I've just seen photos of myself ...

[OneFrenchEgg]

Omg. I've posted a year or two ago about how terrible I look, and had tried growing my hair as a result, drinking more water.
But I was horrified, I look like a Disney villain - my nose and chin almost meet! I am so wrinkled, thin pin face and thick meno waist. My hair is hideous, curls, waves and straight bits. I can't tell you how much I've spent following curly methods. So -

1. Beginners guide to retinol. I have ocd and am really worried about the two week spotty phase.
2. Smoothing treatments? For hair?
3. Lip filler for non existent lips?
4. My hair is gray, the couloir is lovely but the grow out is not - do I try again wihh the matching the ends? Every time it's gone yellow and I've cut it. Or grit my teeth?

I really can't think you look as bad as you say!! Some people just aren't very photogenic and there's a world of difference between a fixed photo and an actual human being moving and smiling.

I can only help on the retinol. Not everyone goes through a two week purge. Some people never purge, and some people purge for weeks. I didn't ever have a noticeable purge, I suffered more with dry skin, despite having very acne prone skin.

The best place to start imo is Sam Bunting's videos

Her advice has transformed my skin over the last 4-5 years.

Thank you @TheOGCCL I didn't think of looking for videos, I've just been inundated by marketing. I think I need to start upping my anti ageing products, will take a look.

Please don't worry about it too much OP, some of us will never be photogenic no matter what.

I consider myself generally attractive, I spend time and money on skincare, make up, hair etc., am in good shape and generally feel good when I look in the mirror - but if I see a photo of me suddenly there is a double chin I swear never existed, my posture is weird, my nose is wonky, my eyes look too close together, if I smile I look like I have a toothy grin and on and on...

Honestly, there is some bad voodoo going on with me and photos. Just avoid if possible.

That's reassuring thank you, it's just the shock of the photo - I thought I'd looked okay and then omg.

Japanese permanent straightening for your hair if you're sure about having a thin face and flat poker straight hair. If you don't like it it has to be grown out although I suppose you could use heated tools to put curls in.

Also some cameras are evil and some photographers rubbish. Don't take it personally

I’ve given up on expecting nice photos. I’m pretty sure it’s just the hyper-critical mode kicking in anyway.

This sounds horrible, but it worked for me. Next time you see a photo of someone and think, ‘Oh, that’s a nice photo of X’, try looking at it as if you were them, in hyper-critical mode. It suddenly looks like a different person.

As far as tretinoin goes, I joined Dermatica and didn’t really purge. I’m currently on holiday, and for the first time ever, I’m happy to go without make-up! Just dyed eyelashes and brows, sunscreen, done.

I also cut all my hair off because it behaved like yours. It’s very liberating. It takes me less time than my very low-maintenance husband to get ready!

DH and I recently went away and where we stayed had huge bathroom mirrors where you see the full you... not a pretty sight for either of us.

he says he is on a diet now...

@IndianSummer78 oh I didn't really think about growing it out. I need to think again, I assumed there was a kind of anti frizz smoothing thing.
@LunaNorth I look terrible with short hair, really old and hard faced. My best look has been a chin length bob but straightened - I stopped this and grew it a bit as straitening it was ruining it even more. Maybe I should look at dermatica, I've always used Clarins but am beginning to need a lot more help.
@changeme4this we are away this summer, let's hope the hotel bathroom is more forgiving or I'll just be in the room sobbing into the pillows!

I've just gone to dermatica and they did the online questions then have gone straight to billing details without telling me what they recommend. I thought I'd get to see what they were suggesting? But instead I have to give card details and agree to a monthly fee.

Yes, that’s standard. It’s a bit of a leap of faith. You kind of know you’re getting tretinoin, and the prescription is the strength they start you on.

Hair - have you considered a styling dryer brush thing? They’re pretty impressive. Colour wow dream coat is good for keeping frizz at bay. L’Oréal bond building shampoo / conditioner is also pretty good.

someth like Tan Luxe glow

Oops! Tan luxe glow drops are amazing to bring skin to life (or add life to skin!).

I've just discovered tanning drops too. I got mine at Tesco. Bondi something or other.

I use the ordinary for my skin because it's cheap. And I use an app to keep track of what I need to use. Although I started off with just 'buffet' as it's a one thing fixes all type of affair.

My favourite is sea buckthorn oil. It's the brightest orange you have ever seen. I have bought a yellow towel to sleep on once a week but my skin looks visibly better after I use it.

And a Revlon hot air brush to dry my hair.

Thanks @LunaNorth do you mind answering another question?
Is it just like one product and you need to get more? So like a serum and you still need cleanser, toner, moisturiser etc?

I so get you on the photo shock. I swear I look like a different person in photos!

For your hair I would suggest going to a few hairdressers and ask for a consultation and you can ask what they would suggest for your hair type and face shape and what you are trying to achieve.

Dermatica is a monthly subscription but certainly in the beginning you don’t use the product every day so you get much longer out of it than month. So you delay your next delivery. You can do that whenever. It is usually a blend of tretinoin and a couple of other ingredients like niacinamide depending on your skin and what you have said you want to tackle. A very similar product/subscription is a company called Skin & Me. I know Dermatica have just put their prices up so Skin & Me may be cheaper. But whatever you go for don’t use it every day to start. About every third day is best ans your skin adjusts. And you must wear SPF every day. You should anyway. And a separate one to your moisturiser usually. There are a couple of proper SPFs that are moisturisers but most so called moisturisers with SPF are not suitable mainly because you would need to put so much on to achieve the protection advertised.

Tanning drops are a good idea, I look very pasty. I probably need to think about a body moisturiser though to add them too!

Oh the SPF moisturiser is a good tip, I was just looking at the Olay retinol night and spf30 day cream.

With the Dermatica - it is your night treatment so you do need cleanser, toner, moisturiser etc.

Oh brilliant thank you - so it's like a specialist treatment you add in.

With something like Olay you would need a separate SPF on top.

Exactly.

And if you are using something like Dermatica you don’t need to spend a fortune on other products. Superdrug do nice cleansers etc. When I use tretinoin I use the CeraVe moisturiser lotion. It has nice soothing healing ingredients in.

This is beside the point really, but I have a cousin who looks like her nose and chin almost meet in photos. In real life she looks beautiful and striking. Cameras lie because they are trying to squash a 3D person into a 2D image and they are dreadful at it.

No! Completely on point, thank you. Side on it's awful, my nose is massive and pointed. Weirdly my kids tell me they wish they had my nose rather than their cute button noses. Although one helpfully told me I looked like a witch.

@Peridot1 this is really helpful thanks. I need to think about what I need and stop buying random stuff because of clever marketing 😂