SHEEP MAY SAFELY GAZE IN THE MIRROR: BE, LL, BBH, & all else beside

[JodieHarsh]

Mbaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Yay! I'm no longer talking to myself

Can't answer your question about the best place for BE as I use LL but I did get a bargains pot of veil from an eBay seller. Worth a look on there as there are lots of eBay shops that sell BE products.

At the risk of (continuing) to bore everyone with the virtues of my MD Formulations stuff - can I just say how incredible it is? I've been using it for less than 2 weeks and apart from a couple of initial spots, which disappeared overnight, I've had no breakouts. My skin is so much smoother, my pores are definitely smoother and are much cleaner. My skin just looks so much brighter.

I ordered a home peel kit from the range today which I'm hoping will speed up results. I've also been looking into chemical peels, am going to pluck up the courage to ask DH to pay for a consultation with a dr at a sk:n clinic local to me for Christmas :) I have decided 2012 will be the year I finally get my skin sorted once and for all. My scars have held me back for over a decade now but no more!

And it's all thanks to Jodie for starting this thread For years I've hidden behind shite makeup (which ultimately made things worse) thinking there was nothing I could do about it but now I know different.

Come back to the thread Jodie et al, it's lonely with just me and Val

Hey there, you two! Been not v well and had a lot of studying to do....

Been using my BE like a good'un in the meantime, but got a bit disillusioned with it; for some reason it wasn't working any more. This morning, though it seems to be back in the swing of things and I was all beautified up again. Very weird.

Grape, dd's skin has completely cleared up. Thanks for sending us off to the doc, it would not have happened otherwise. She is having a much nicer time at school, and is generally much happier. You know exactly how much difference you have made to her life, because you've been through it yourself, but I am so so grateful to you. a million times over.

Very best of luck getting yours sorted now; sounds like a good idea to go to an expert. Grasp the nettle. You will keep us posted, won't you.

I saw MN is doing a product test with Bio-oil and have read some of the feedback. It sounds quite good. I bought some ages ago, but it made my face sting and my eyes smart so it fell into disuse. It stayed on my dressing table, and the sun has bleached all the colour out of it, it's now completely clear instead of orange! Wonder if it still works.

The only thing that works with scars apart from surgery/peels is silicone and massage - it's usually the act of massaging these oils into the skin that break down the scar tissue and improve the look rather than the actual oil iykwim? So unless the oil or cream actually has silicone in it, it won't make any difference, but massage will. I did lots of research after an accident left me with big scars ( on my leg) and ended up using scar therapy patches - which worked a treat as they were made of silicone. My physio at the time knew a lot about scars too. All interesting stuff.

Good for you grape - that sounds a very pro active thing to do and sounds like it would boost your confidence. Keep us posted! :)

Jux pleased your dd's skin is better! :)

Jux so happy to hear that your DD's skin has cleared up, she must be so pleased. And yes, I know exactly how much difference it will have made to her confidence and so glad I have been of some help :)

Don't let her become complacent though, it's vital that she continues with her regimes to ensure her skin remains clear. Sorry to hear you've not been well, hope you're recovering now.

Val that's interesting about the massage etc. Will definitely look into that.

The thing is, I know a lot if acne sufferers would probably say my scars are not all that bad but it's a relative thing iukwim. I know they're there and it's all I see when I look in the mirror. I'm realistic enough to know that I will never have perfect skin but even a 30% improvement would change my life immeasurably.

Will keep you all posted on any developments. I have to pick my moment to discuss it with DH, seems crazy but the people on this thread are the only ones I have ever spoken about my skin with. Well, apart from my GP of course. I'm just so embarrassed/ashamed and can't bring myself to mention it. Silly isn't it?

I know exactly what you mean grape, as I am the same with my broken veins. It's all I see. Someone told me there's a place quite close by which does laser treatment for them. Can I go there? I can't face it ('scuse the pun!). The idea of having to take my make-up off so they can have a look horrifies me. Silly, I know.

We could gird our loins together

Exactly how I feel Jux. Last time I went to the GP about my skin he offered to refer me to a Dermatologist but would need to see me without makeup first. I refused! He even offered to open the fire escape door to let me go into his surgery that way so I could bypass the waiting room and nosey receptionists but I still couldn't do it.

I will be brave though and make this appointment. I figure that they specialise in skin treatments, surely they've seen it all before - and worse? And at least it's far enough away (30 miles) that I'd be damn unlucky to see anyone I know and I can always put my makeup on in the car before driving home lest I should have an accident and need rescuing by handsome firemen

I'm in Norfolk, if you're close then you're welcome to come with me and we'll face our demons together :)

Oh, that would be lovely, but I'm in Devon

I only have to walk down the street to get to this place. It's the High Street and will be full of people who see me every day, and they will all be saying "omg doesn't she look dreadful without her make up"

Maybe I'll go down with make up on, and take it off when I get there. They must have a loo with a mirror so I can put it on again after. I am working up to it, my brain is adjusting.......

It;'s not silly at ALL - I understand you you both feel totally! There will be nice loos as it will be a private clinic and make sure you take your make up bag and a mirror and you will be able to re do your make up after the appt Jux

They will be polite and gushing to you because you are paying btw!

Can you go further afield Jux? I don't have any choice as we're so rural I need to visit The Big City in order to find anything more exotic than a blue-rinse hairdressers

If not then I second the doing makeup in the loo, at least BE is easy to wipe off and quick to reapply.

Google 'Sk:n Clinics' that's how I found the one I'm planning on going to. Or your local Spire hospital, they do lots of cosmetic procedures and are reputable at least.

Spire hospital?

The public transport round here is so awful and so expensive that I couldn't sensibly make an appt somewhere else. It would be silly when this place is just down the road (but it does make me wonder if they're any good if they're here, instead of somewhere like Exeter!)

jux is it a beauty place or just a skin clinic?

Spire hospital = used to be BUPA, think most areas have them. Or The Hospital Group is another.

I would NOT entertain the idea of going for laser treatment at a place that is also a beauty salon. You want one or the other in my opinion and extensive research/google/friends' experiences

I agree Val, the only person I will allow near my face is a Dr at a proper clinic where I can actually read reviews. I would rather go by a personal recommendation but don't know anyone who has had the treatment I'm after.

I have a friend who is a beauty therapist and I know she'd jump at the chance to do a peel in me but I can't let her. I have enough issues with my face as it is, the thought of it ending up worse is unbearable.

Exactly!

A friend had laser hair removal which was very successful but I have read horrible things about beauticians doing it and not having the experience and it all going horribly wrong. She went to a proper skin clinic and would only recommend that someone does the same. A skin peel is acid - I'd want a doctor doing that jux xxx

Oh am getting my skin problems mixed up - it's not jux who wants the peel!

Sorry! You get my drift anyway!

I do, and it is a beauty place, not a proper skin clinic. I'll google for skin clinics and see if there's one around. Thanks for the advice. I'm relieved actually, as this is a small town and it's likely I'll know the practitioner by sight at least, so then it'd be someone I KNOW

Yeah, DEFINITELY, NO WAY would I EVER go to a small town beauty place. If it means going up to London for the day then I think you need to build that into the cost of the procedure.

In fact I would ask my GP to recommend a private practice.

OK, next visit to brother and my friends down there, I'll be looking at that too (oh no, but then I'd have to come back on the train with scabs on my face ). You do get scabs from laser treatment, don't you?

Grape, how's your mindset? Any closer to talking to your dh?

Jux there will be lots of places closer to you than London to get dine what you want. You just need to google the places I mentioned above - I have spent hours researching them!

Think I'll hit the vodka saturday night and open the emotional floodgates as it were :) I'm guessing he has zero idea I feel the way I do and would be more than happy to pay. The initial consultation is £99 and the treatment is around £1000. We're not rolling in it but I think it's something we could budget for at some point. They do offer 0% finance too

I know my dh - for all his other faults, haha - would be really upset if he knew how I really feel about my skin. He, too, I think would be determined to help me sort it out.

Closest Spires are London, Bristol, Southampton, Portsmouth and Cardiff. The best for me is London. Am going to look at the other one you posted, now. (I have sent an email enq to Spire about costs but am pretty sure they will tell me to roll up to one of their free info evenings, which isn't something I can do.)

With regards to the scanning, it depends which type of laser you have and how deep it goes.

Some lasers can be done with only a day or two 'downtime', others can take a couple of weeks to fully recover.

The best thing you can do is google for info about which type of treatment suits your problem then research, research, research. The web is full of reviews, some good and some bad, but it's always best to have as much knowledge as possible.

scabbing not scanning! Really must preview before posting!