my skin is pale and just horrible - what to do?

[ThatVikRinA22]

summer is here and although i love the sunshine i dont relish showing any skin whatsoever.

im pale. really really pale. not nice pale, but blotchy, plucked-chicken pale. horrible. in fact my legs are so pale and horrid they look blue. my chest is slighty ruddy.

i have slightly spotty skin on my upper arms that never goes no matter how much i exfoliate or how much cream i slather on, and then i get spots for my trouble anyway. my back is as bad.

i know im really selling myself here but i do look so much better covered up. i dont look bad in lots of clothes!

ive tried sunbeds, but i dont want cancer. ive tried false tan but even the most easy tinted moisturisers look terrible on me - they go streaky and blotchy and as they are wearing off look even worse! i dont tan - ever. not naturally anyway. even using sunbeds in my former years it took an absolute age to get the merest hint of colour or even skin tone.

am i doomed to horrible pale blotchy plucked chicken looking skin for ever or is there some miracle product that im missing?

im so jealous of tanned, smooth skinned people

Vicarinatutu - you could have decribed me there almost, its so depressing, the only thing that covers it up is tan. My face is also a horrible grey, uneven, crap skin tone. If any onehas answer to this I will be eternally greatful as I'd love to be on of those people who can go without foundation.......sorry for not adding anything constructive...just sympathy

OK, this advice has been given often but what about having your "colours" done?

I have v. pale skin and had blonde highlights, and wore washed out colours, since changing my hair colour and the colours I wear my eyes look brighter and my skin tone looks NICE and pale rather than pasty.

Totally worth it ime, zillions of people have commented since I changed the clothes I wear, and last week I changed my hair colour too.

im quite grateful for sympathy! its so annoying - i dont have a bad figure, but i just dread having to show any skin. i went to the gym today and cos it was so hot i wore cropped trackies and a vest, im so glad my gym has no mirrors.

if i could afford it, id get a spray tan every month but i cant. plus that always looks crap as its fading too and it annoys me that it comes off on clothes.

my skin has always been like this - even when i was a teenager. i used to wear 2 pairs of tights!

You need a salon fake tan.

I've personally never tried fake bake, but have heard it's fab, what ever your colour.

Personally I go for sudo, but having gone for "dark" I look a bit orange today.

jamais - i used to be blonde and went dark, and it did make me look better, and i sort of know what colours to wear but i think its a great idea. my face is ok - with foundation on. i look a few years younger than my real age.
but the actual texture of my skin on my body is awful.

may try fake bake then...but i hate the way it comes off on your lovely gleaming white bras...

where does one get colours done

vicar you are doing better than me then if your face is ojk, am

well thats a matter of opinion! i guess it could be even better if i lost a stone and got rid of the double chin.

i had a gym induction on sunday and the personal trainer thought i was 10 years younger than my real age - he was getting stuck into me about my body fat percentage until i told him a google had revealed it was ok for my age...and he said he thought i was 28. and that i didnt look 38! even bigger

he could have been lying however. and the skin on my body is still ghastly white!

Could you start on the bits that show and build up gradually or go for a salon tan and then keep topping it up every other day with a non orangey, not too expensive moisturising lotion like Dove, so the streaks don't show? On your face try Olay touch of sunshine for fair skin. Exfoliate with a mitt twice a week (prior to application of tan). But you have to be committed until you swathe yourself in winter woollies again, otherwise you have to start afresh.

Please have your colours done, as Jamais says - that's the first thing that came into my mind when I read your op.

Everything you wear will then flatter your colouring and you'll no longer be hankering after a tan.
And a decent consultant will advise on hair colouring as well.

And after that get a style consultation as then everything you wear will suit your figure and personality.

If the rough skin on the backs of arms is that condition I've forgotten the name of - something pilaris - you can get rid of it with Flexitol (hard skin cream for feet).

where do they do clours at???

Here.

Rough skin on backs of arms = Keratosis pilaris - just come to me in a flash!

embrace the paleness

like lily cole and that girls aloud redhaired chick

they look lovely and tenniel-esque and like they should be models for artists and stuff

worry about the condition/tone of you skin and arms/legs etc rather than the shade f orange

thats whats wrong with me whatswrongwithyou!!

its not too bad on my arms but used to be awful on my thighs. it has improved with exfoliation and age.

i read up and see there is no cure.

No cure, no - but as I said Flexitol smooths it out - mine went away, but I stopped using it for a couple of weeks so it's come back. At least I've found something that improves the cosmetic appearance.

I use udo's choice ultimate blend oil for the spots on the backs of my arms, helps the other spots as well, but my skins pretty oily as well (nice red spots look great on pale skin, don't they)!!!!

I've started using witch doctor skin treatment gel and its really stopping new spots appearing on my chest and back. It was less than £2 in my local Bodycare.

Also on my chest (and the rest of me) I use factor 50 to try and keep my skin tone even (hate the tshirt tan/burn look).

I would 2nd the fake tan as well, just practice and use circular motions. Get some of the disposable gloves and the mousse type seem to be easier to apply.