Number 1 product you recommend to look younger? My story!
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free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:11 pm

This forum is amazing! You ladies have so much helpful information.

I'm wondering what the number one product you would recommend that has significantly made you look younger? (Anything from creams to serums to chemical peels to fillers, etc.)

Here is my story:

My family has really good genes. My mom is 65 and still looks 50 something. My sister is 40 and totally looks 30! And two years ago, I was 26 and people in public said they thought I was 17 or 19! (And all I ever did for my skin was wash it with ivory soap which is all my 40 year old sister still does. I didn't even take vitamins!)

Then, after I had my baby, I started having some insomnia. (Didn't affect my looks at that point- still looked ok) But then one night I didn't sleep AT ALL all night. For the next 8 nights I didn't sleep. (I'm not exaggerating.) Unfortunately, I was too scared to take a sleeping pill. I thought it would kill me! (Try not sleeping for days at a time and you won't think straight.) I tried melatonin, tylenol pm, and natural stuff from the health food store. It helped me fall asleep, but my sleep was so poor I didn't even realize I was sleeping. I aroused every few minutes! I experienced some wierd things! After a few weeks, the hair on my legs stopped growing! (Looking this up online led me to believe I was lacking in hgh- since its produced during deep sleep which I clearing wasn't getting.) The bottoms of my feet started peeling like crazy and got all wrinkled. My period started coming every two weeks! My sleep wasn't really sleep.. the only way I knew I was sleeping some was I dreamt. It was not relaxing sleep. After staying awake for 8 days, I started to get zaps of electricity in my head and inside my head it felt very warm, but when someone touched my head, it felt fine. Looking back, I think some kind of permanent damage definitely occured then because a few weeks later, I finally gave in and tried sleeping pills.. every single brand and strength that there is... And they didn't help at all!! Ambien made me hyper and more awake?? The rest of them made me have worse sleep all night. This was a little over a year ago. That awful sleep continued like that for a YEAR! I had a sleep study which showed I woke up every few minutes and barely got any deep sleep. (beauty sleep) Now the sleep seems to have gotten a little better.

But the rapid aging continues. Sad

I know not sleeping set many things off in my body that are probably contributing to the aging factor, I just don't know what!

Heres what I'm experiencing now at 27 as a result: (no overexaggeration) sagging knees, wrinkled/thin skin on feet (veins obvious), wrinkled hands ( can pull the skin and it STAYS), jowls, sagging eyelids, extreme hair loss, hair lost its glow, melasma, roscea, sagging butt, bat wings, elbow wrinkles, lines and wrinkles under eyes, smile lines, loss of volume in face, dark circles, thinning eyelashes, and I'm sure there is more I'm forgetting!

If you made it through all of that, you're amazing! Maybe my story will give you a new perspective about whatever skin issues you're experiencing! Smile

People don't usually experience as much as I am until around the age of 50! It's very sad. I was always a pretty girl and now I really look ugly. I am very depressed. I used to love life so I'm trying to find out what is causing this and do whatever I can do to get my body back! Or at least my face!!!!

So no matter what age you are, if you have any advice of things that truly made an extreme difference and helped you, please share!! If you are above 50 and found an exercise program that really helped your bat wings or firmed up your body, tell me what it is!

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:17 pm

I'd like to post what I looked like before and after the insomnia so you can get an idea! But I can't figure out how to post them.

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:30 pm

Have you been to your Dr. and had a complete check-up with blood work done? I'm wondering if you could have a hormonal or chemical imbalance Question

If it were me I would be concentrating on my health first & foremost. Exercising would probably be beneficial for you. Talking to your Dr. & maybe a naturopath about your issues.
When you said if you pinch your skin and it stays that is a good indication that you are dehydrated. You can quickly remedy this by drinking plenty of H2O and topically using a good moisturizer. I would also add a fish oil supplement.

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:36 pm

My god, that sleep pattern must have been hell!!

How better is the sleep now? Do you drink caffeine? Or get stressed easily? Sometimes no matter how hard you try you can't switch off.

I always look and feel like crap when I have had insomnia. Sleeping pills did help but they aren't a long term solution- I think I would overdose if I relied on them everynight. The more you take them, the higher the dose you need to knock you out on subsequent nights.

One thing that helped me was acupuncture- I literally fell alseep on the table. I get a massage after too. I went back the next day to have another session and that night I slept like a baby and lept out of the bed the following morning. It was crazy- I was eating crispy kreme doughnuts at 8 in the morning, feeling like an 10 year old! Laughing

You are still so young so I think a more holistic approach will benefit you. Diet, sleep, exercise etc.

There are many prescriptive diets out there that focus on anti-aging. Mainly consumption of anti-inflammatory foods (nuts, fish, avocados etc) and avoidance of simple carbs and sugar. See Dr. Perricone, Low GI diet.

Get lots of water and take some supplements- if you get a blood test done your doctor should be able to tell you if you have any deficiencies

Other that that, a good UVA/UVB sunscreen, and maybe a vitamin C serum? The Skinceuticals C E Ferulic filled out my face slightly- several peole commented that my cheeks looked really full BUT I've stopped using it becuase it has oxidised. The packaging leaves it really vulnerable to oxidation. I'm now going to use SkinMedica C/E complex which is supposed to be a stable product.

If you use a vit c serum, make sure you get a great UVA sunscreen, as it makes your skin more sensitive to the sun.

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:39 pm

Brrierose-

I have! The bloodtests didn't show anything. But I did have saliva tests which showed my dhea is low, progesterone is low, testosterone is low, etc. I'm thinking that is a result of the sleep loss- either way, hoping it will help to get them straightened out.

What do you mean by a chemical imbalance? What is that?

Thanks for your suggestions! I do drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, usually more. I slather a ton of aloe vera lotion on my feet overnight and constantly put it on my hands.

Would moisturizer work better than lotion? Is it really any different? Is there a brand you can recommend? I know nothing about skincare! What type of fish oil should I take?

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:42 pm

Quote:

Would moisturizer work better than lotion? Is it really any different? Is there a brand you can recommend? I know nothing about skincare! What type of fish oil should I take?

Moisturizer for your face? It would depend on your skin type- i.e. oily, normal, dry, very dry etc.

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:56 pm

Thanks for the reply, LondonJamie. Yes, the sleep pattern was terrible!!!!! I used to be an actor but forget acting. I could not remember anything someone said two seconds ago. I'm still having a hard time remembering things. It was SO bad I would just stay in bed all day hoping to feel better. But I never did because I never really slept.

The sleep seems to be a little better now because I feel like I actually get some sleep. Before, I used to see the clock every ten minutes or 30 minutes all night. So either its better or my brain has just gotten used to it!

I only drink one cup of coffee in the morning sometimes. It wasn't that. No, I'm not stressed. the only reason I ever get depressed is because of the effect this is having on my body and life. I think stress may have started the insomnia since my daughter was only a few months old and not eating well at all and I was worried about her health- it was probably a mixture of that and messed up hormones.

Wow! So you had acupuncture and found you slept better that evening? How so? You woke up less or just had a deeper sleep? Did they do the acupuncture on your whole body? I'm interested! A friend recommended I try it as well. Was it expensive?

The vitamin c serum filled out your face slightly? Do you mean it lifted your skin/jowls? Which brand do you recommend? Is Vitamin C harmful for your skin in any way? Do you just put it on your skin in the morning and leave it on for a while? (I'm such a newbie- like I said- all I ever did was wash my face with ivory soap! Smile

)

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:07 pm

insomnia, how was/is your diet? I am wondering if you were getting good nutrients from fruits and vegetables in, especially being so sleep deprived. So sorry you went through all that. It sounds like the sleep is a little better now?

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:15 pm

my goodness, insomnia, sounds like having your baby had everything to do with this. It's as if your hormone machine is still asleep.

Have you seen an endocrinologist? Your system absolutely needs a little kick start.

Hope you're better soon!

Pluto

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:31 pm

insomniaisagingmeearly wrote:

Wow! So you had acupuncture and found you slept better that evening? How so? You woke up less or just had a deeper sleep? Did they do the acupuncture on your whole body? I'm interested! A friend recommended I try it as well. Was it expensive?

I had a very good night of deep sleep. I didn't wait an hour or two to drift off, not even half an hour. It felt like the body had been brought back intune and I drifted off naturally and had an uninterrupted 10 hours. A MIRACLE! I woke up naturally around 8 and jumped out of bed- usually I accuse my bed of being possessive! I had so much energy- even my family noticed!

The acupuncture I had concentrated on my back area, the shoulders, and my head. I was left on the table for 30 mins- even though it felt like 10 becuase I just felt unbelievably relaxed. After I had a 15 minute massage.

I have never felt better after a session. In fact, instead of stuff like facials and treatments, I much prefer to get acupuncture because it never fails to make me feel great and give my skin a glow- a boost from proper circulation I guess.

I went to a place in London called Sen and it costs around £60 for the 15 minutes (massage included). I'm not sure where you are? If you can, I do recommend the massage after the acupuncture.

insomniaisagingmeearly wrote:

The vitamin c serum filled out your face slightly? Do you mean it lifted your skin/jowls? Which brand do you recommend? Is Vitamin C harmful for your skin in any way? Do you just put it on your skin in the morning and leave it on for a while? (I'm such a newbie- like I said- all I ever did was wash my face with ivory soap! Smile

)

Yes, I notice that my cheeks look slightly fuller when I have used a vit c serum. I have pretty firm skin so I can't say whether it has firmed. I haven't noticed any lifting effects although other members here may be of more help in that area. I think vit c's main aim is to stop free radicals (caused by everyday UV rays from the sun/light) from accelerating the aging of your skin and to help promote collagen growth.

My first vit c serum has been Skinceuticals C/E Ferulic. The onyl problem this particular product has is that the packaging allows the vit c to degrade and oxidise. It should be a clear liquid, but it turns yellow, and eventually brown when opened. There is a risk that putting an oxidised vit c serum on your skin could actually INCREASE aging.

You can refigerate the product but personally, for me, I want to use a product that is more stable than the Sknceuticals. I've read great reviews of SkinMedica's C complex (which is supposed to be a stable vit c serum- so it will not oxidise). I'm in the process of tracking it down!

I put my serum on of a night time. Mainly, people wear it underneath their sunscreen, applying it in the morning. I guess it's personal preference! Smile

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:37 pm

I can relate. Been having trouble sleeping too, but with me it's stress. what is helping you now with sleeping a bit better?

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:44 pm

insomniaisagingmeearly wrote:

Brrierose-

I have! The bloodtests didn't show anything. But I did have saliva tests which showed my dhea is low, progesterone is low, testosterone is low, etc. I'm thinking that is a result of the sleep loss- either way, hoping it will help to get them straightened out.

What do you mean by a chemical imbalance? What is that?

Thanks for your suggestions! I do drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, usually more. I slather a ton of aloe vera lotion on my feet overnight and constantly put it on my hands.

Would moisturizer work better than lotion? Is it really any different? Is there a brand you can recommend? I know nothing about skincare! What type of fish oil should I take?

In a nutshell chemical imbalances in our brain can be caused by stress in our life resulting in depression/anxiety. Dr.'s will treat this with an anti-depressant that you take for a period of time. With lack of sleep it can become a vicious cycle because that alone can make everything more stressful.

If your drinking 8 gl of water you wouldn't be dehydrated.

Probably a cream type moisturizer would be better than aloe for moisturizers. It's hard to recommend one,depends on your skin type & budget. Keep reading the EDS forums, there's a wealth of information here.

As far as fish oil,there's plenty of choice in a health food store. Just make sure its mercury free (it should state on the bottle)

Be encouraged, taking steps towards better health & incorporating some good basic skincare things WILL get better.

I agree with LondonJamie about using a vit.c serum. Good luck.

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 3:17 pm

insomniaisagingmeearly, I hope it didn't sound like I was trying to diagnose you, just passing some things on to consider. Wink

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 3:22 pm

Insomnia... This is crazy.

So your blood tests are normal... but your saliva shows low hormones. Did your Dr. test your hormones... and they were somehow normal?

Read in another thread that you think you're perimenopausal. What are you basing that on?

I would make your Dr. work with you a bit more on this. Take HIM/HER your before pictures to show that you've had such a huge change. Something internal is OFF!!!!

Are you breast feeding? 8 glasses of water would not be enough to stay hydrated if so... and really that is just borderline.

Oh... and I just happened on an interesting article which about Mercury Poisoning. One of the Melrose Place actresses says she went through this crazy deal, total exhausting,short term memory suddenly shot, a long list of symptoms... turned out to be Mercury Poisoning... She ate lots of foods contaminated... and she thought she was eating a very healthy diet. If I can find the magazine, I'll post better info.

Not that you have Mercury Poisoning... but have you had a Tox screening? I would be looking at EVERYTHING...

Oh... and regarding sleep... not sure it will help you... but I was turned on by another EDS member to this fabulous site... http://www.brainsync.com She has downloads to assist with sleep. You could probably contact the woman about insomnia in particular...The one I use, which is for relaxing KNOCKS me out... and I sleep through the night, which is a big deal, 'cause I'm usually up 8-10 times a night...

Best wishes...

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 4:44 pm

Gosh now I don't know... Think

My sister had sleep problems after her second child but they eventually resolved. I did not know you had had a baby. Maybe you lost a bunch of hormones in the pregnancy and your body hasn't gone back to normal for some reason. ?? My sister eventually was able to sleep; she did not say it had aged her badly though.

I think you really need to see a doctor. Although be aware doctors may say there is nothing wrong with you. It all depends on what kind of doctor you go to. My insomnia was related to genetically programmed aging that was probably sped up due to stress and environmental pollution. You could read a perimenopause book like the one I mentioned by Dr. Vliet but I don't remember what she had to say about post partum insomnia. My thought is that it probably is hormonal. If your periods are not normal... and you mentioned hair loss and that is a big estrogen symptom. I know how controversial hormones are but in this case I don't think diet, vitamins, stress etc has anything to do with it but that it is probably endicrinological and internally based.

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 5:14 pm

Wow Insomnia, Bravo for coming on and sharing and not losing hope!!!

the only advise I have is find a good Doctor!..these signs certainly have a deeper root and cant be fixed by any cream or potions! Hormones really are very very strong and persistent...

I also saw a lot of changes after my second child(nothing close to what you experienced though)facal hair, loose skin around jaw line, coarse hair etc..but I have PCOS anyways....and am seeing a naturopath currently.

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:27 pm

I've been writing to the OP separately about this because I experienced almost identical symptoms. She actually found me because I had talked about HGH a few years back on here. I'm very fortunate that I finally found a doctor that actually listens and knows what she's doing. She tested me for a LOT of different issues and she actually found several, but the primary issue turned out to be an adrenal insufficiency.

In addition, I also learned I have chronic mono (a VERY high count at that), probably thyroid problems (can't tell for sure until the adrenals are repaired) and was completely vitamin D deficient. Please make sure that if you wear sunscreen religiously as I do that you take a high quality D3 supplement daily! Research is showing more and more evidence into the extremely important role that Vitamin D has on our immune system, particularly when it comes to cancer and chronic disease. I always assumed the small sun exposure I got on my arms/hands was enough, but I was at the extreme low end of the scale.

I'm now two months into treatment and finally starting to turn a corner. I would never try and diagnose anyone, but it wouldn't surprise me if there were adrenal issues for her as well. The adrenal glands essentially regulate all functions of the body, including hormones, digestion and such, so when they start to wear down, things go south pretty quickly. I just hope my skin issues resolve in time, but when you've gone through something like this, I'm just happy to finally start feeling alive again! Very Happy

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 6:54 pm

You know TAMgirl99, I was thinking about adrenal insufficiency also. Our adrenals can become overtaxed when under stress. Sometimes we can be under stress & not even realize it.

I think your post is encouraging for anybody dealing with these problems of OP...to not give up...find a good Dr. to work with...there is an answer!

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 7:19 pm

Just found this book on Amazon: Preventing Menopause Before It Starts by Beth Rosenshein. Not politically correct post WHI but very interesting nevertheless...
Who knows, maybe the anti hormone cultural climate is changing. What you are going through sounds like peri stuff to me. You are pretty young though.

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:01 pm

brierrose wrote:

You know TAMgirl99, I was thinking about adrenal insufficiency also. Our adrenals can become overtaxed when under stress. Sometimes we can be under stress & not even realize it.

That was the first thing that popped into my mind as well, primarily because I have similar sleep issues.

I function on about 4 hours a night until I finally hit the wall, and then will sleep for like 3 days straight. The worst was 3 months straight at 2-3 hours a night.....I looked and felt like death.

I can stay awake through 4 Ambien, so they put me on Xyrem (basically the date rape drug) when it was approved for fibromyalgia patients...I could stay awake through most of that too.

The only thing that helped me was reading the book below, and following the guidelines...if I don't, I am right back to sleeping a few hours a night (just like I am doing right now, sigh). Get it, read it, do it...like going to bed at 10pm before your adrenals surge and you catch that 2nd wind that keeps you up all night.

Everything else (like skin products) is basically a waste of money until you fix the root of the problem.

Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome

http://www.amazon.com/Adrenal-Fatigue-Century-Stress-Syndrome/dp/1890572152/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268193508&sr=8-1

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:49 pm

You're kind of young to be experiencing peri-menopausal type symptoms, but your saliva tests also show very low hormones. My hormone levels (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone & DHEA) were all almost non-existent before I went on bio-identical hormones. My cortisol was all over the place - but not when/where it should have been.

I wasn't sleeping, couldn't remember anything, crying at anything & everything - in addition to the typical physical symptoms of hot flashes, etc.

I would suggest doing something to level out your hormones. I'm not sure if bio-identicals would be the right choice given your age & the recent childbirth, but I'd check with a doctor who works with them. They've been a godsend for me. Lack of estrogen will definitely affect your skin & lack of elasticity. Lack of progesterone will affect your sleep. Low testosterone has other effects. And high or out of whack cortisol levels have a whole host of effects.

Good luck & praying you get a good night's sleep soon...

p.s. Hypnosis or hypnotherapy might be something else to try...

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 10:05 pm

Funny... I was just looking at adrenal function issues as well... Bethany, thanks for posting that info... I think it will prove helpful for MANY!

Did you ever get tested for adrenal function? OR did you just go with that thought. It seems like I keep hearing about it... and Dr's NEVER go there? What's up with that?

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 10:07 pm

catsull wrote:

Lack of progesterone will affect your sleep.

Did not know that... but that makes rings true for me!

free skin care · Tue Mar 09, 2010 11:49 pm

ClaudiaFE wrote:

Funny... I was just looking at adrenal function issues as well... Bethany, thanks for posting that info... I think it will prove helpful for MANY!

Did you ever get tested for adrenal function? OR did you just go with that thought. It seems like I keep hearing about it... and Dr's NEVER go there? What's up with that?

I did get tested using saliva tests from: http://www.zrtlab.com/

However, I do see both a bio-identical hormone specialist (I do take Prometrium progesterone), plus I also see a specialist for the adrenal and thyroid issues. He treats me over the phone, and I am happy to pass on his info if anyone needs it (but he is NOT cheap and does not take insurance). PM me if anyone needs his info.

free skin care · Wed Mar 10, 2010 9:22 am

bethany wrote:

I did get tested using saliva tests from: http://www.zrtlab.com/

I get my saliva checked by zrt labs as well, but I was lucky enough to find a local OB/GYN who believes in bio-identicals and is also on my insurance. My office visits are covered, but the testing and meds are not. The testing is expensive, but the meds aren't too bad, compared to some others. They cost me either $45 or $90 a month, depending on whether I'm taking progesterone separately or not. I get them from a local compounding pharmacy.

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