over time you will see improvement.

JMHO

Ari

free skin care · Mon May 14, 2007 5:24 am

Large, congested pores was one of the issues that bothered me most about my skin. I was constantly using exfoliating products - the ones with the micro-beads, and my skin was looking worse and worse.

Then I switched to the OCM and did a 65% lactic acid peel once a week. My skin has improved immensely. I also highly recommend doing a TCA peel. Right now, I am taking a break from the peels as I am using Retin-A 0.1% and can honestly say that my pores are now much, much less noticeable and my skin looks so much smoother.

free skin care · Mon May 14, 2007 5:51 am

Hi Keliu,

I think you're very brave! Very Happy

I do OCM ... but I've drawn the line at peels. They terrify me! Laughing

I always have visions of the skin on my face "shedding" ... with constant uglies! Laughing

How much actually "peeling" is done with a TCA peel?

Thanks

Mary

free skin care · Mon May 14, 2007 6:17 am

hpjrt wrote:

Hi Keliu,

I think you're very brave! Very Happy

I do OCM ... but I've drawn the line at peels. They terrify me! Laughing

I always have visions of the skin on my face "shedding" ... with constant uglies! Laughing

How much actually "peeling" is done with a TCA peel?

Thanks

Mary

Hi Mary,
Doing a peel is not nearly as terrifying as you might think. In terms of stinging (when you apply the peel) the TCA doesn't seem to sting as much as the Lactic Acid. Peeling usually starts 3 -4 days after application. When I say peeling, its really just flaking of the skin, for me anyway. This might last a few days. The experts say not to use a moisturizer whilst peeling to hurry things along, but I usually cave and apply a little emu oil.

If you want to try a peel but are a bit hesitant of the whole process - I suggest trying Perfect Complexion's Apeel Light. It's absolutely foolproof and doesn't sting at all. You apply it at night and wash it off the next morning - simple. Every time I've used this I've had a successful peel. I really think that peels are the way to go for getting rid of all the debris in your pores and refining the skin.

free skin care · Mon May 14, 2007 6:25 am

Hi,girls. What's OCM? Pardon my ignorance.

free skin care · Mon May 14, 2007 6:45 am

m1rox wrote:

Hi,girls. What's OCM? Pardon my ignorance.

OCM - oil cleansing method. Mixture of 50/50 extra virgin olive oil (or other oil of your choice) and castor oil. Used to cleanse the face. The theory is that oil cleanses oil. Do a search - you'll find allot of info on this topic on the forum.

free skin care · Thu May 17, 2007 3:25 pm

Thank you for your replies!

I am too chicken for a peel right now since I also have sensitive skin in certain areas. My skin is as complex as my mind to deal with Very Happy

I'll go easy on the exfoliation for the next few weeks and see if the redness goes away.

I ordered the Cellular Skin Rx Eye Bright Treatment Serum and PSF HA Serum mainly for the eye area. Lets see how these work Smile

free skin care · Thu May 17, 2007 7:41 pm

You can do more exercise to increase your metabolism and the ance scar fades more easily.

free skin care · Thu May 17, 2007 7:49 pm

I actually think pores can shrink. They don't "disappear" but they can shrink the cleaner they are.
I'm using peels (GA, SA, apeel correct, TCA peels), mandelic serum and retinol products and my skin and pores look so much better than they have in many years.
I've seen many people say that retin-a can do that well.

I also LOVE Salicylic acid peels - one of the best things I've done for myself. I wish I discovered them decades ago Very Happy

free skin care · Thu May 17, 2007 11:25 pm

Hi Sweet, for the last 6 months or so I've been alternating EpidermX II microdermabrasion and I Feel Pretty BHA/AHA exfoliators on a nightly basis. Several times a week, I'll also alternate between a yogurt/aspirin mask and a mud mask.

I also use 75/25 mix of castor oil/jojoba oil to remove my makeup at night, followed by a BHA [salacylic acid] cleanser.

Large pores and acne have always been a problem for me, but I can honestly say that now my skin is much clearer, oil production seems to be under control and pores really have reduced. Or maybe they only APPEAR to have reduced, I'm not quite sure. I learned that women over 40 can't handle the harsh products we used to use in our teens and 20's, gentle non-irritating products will win out every time.

Good luck, lots of great advice here!

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