Endless Chasing of Solutions turned Futile
In my 20s and for close to a decade, I spent thousands of dollars (and alot of time) visiting dermatologists and on facial treatments that did not work at all. Both my cheeks kept raging and exploding with acne, which worsened even more whenever I travelled. I would return from my travels and go visit the doctor's for more chemical peels and facials, to no avail. These boils were pus-filled and HARD to the touch and made me feel really self-conscious as that would be the first thing people would notice about me. Well-meaning friends would enquire about my skin and offer their own thoughts about why it’s like this and what I should do to cure it. This made me even more self-conscious! It’s not like I wasn’t doing anything! I just wasn’t doing the right treatments or using the right products.
Like a puppy chasing after its own tail, I’d go back for regular facials and treatments, get on and off medications, purchase set after set of skincare that promised to cure my ails. My regular facials every month yielded the same results - tons of grime excavated from my clogged skin, which would proceed to get even more clogged the moment I left the facial place. The chemical peels I did eventually weakened my skin barrier (a strong skin barrier is Super Important!), resulting in even more acne-prone and sensitive skin. Ditto the rounds of oral medication I went on for the acne, which I eventually stopped cause my body just didn't feel good taking it. So yup, tons of money spent just to maintain the skin… at this state.
After I stopped going for chemical peels, my large acne boils eventually disappeared. I started trying to find a PH balance for my skin and trying out many different brands of skincare. Most would work for a while but they eventually stopped working as my skin got more clogged and redness would eventually ensue again. But hey, at least i didn’t have the large acne boils anymore!
Around June last year (2021, after the heightened alert), my skin started to become even more clogged with tiny little bumps that gave my skin a really patchy, red and uneven look. I was at a loss as all the skincare I invested money in wasn't working. I was sick and tired of trying to figure out which skincare brand to use that would actually work.
As a result, my skin was dehydrated, oily, sensitive and red all at the same time. A winning combo. >.<
It got to the point where I had many different brands of skincare sitting on my shelf but I would often head to bed only applying a scant layer of serum, skipping any moisturising product or eye cream altogether for fear of getting my skin more clogged up. Even my sunblock application was minimal for that same reason. In retrospect, the high SPF sunblock was too rich for my skin and they definitely can’t be used under your eyes!
When I was introduced to Dr’s Secret, I was initially skeptical but my skin consultant was an old friend and she reassured me confidently “will work one lah”. I decided to give it a try and commit to the skincare properly - hey, if it works, I stand to gain. If it doesn’t, I’ll just chalk it up to another one of my many trials over the years. Afterall, I’ve already spent so much on my skin!
So off I went with my new, extensive range of skincare and personalised regime, bombarded with a deluge of information on how to properly apply these products. Yes, the way you apply your skincare matters a great deal in your results. Something I was clueless about before. I followed my regime religiously and tweaked it slightly whenever I had to, never missing a single routine no matter how tired I was! My results came pretty quickly and I saw improvements in my skin within a few weeks.
My skin was a lot less clogged, more even, and felt hydrated. My dad was even praising the results of the skincare and telling me that I should continue on with this.
I noticed that despite having naturally oily and sticky skin, my clogs were slowly “unclogging” and I experienced some pimples here and there on my cheeks (areas where I had my breakouts). My skin consultant reassured me to keep going, to apply the spot serum on the pimples that popped out. This was just one of the functional reactions as the clogs from underneath were being pushed upwards and skin cellular renewal was sped up. The rest of my skin was clearing up nicely and I’m super pleased to report that 6 months in, my skin has mostly stabilised with a much stronger skin barrier, is the clearest it’s ever been, and there’s even an amazing glow to it naturally! With the proper hydration and nutrients, my skin cells became healthier and this led to a lifting and glowing effect.
Think about it: Dried raisins vs grapes. Dehydrated skin that’s not absorbing the nutrients can never glow.
After using the products for a few months, I started Incorporating LIF (radiofrequency) device to salvage my sunken and dehydrated under eyes!
Now, at age 32, I’ve never felt more confident about my skin! It feels liberating not to be self conscious about my skin and instead, to feel proud that it glows even without any product applied. #IWokeupLikeThis I feel empowered and more in control by taking daily, consistent actions to look after my well-being This is truly more important and effective than going for an expensive treatment every once in awhile. Without being consistent and using the right products on your skin, any other treatments you do would be superfluous.
If you'd like to find out more or have me as a skin buddy, drop me a DM on instagram here or here. You can also check out my highlights for Hair/Skin I and Hair Skin II on instagram to see more of my experience.
At the same time around end July, right after my dad passed on, I started to experience tremendous hair loss. A quick swipe through my hair would result in strands of hair falling off. My floor was constantly flooded with hair that my Auntie asked if I had any health issues and told me to check it out with the Doctor. It was one of the worst periods of my life and I was moping around in bed the whole day, had no mood to do anything else, and was still processing the tremendous loss that I was going through. On top of all the emotional stress, there’s tons of administrative stuff that the death of a loved one entails, and a bombardment of messages from relatives asking if I’ve done this and that… I was super overwhelmed and stressed.
It was probably the only time in my entire life I barely had any appetite. hahaha. I was recommended to take the #hairholytrinity for my hair loss. I decided to just give it a try since the skincare worked so well and I trusted the products from the company already. Ironically, my skin was still going well throughout this period as I kept up with my skincare routine.
So I decided to give the hair holy trinity a try. After about a month plus on the hair holy trinity, I noticed that my hair loss was more controlled ie not so alarmingly scary! So that was a good sign.I also noticed my scalp was healthier and felt smoother when it was drier and flakey before. I was told that there would be baby hair sprouting soon if I kept taking the supplements consistently..
Soon, my lashes and nails were growing faster and my nails eventually become so healthy and strong they felt like they could seriously injure someone, when they were brittle before. My lash extensions would fall off within 2 to 3 weeks when they could last up to 5 ish weeks before.
Eventually, after a couple months of taking my hair holy trinity consistently, I noticed baby hair sprouting in the front!
That’s when I realised the importance of nutrition in our bodies for our cells to repair and regenerate. Not only is the right nutrition in the right amounts important for us to feel and look good, I learned the importance of keeping our bodies well hydrated. I had terribly sunken eyes before and wouldn’t sweat much. My skin consultant pointed out that it’s because I was severely dehydrated as I didn’t drink much water on a daily basis! That’s when I started to consciously drink more water and incorporated other supplements like the HA jelly, which helps our cells retain/store more moisture.
I started to feel better about myself. Not just in having nicer hair and skin but I also started to feel that sense of joy and pride - that I was taking care of and nourishing myself inside-out, outside-in, on a daily and consistent basis. It’s the practice of self-love and caring for oneself. These tiny little things that may seem minor are in fact daily reminders that you’ve prioritised yourself and given yourself the care and attention you deserve. When you feel good and love yourself, that's when you can give more of your best self to those around you..
For more wellness and beauty tips, you can check out www.instagram.com/aroundthebeautytable.