Very down about looks

[Runintoground1]

I know this is a first world issue and fickle but it’s really getting me down.
I look like crap all the time. I’m in my early 30’s but could pass for at least 10 years older. I think I just really felt is as have just seen some photos recently of Uni friends who still look exactly the same. I’m not sure if it’s due to having kids but definitely noticed a huge change after my second dc who has had some behavioral issues and literally barely slept a wink until 3/4 years old. My 3rd is also not a great sleeper and is still up once or twice a night (massive improvement though). Most of my friends are either childless or just on the first so baby stage. I’ve been a parent for 7 years.
I have way more lines than them, feel just so haggard. Thing is I drink buckets of water, I am very into clean eating , wear sunblock and I run a lot, sometimes I wonder if running is making it worse..
Has anyone noticed an improvement once their dcs reliably slept more or they had a bit more time. I’m in a tricky situation where I’m working from home for myself and looking after a toddler (can’t get childcare), my toddler is extremely active and busy, my middle child can be challenging and is finished preschool at 11.30. I find it all really draining...I’m working a lot more next year and will have more time also for myself. I’ve always needed a lot of sleep and in the last 5/6 years it’s been in serious deficit. Now I’m getting reliably 6 hours it’s better but definitely not enough for me and usually broken once.
Is there anyone out there who noticed an improvement even a little in time. I’ve started using retin a and taking more care of my skin. I wouldn’t touch Botox as I work in a science area and have read some very worrying studies. I also try and stick to more natural products. Are there any other good products or ideas out there. One of my friends swears by face yoga but sort of looks like they might be getting Botox so not sure whether it’s real results tbh. Always mean to try it.
Maybe I should have posted in style and beauty but thought I might get more opinions here.

I get eyelash extensions and they make my eyes look so much better after no sleep. I moisturise with astral every night and wear suncream too which help.

Good luck in your quest, I'm sure you will look beautiful on your big night out ❤️

@Runintoground1 I am going to be a bit alternative here and suggest a change in lifestyle, on what you eat and the running.

Eat two tablespoons of tomato paste everyday and sit in the sun, if there is any everyday, at lunch time for 20-30 with as much bare skin temperature allows, with NO sunscreen on, without burning. Eat 3kg of carrots every week, grated, braised in a pan, carrot-pumpkin soup, etc, eat kale....Are you sure you are not malnourished on your clean eating - raw diet? You still need carbs and fats. Try eating rolled oats in the morning with 2 tablespoons of grounded flaxseed. Instead of cod liver pill, eat anchovies a couple of times per week. Some cooked tomatoes. The vegetables that have an impact on skin have polyphenols that are better released with heat and fat, so the betacarotene in carrots and the lycopene in tomatoes need the vegetables to be cooked and eaten with some extra virgin olive oil. You are on a raw diet, maybe consider changing that for these two.
And don't go for a supplements. Not only do they not have the same effect but they might be cancer-inducing. I drink very strong green tea and put the tea in a blender with two handfuls of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, and blend it with ice cubes. You need colour in your diet to have colour in your skin.
On this website, they have tons of videos about the impact of food on health and looks. nutritionfacts.org/video/beauty-is-more-than-skin-deep/

You write that you run a lot, cut down the running, you might have chronic inflammation from excessive physical stress.

Then yes do the creams, the sleep, the massage, but looks come mainly from within. And don't demonise the sun, natural vitamin D without excess

Get yourself a course of CACI facials booked - they are fantastic. One of my eyelids was getting seriously droopy and after two sessions it is back too normal.

My skin looks amazing and my forehead lines are non existent - even seen a difference with my lips - they seem plumper.

That and collagen tablets and a good eye cream and moisturiser all help. I love Nip+Fab - their no needle eye serum works well.

Thanks lilies, really interesting re cooking the tomatoes etc. Will definitely give these techniques a try. Running has been great for my mental health and definitely has given me a boost of energy. I kind of do think some runners look a bit haggard at times though too...
I’ve never heard of an connection between supplements and cancer? Can you explain the tomato paste? Very interesting though. I think I do need to focus on diet. I do eat fats and carbs also.

Dot does caci even work on frown lines, even to reduce them a little? How many sessions did you get? How soon did you notice a difference?

Tomato paste increases antioxidant levels in your blood and reduces damages from UV and has a protective effect. Tomato paste is made from cooked tomatoes and is a concentrated tomato paste. Some italian brands have triple concentrate, usually sold in tubes.

And you will never get the same benefit of the natural source (food, sun) from supplements.

What do you eat in a day? And how much do you run?

....yay Pizza for breakfast!

My diet is prettu varied, porraige most morning with frozen berries, salad and fish for lunch or pasta,I eat a lot of soft cheeses like goats cheese, dinner usually something light with veg. My one pretty bad habit is coffee, I drink a lot. I really need to cut it out. I run 3 times a week but not v long distances at all. 6k each time usually. Thanks again

Apologies for typos!

Your running is fine. From what you wrote, I was thinking everyday 10k.

Coffee is also fine until 3 pm later it might affect your sleep quality.

I would definitely cut the dairy. Meat, dairy and butter have an adverse effect on skin as they raise inflammation. (www.researchgate.net/publication/12041521_Skin_Wrinkling_Can_Food_Make_a_Difference)
Increase your vegetables variety, aim at 20
= different veggies per week (fennel, tomatoes and onion on Monday, broccolini, yellow pepper and asparagus on Tuesday, leeks, pumpkin and rocket on Wednesday , green beans, mushrooms and radicchio on Thursday and so on... with several colours ,) instead of always the same veggies.

I have used Murad Retinol products and did notice a slight improvement in my forehead lines . I have since had Botox - a very light touch , and it has basically erased them. A friend of mine had a Derma planning treatment - and I noticed her skin was glowing the last time I seen her

A small thing that I've done recently that has had huge results on my skin is dermaplaning. There's a good YouTube video Jaclyn hill did about it...also really good tutorials for blending eye shadow which always makes a difference to how tired I look.

I get the dermaplaning blades from boots and do it once a month. My skin is glowing and my make up looks so much smoother because I have zero peach fuzz and it doesn't grow back dark or anything. I got asked for Id the other day which was a huge win!

But be kind to yourself op, sleep deprivation is bloody awful. X

My tips:

• Try a La Roche Posay or Avene tinted suncreme / moisturiser, use it every day for clear skin.
• Invest in L'Occitane or Avene skin care.
• Eat salmon and nuts
• Smile and be happy you're alive and healthy!

I think running a lot is a killer. I know a few female runners in their 40s, and they all look quite windswept and haggard. From pounding the pavements in all weathers really. And their knees are fucked.

I just wish there was a safe alternative to Botox and fillers. Maybe something will be invented soon..

It’s genetics to a big extent, look to how your parents aged. My Father had almost no lines in his eighties and I fortunately take after him.

I’m someone who has fluctuated between 8 and 9.5 stone over my adult life. Now I’m older I look worse at the lower end of that range.

Now I’m older I look worse at the lower end of that range.
One a personal trainer told me that as you reach 50 you have to pick which one you want to look good, the bum or the face.

@Runintoground1 - I've only had a 4sessions so far, but I saw a difference after the first one.

My forehead lines were softer and my area was lifted and brighter. People have now started to notice a change - they remark on how well and relaxed I look and how glory my skin is.

I was sceptical but it seems to be working. Even the down turned corners of my mouth are changing - everything is being gently lifted. I am definitely a convert.

Grrrr.....I've had 4 sessions and my skin looks glowy!

That’s really interesting Dot.. I’m always sceptical about salon stuff as often told the only thing that works is Botox. Did it have an effect on your forehead lines? Yea all my family have similar lines in the same place regardless of lifestyle.... Wondering how long it takes retin A to show some effect?

I get botox on my forehead and it makes a massive difference,all lines gone.I dont look "plasticky" either.Im 39.

Yeah, I'm usually sceptical too, but it got to the point where I felt I needed to do something more than the usual cleansing and moisturising. I use glycolic products but felt I needed something else.

CACI has definitely helped my forehead (I don't have the "11"lines mine are horizontal from squinting in the sun).

The thought of fillers and Botox scares me, I don't like needles. CACI is good for me as it's pain free - I just feel a bit of a tingle occasionally and get a metallic taste in my mouth which stops as soon as they move the machine away from my mouth/neck area.

I totally understand that people can look great with Botox, like of course it would look better if my frown lines disappeared! It’s not about looking plasticy. I think Botox is a health risk, putting a neurotoxin in your face, so close to the brain and arteries etc. The makers have a black box warning so it’s not hidden by them and it’s not just in medical , high doses it can cause problems. There are reports of it being linked to causing autoimmune diseases, causing stroke, it just can’t be proven that it’s botox that causes these things. If a virus or poison is injected into you it can cause your body to have a massive systematic response which could lead to a number of potentially dangerous health implications. I think plp just think short term, look at the response now to sun beds.
Each to their own but I’m on a path to find a natural way and even though it won’t get rid of lines like Botox it might reduce it a bit.

A friend raves about the NuFace doo-dah - not sure if she's got the mini one or the big Trinity one. I haven't tried it but I think it's similar to the CACI system (both are mirco-current devices). I keep meaning to try the NuFace one but then I remember my sister torturing herself with a Slendertone every night when we were growing up (similar to when Big Brother contestants wear those electric shock costumes). I'm sure it's nothing like that at all! Friends jaw line is really good, this I know.

Spend more time lying down, eating cake. It will work like a charm.