Thursday 19 May 2011

Blackheads

Blackheads are the bane of my existence. FACT.
Because my skin is very oily I have a lot and they are so hard to get rid of! We all know that blackheads do not equate a "dirty" face, they are created by excess sebum, but there is still that stigma attached to them.

One of the ways to get rid of them is to invest in a blackhead removal stick which is bascically a stick with two holes (or "domes") either end, a large one and a small one, which you place over the blackhead and press into the skin surrounding it. This pushes the blockage upwards and out, and is less likely to cause infection than using your fingers (as long as you keep it clean!!!) This can hurt depending on where the blackhead is, for example the skin surrounding the lips and nose is very sensitive, and pressing too deeply into the skin can cause bleeding.

Here is an example of a blackhead removal stick:
http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/_en/_gb/catalog/product.aspx?ParentCatCode=C_SkinCare&CatCode=C_SkinCare_Accessories&prdcode=78242m

These are relatively cheap and are really easy to use, but again I sometimes find it too painful on certain areas and/or if the blackhead is very deep.

Another thing you could try is facial steaming; a very, very long time ago my mum bought me a facial sauna from Marks and Spencer which I have just recently started using again (it still works!) It's not too disimilar from this one:
http://www.boots.com/en/Carmen-Beauty-Facial-Sauna_2813/
A cheaper way of doing this is getting a bowl of hot water and placing your face over it with a towel covering both your face and the bowl to keep the hot air in. This opens your pores and after doing try using a pore strip across your nose to remove any blackheads!

I used a pore strip before and it was so painful to pull off that it made my eyes water!! If this happens to you, apply some water to the strip as it will loosen it up and make it easier to remove.

If none of these methods work and you have some money to spare, facial spas often do an extraction service. An aesthetician will remove your blackheads before applying a cooling serum to close the pores. I have had this done and the aesthetician uses a blackhead remover tool just like the one above ^. On very small blackheads she used a very thin, sterilised needle to make a hole so that the blockage could be removed easier when pressed with the blackhead removal stick. Obviously I would not recommend using a needle yourself, but if you do make sure it is sterilised because other wise you will infect the blackhead and make it look worse and feel painful.

- Natalie

Wednesday 18 May 2011

Acne Scars

If you have had a particularly bad break out there is a possibility that you will have been left with scarring. In one of my previous posts, My Skin, I wrote about the worst break out I ever had and as a result of that I now have acne scars on my cheeks.

It bothers me because sometimes it is very noticable, for example I wouldn't go to the gym for a long time because whenever I exercise the scars get very red (I assume because of the blood flow due to the change in heart rate, but I could be wrong).

It looks like a rash and runs just under the apple of both of my cheeks, at first I was using Bio-oil (which a lot of people on the Reclaim Your Skin website recommended) but it didn't make any difference for me. With products like Bio-oil or Re-Gen oil you are meant to use them during break outs as they are supposed to help stop scarring from occurring, so if you suffer from particularly bad acne that cover large surfaces of your skin I would use this to try and avoid scarring.

I have been having regular sessions of microdermabrasion to help smoothe out the skins surface and minimise the scars and although it has reduced it they're still there! So last week I booked 3 laser treatments at the Skin Health Spa (Manchester) which are supposed to be better at combatting these kinds of problems, so I'll let you know how they work out! And anyone who has been reading this blog regularly knows that I found my last laser sessions to be painful so it wil be interesting to see how I cope with the pain now that my skin is not as infected...

Things like Microdermabrasion and Laser treatment can be used to help remove or reduce scarring on your back or chest too! I have acne scarring on my shoulders but it's not as bad as my face and if I'm wearing an outfit that makes the scarring too visible I use MAC face and body foundation (in the palest shade they made!!!) over the top of it to hide it!

Because of the change in texture and colour, it can be difficult to cover the scars with make-up! At the moment I have been using a sponge to apply foundation which I find easy and if it looks different to the rest of my face I just use the sponge to dab make-up around the area and then blend around the scars with my fingers to blend the different areas!

- Natalie

Tuesday 17 May 2011

Roaccutane and Depression

If you are suffering from depression it is unlikely that your doctor will allow you to start taking a course of R because the drug has been linked with depression as a cause and could possibly worsen your illness.

There is also a risk that when you start taking R you could develop depression and it is very important that if you do start to feel an emotional change you tell your doctor! Every month that you visit your dermatologist for an extended prescription he/she will ask how you are feeling, there have been reported cases of suicide that have been related to R so it is with your best interest that you answer these questions honestly.

It's hard; acne is something that doesn't go away easily and all you ever want is to find something that works. I'd be a hypocrite if I said I have never put my ambition for clear skin ahead of my health, when you are so desperate to make something happen you will try anything.

Anyone who read my post about the dangers of acne medication knows that drugs of any kind are not something to mess around with, and R can cause as much damage as it can good so it is important to keep check of any changes (be they physical or mental).

- Natalie

Monday 16 May 2011

Acne and Depression

Sorry for the lack of posting recently, it is exam period at university and I have been very busy attempting to revise!
Today I want to talk about one of the most serious side effects of acne medication and acne in general: depression.

People who don't suffer from acne do not realise how much it can affect your self-esteem. There seems to be a correlation between acne and depression; the worse acne gets, the worse you feel about yourself.

I've always said that you can't truly understand how miserable acne makes you unless you suffer from it yourself.

As I said in one of my previous posts, My Skin, when I moved into university accomodation I became a recluse and hid myself away because I was ashamed of the way I looked. There is nothing worse than thinking you are ugly and assuming that the whole world thinks you are too, I even wore make-up around my family because I convinced myself that my parents thought I was hideous.
To this day my grandparents have never seen me without make-up and if they come to my house when I have none on I will hide in my bedroom until they have gone because again: I don't want them to see what I "really look like".

It's not shallow or pathetic to feel this way, and I'm sure some people reading this will be able to relate to what I'm saying. I hated myself, I literally couldn't stand the way I looked and the worse my acne got the more I loathed my appearance.

I became obsessed with my skin, my grades at university started to drop because I didn't care enough to do the work; all I cared about was how I looked and what people were thinking when they looked at me. I would spend hours looking closely at my reflection for even the smallest imperfection and then scrutinise it until, in my head, it became worse than it actually was. I'd apply so much make-up that the end result was cakey and orange and I would have to take it off and start again because I would look ridiculous, the amount of foundation I went through was unbelievable.

The house I lived in at university had a shared shower on the bottom floor, I would take make-up into the shower with me so that I could re-apply it when I got out and then I would put a towel over my head and run up the 2 floors to my room. In the end I started going home to shower and then eventually moved home all together.

When I was going into my 3rd year of university my mum kept saying "when are you applying for accomodation? Where are you going to live?" and encouraging me to do it. But I didn't want to, I couldn't face going back and living like that; because I wasn't living, I was just existing and wishing for every day to pass quickly so I could sit alone in my room. I felt as though she was pressuring me to move out and I felt as though she didn't want me living at home. I even heard my sister on the phone to her friend commenting on how it was pathetic that I had paid for university accomodation but never spent time there.
I never talked to anyone about it, I was ashamed about the way I looked and how I felt. I knew I was depressed and used to google it constantly because it made me feel better to know that I could define how I felt.
Because I never told anyone my parents kept asking me when I was re-applying and I kept making up excuses, in the end I think they realised that there was no way I was going back. My sister said to me a while ago "it makes me sad that you didn't enjoy living at university", luckily I went to one fairly close to home to I could easily travel back and forth. I always wondered why I chose that particular university but I think that subconsciously I knew that I needed to be close to home because of my low self-esteem.

In the weeks before I started taking R I stopped going out, I would make up excuses about having to work or being sick and would just sit at home and watch TV. When I started taking R I only left the house to go to work and university, and sometimes (if my skin looked really bad) I wouldn't go to class. I just wanted each day to pass quickly so I could see if the medication was making any difference.

Anyone who has ever taken Roaccutane knows that one of the main side effects is depression, when I started taking it my dermatologist asked me if I was depressed and I said no because I had never been diagnosed as depressed and I was desperate for a cure. I came to the conclusion that because of the way I felt before taking the medication, the drug would alter my mood further and my feelings of depression would worsen so I made a pact with myself that no matter how low I felt I would not admit to being depressed. I was stupid, but luckily I never had that side effect. There would be rare days when I would feel nothing, I would be completely numb and would have to force myself to smile or speak so that no one would assume there was something wrong, but those days would pass and I was too focused on the end goal of having perfect skin to allow them to affect me.

In a way, taking R stopped me feeling depressed. I felt as though I was doing something positive to put an end to my misery and having the drug inside me made me feel safe, it was helping me towards my goal!

After I finished my 6 month course I began to feel miserable again, the drugs hadn't worked like I wanted them to and I still felt ugly. My mum would say "well it was never going to clear it completely, you'll always have some imprefections" but I knew that she felt the same, like it hadn't worked.

My obsession with my face worsened, I wouldn't answer the door without make-up, I wouldn't leave the house with out it, but I felt dirty with it on. I felt like it was seeping in to my pores and making my acne worse! I was in a "no win" situation. I continued with my other treatments and tried to live with it but I just couldn't be bothered any more. I was not and have never felt suicidal but I just didn't want to do anything, I wanted to sit in the dark and let the days pass by but no one can live like that, it's unhealthy.

A couple of months ago I told my sister that I thought I was depressed and made her promise not to tell anyone. Then the next day I told my mum I was obsessed with my face, it's a real thing you know! Together, we talked about ways I could conquer it. The small steps I would take in order for me to feel better about myself such as; going to the gym (which I hated because the excercise cause my acne scars to go bright red), and pushing myself to meet up with friends and interact with other people.

I've still not been on a "big night out" because I don't feel ready, I've secluded myself for a long time so it is taking a while for me to re-introduce myself to things but I feel better about myself.

I still have bad days but I tell my mum, I don't sit in silence and let my emotions go crazy! Don't do what I did and keep quiet, I have wasted the past 3 years and am unlikely to get a good degree but I'm just proud I'll be getting one!

I have my last exam tomorrow and then will finish university for good and some one in my class asked me if I would miss it, NO I WILL NOT! These 3 years have been the worst years of my life! I'm not going to tell them that though so I shrug and say "yeah I guess". But I won't miss it, I'm looking forward to leaving and moving on with my life!

If any one related to anything I have said in this post, you can message me! I'd be glad to help.

- Natalie

Wednesday 4 May 2011

Celebrities with Acne

I am constantly having skin envy with celebrities!!! I have to remind myself that in magazines they are airbrushed and at celebrity events they have professional make-up artists on call to make them look their best.

I am not one to criticise anyone with acne (as I would be a hypocrite) and I get quite angry when magazines do so with famous people! From personal experience I know how difficult it is to control acne, let alone banish it completely! Infact, I sometimes feel pleased when I see celebrities who have been photographed when they are looking at their most "normal" as it reminds me that nobody has completly flawless skin. At least when I look my worst my appearance won't be scrutinised in a magazine...

So let's look at some pictures of famous people who, like us, suffer from acne. I've found all these pictures on google!

Pixie Lott


Pixie Lott is an extremely beautiful and talented girl! Is acne stopping her from being a pop star with her own clothing range being sold in Lipsy stores across the country? I don't think so!

Victoria Beckham


Pop star, fashion designer, footballers wife. It goes to show that even endless amounts of money can't save you from the occasional acne breakout!

Cameron Diaz


The place where I found this picture described Diaz as "disgusting". How anyone can refer to one of the worlds most beautiful and talented actresses as disgusting is beyond me!

Jessica Simpson, Aril Lavigne, Brad Pitt, Alicia Keys, Britney Spears, all these people suffered from acne and are now global superstars! That's not even including celebrities who suffer from breakouts but not full blown acne (like Katy Perry). Acne doesn't hinder you in any way unless you allow it to. I do, I have struggled with my confidence for a long time and I have to make a conscious effort not to shy away from things because I think I look "ugly".

Famous people make a living out of being photographed or filmed, they can't not just turn up for work because they're having a bad skin day and for that I admire them!

- Natalie

Tuesday 3 May 2011

Dry Skin

I have combination skin (an extremely oily T-zone and dry cheeks) and find it hard to get products to combat both problems without aggravating one particular area.

In a way I think dry skin is worse as it makes covering up acne with make-up almost impossible as it causes the skin to flake and look patchy!

Skin can be dry for a number of reasons:
  • Air conditioning and indoor heating cause the skin to become dry, so if you spend a lot of time indoors keep moisturiser with you at all times to help combat dryness.
  • Alcohol and caffeine both dehydrate the skin, if you drink either excessively they are most likely stripping your skin of the natural oils it requires to stay healthy!
  • An unhealthy diet that lacks fruit and vegetables (they have high water contents) causes the skin to dry out!
  • Smoking robs the skin of oxygen which makes it become dry.
Other than our genes (which, unfortunately, we have no control over) the main causes of dry skin are due to our own habits! So try and improve your lifestyle to get healthier skin!

If you have dry skin you should swap your regular cleanser for an oil cleanser, as they help restore the skin's natural oils. Oil cleansers are more effective because they lock in moisture and stop water evaporation from the skin!

For extra dry skin you should invest in a moisturing balm with ingredients like petroleum (Vasline products contain this and can be used all over the body!), glycerin, and/or shea butter as they are specifically used to fight dryness and create a smoother skin texture.

Often balms created to combat dryness can leave the skin feeling sticky but it's worth persevering with as it will help improve your skins texture!

- Natalie

Monday 2 May 2011

My Birthday: makeup manual

Happy 21st birthday to me!
My sister bought me a book; BOBBI BROWN MAKEUP MANUAL, it is amazing! I haven't stopped reading it all day!

In one of my previous posts I mentioned that I wasn't very good at applying make-up; I know how to do it but I don't really have a technique, I tend to just apply a lot and smother it over my face to hide any imperfections. This book gives step-by-step instuctions on how to apply everything from concealer and foundation to eye make-up and what surprised me most was that it did not endorse Bobbi Brown's own make-up range, it is a book to simply explain how to apply make-up!

Infact it gives advice on how to cover a blemish which I will share:
  • Choose a stick foundation or concealer to match your skin tone
  • with a concealer brush, dab the product on the spot only. Wipe it away from the surrounding areas. Layer a second coat on if needed.
  • Use your finger to blend excess
  • Dust skin tone correct powder directly on top of the spot. 
Ok, that's pretty simple but it made me feel more confident knowing that I am doing it right. Nobody taught me how to apply make-up so I've always quite self-conscious of my attempts!

If you get the opportunity I would go to a book shop and have a flick through a make-up manual because:

If you have acne on your chin you should learn how to apply beautiful eye make-up because it will take the distraction away from the lower half of your face, and if you have blemishes on your forehead then you should create bold lips so that people will take notice of the lower half of your face! 

It's all a sneaky way of distracting people from problem skin. If you don't know how to apply eye shadow without looking as if it has been applied in the dark (like myself) then these books are amazing! Like I said, check them out!

I also got a new set of make-up brushes which I adore! They have natural bristles are are soft on the skin which is important as that way they do not aggravate aggressive acne.

- Natalie