Skin care and transitioning

[HappyMoni]

Hi ho, Neighbors! That is how Kermit the Frog used to greet isn't it? Well, I bring him up because he and I have a similar complexion. Well, I'm not green, but years of abuse from the sun, lack of moisturizing, lack of general care, and electrolysis out the wazoo has caused my skin to be pretty rough. A friend once called it 'ruddy' whatever that means. I have dark spots, fine wrinkles, and large pores especially in the areas of the nose and chin. It always struck me as something that detracted from my feminine appearance and helped get me clocked.
So, I had my nose repaired by Dr. Papel in Baltimore and he recommended a skin specialist. I offer this information because in three weeks of treatment I see real results already. It isn't terribly cheap and not covered by insurance, but I figured it is better to skip all the garbage in the stores they say work wonders and go for real treatment. My chin is looking so much better as are other areas of my face. The treatment involves monitored application of prescription Retin A, exfoliation, moisturizing and UV protection. I also will do a peel soon. The procedure works on different layers of skin. It is exciting for me because after my electrolysis, my skin without any beard still looked like it had shadow. Well, I thought I would share.

[ChrissyRyan]

Hi Moni,

Hugs.  I think it is great that you think your face is in better condition and appearance in so short of a time.  I am not as far along in transition as you, that is for sure.  Somedays I wish that I was though.

I never had a peel, but I have done masks and facials and use cleansers, moisturizers, and overnight creams with non perscription strength Retin-A.  I have not visited a dermatologist but do talk with an estestician for advice.  I use relatively inexpensive brand name creams that I can buy at drugstores or at beauty supply stores, nothing expensive.  I bought a take-home patch and mask kit that I might try today, it was just a few dollars.

I have been thinking of what I can do for the time being.  Certainly less facial hair would be nice.
I have noticed that my facial hair seems to be less over time.  Still have a shadow later in the day.
I have not started electrolysis, I am giving it some real serious thought though.  But I heard you have to not shave for a few days before an appointment and I do enjoy the smooth face look very much. 

Your posts have helped me think things out and I look forward to them.  Of course, I do not want to forget all the others that post great insights and tips here also.  Thanks!  It is nice to have this type of sharing.

Chrissy

[Linde]

I am not that far advanced in getting my face female as you girls are.  But mother nature helped me a little, and i have to shave only every 3 or so days, and have naturally soft skin that has no big pores.
My problem are a million wrinkles around my eyes.  I never liked to wear sunglasses and rather preferred to squint, and the result is all those wrinkles. 
As a male, it did not bother me, because if any, it made me look tougher! ( and with my androgynous body i had to do what I could to look tough) 
But the problem with this is that I am not a male anymore, and the wrinkles look not very elegant on a female face.  I have very sensitive skin, and I tried some over the counter stuff, and could not sleep for several nights because my entire face was itching like crazy.  I have that sensitive girlish skin, decorated with beard growth and bad wrinkles!
Do you ladies have any advise what I can do to convert my face into that absolutely stunning look of a cover girl, or at least take it away from the looks of an old witch?

[Allison S]

I get drying. Interestingly enough, I also still have a bit of a shadow, though no where near as much hair grows on my upper lip.

It sounds like you have a great skin care routine and it's actually very natural. Our skin is constantly peeling and regenerating. My motto is: "I will have new skin. It will be better". This kept me going for years and years and gave me hope when dysphoria was at it's wost. I really did have to learn resilience.

I have to add, it also wasn't just the "motto" I had in hindsight. I had many depressive episodes, overeating and excessively drinking alcohol, but I tried to take care of my body as best as I can. Drinking water, eating fruit and vegetables, fat, protein and carbs and of course exercise. All in moderation. I try not to skimp on my workouts, but I also will have a treat whether dessert or a sugary beverage. To me, savory foods aren't treats, they're best rotated in a balanced diet so I can slightly satisfy my craving and keep my sanity too... [emoji4]

Sent from my VS501 using Tapatalk

[HappyMoni]

Thank you for posting ladies. Chrissy, I'm glad some of my posts are helpful. I think I will follow this program to the letter but once I get to a better place I may look to find some cheaper alternatives for some items. I am gradually doing the Retin A, every other day. She wants me to get to using it every day. Dietlind, I think the Retin A does the job on the wrinkles. The ones near my eyes are fading already. I have gotten a lot of warnings from people saying that it tears up your face before it helps. Part of my procedure is to rub it in and then wipe the edges to make sure there is no areas of build up. It seems to work as I have had no big issues with flaking or irritation.

[Linde]

Thank you for posting ladies. Chrissy, I'm glad some of my posts are helpful. I think I will follow this program to the letter but once I get to a better place I may look to find some cheaper alternatives for some items. I am gradually doing the Retin A, every other day. She wants me to get to using it every day. Dietlind, I think the Retin A does the job on the wrinkles. The ones near my eyes are fading already. I have gotten a lot of warnings from people saying that it tears up your face before it helps. Part of my procedure is to rub it in and then wipe the edges to make sure there is no areas of build up. It seems to work as I have had no big issues with flaking or irritation.

Thanks for the info.  I just wonder if I can use this considering my very sensitive skin and the warning: "Limit your time in the sun. Avoid tanning"
I am living in SW Florida, it is impossible to avoid tanning or limiting the time in the sun.  Sun is an omnipresent fact in this part of the country!

I have to check a little more into it.

[Linde]

My ex wife has now joined my consultant group.  It seems as if we are on the path of becoming good girlfriends!

She just reminded me that I have very sensitive skin and have to be careful with a lot of the cosmetic stuff.  My ex hardly wore anything more than a lipstick.  She did not need it, she always had a very natural and vibrant beauty.
But she knows my skin best, and hopefully will find something that I can use safely.

[HappyMoni]

With the amount of sun in your life living in Florida, you should be using a broad spectrum UV protector. Part of my program involves an SPF 45 UV shield. My skin specialist told me that all the good I am doing now will be undone if the skin is not protected from the sun. I was having problems putting foundation on after doing my skin procedure in the AM. It turns out that I can get a tinted UV protector that works better than the foundation that I was using. Just a little blush and eye make up if I feel fancy, and I look pretty good for an old broad. Actually, I end up looking at my skin every day as I am excitedly seeing progress. According to her, I have only taken baby steps so far. I have a student who graduates this year. In the graduation ceremony, a staff member can stand with (behind) the student. My goal is to be there for my one long time student with clear skin, having learned how to really apply make up. He is an awesome kid and I started working with him as my old self. Silly maybe, but I want to be my best for him. I am so proud of him.

[Linde]

I think I should search out some professional help for the beginning to get an idea what I need to do.  Those web based face cognition things always judge me 20 to 25 years younger than I am (looking young is another intersex thing - I was carded when I was 40).  But even the youngest looking face can look old very fast, if it is allowed to do so.  My current face protection that seems to work pretty well, is after shave lotion by Nivea.  It keeps my face nice and soft and doe not itch at all.  I don't know if it has anything to protect against the sun.  All female stuff I have tried so far make me itch like crazy.  Some stuff was so bad, I could not sleep well for two nights in a row, even though I washed it off, as soon as I felt the itching to start!
What kind of business would I want to look for to get a good advise for my face?

By the way, congrats for your success with the kid you were able to get through the system all the way to graduation!

My wife did a masters project with an autistic kid and brought him to graduation.  This kid is now a teacher at a middle school!

[HappyMoni]

An Aesthetician was recommended to me by the doctor who did my deviated septum repair. I would go with a professional for sensitive skin, and definitely sun protection. Thanks, I won't get too specific about my student, but he is awesome.

[Linde]

An Aesthetician was recommended to me by the doctor who did my deviated septum repair. I would go with a professional for sensitive skin, and definitely sun protection. Thanks, I won't get too specific about my student, but he is awesome.

Thanks, I will start my search for such a person/business!

[Chloe]

It isn't terribly cheap and not covered by insurance

They're always adding new help vdo's been a 'Platinum' member for years have you ever checked out 'platinumskincare' ?

[HappyMoni]

@Kiera,
   The Retin A is what really makes the difference in this process, for me. It is prescription strength, and that only comes from a doctor. Besides that, if the Retin A is applied incorrectly, it will tear up your face. Your suggestion might be good for someone with minor issues. Thank you for posting it. I have had years of sun damage, damage from acne, and years of neglect. When I was younger, they thought tanning was healthy stuff. If I only knew what I know now. I suspect there are others like me. I guess I think about others with this thread, who need a 'repaving' rather than a 'few potholes filled.' lol There is hope if someone has badly damaged skin.
Moni

[Linde]

What do you girls think about microblading?  It sure is not cheap, is it a good return on investment?

[Beverly Anne]

My complexion has worsened since HRT. Or maybe it's the makeup causing issues?

[HappyMoni]

I have learned a few things on this program. Moisturizing is very important as is UV protection. This one floored me. Using a facecloth on your skin is really bad for it. It damages your skin. Makeup can cause issues if one doesn't take steps to care for the health of the skin. The damage from beard removal that I had is now being reversed and it is looking like normal soft skin again. Come January I will do a peel. I'm curious to see what that does. I also want to look into laser treatment for my GCS scars.

[sarahc]

Yeah, skincare is something I'm going to be ramping up on in the near term. I subscribe to Skincare Addiction on >-bleeped-<, and it's a really good resource / discussion group - I'm going to be starting skincare next week based on their recommendations. One of their recommendations is you must, must use moisturizer, even if you have oily skin.

I have traditionally had oily skin, but between winter being here and me eating much better, my skin is definitely trendy more towards normal, not oily. So my next concern is uneven skin tone, pores and occasional acne. In addition to face, I'm also very concerned with my upper chest....I don't feel great wearing scoopnecks and v-necks given the numerous imperfections there.

I'm going to start with daily cleansing + moisturizer and see how that goes. If I tolerate that well, then I'll move on to exfoliation and see if I get results, especially in conjunction with starting HRT in January. If that doesn't work, then I'll see a dermatologist.

[Linde]

I have learned a few things on this program. Moisturizing is very important as is UV protection. This one floored me. Using a facecloth on your skin is really bad for it. It damages your skin. Makeup can cause issues if one doesn't take steps to care for the health of the skin. The damage from beard removal that I had is now being reversed and it is looking like normal soft skin again. Come January I will do a peel. I'm curious to see what that does. I also want to look into laser treatment for my GCS scars.

I had this microneedeling done, which requires about 4 follow up peels.  I had my first peel done on Monday.  This was OK concerning discomfort.  Nothing in the world can be as painfull as this microneedeling.  My entire face and neck did hurt for almost a week, but it is supposed to eliminate all the fine hairline creases and skin imperfections like spots from sun damage, etc.  I hope they did not oversell me on that one, because it was not cheap!
Part of the entire package are special skin care items, for different treatments in the morning and at night.  For the day I got a skin tone colored sun protection  cream that can be used instead of a light foundation.

[ChrissyRyan]

I cleanse my face.  I also moisturize my face, and as needed, elsewhere.
I have also been to a spa this fall for a facial.

These are good things to do. 

I do not use much makeup.

Chrissy

[blackcat]

I'm a little late to this thread, but if anyone is looking for an esthetician, I would highly recommend finding someone who is trained with Dermalogica. They are one of the largest skincare companies, there's a store locator on their website, and lots of chain beauty stores/massage places carry Dermalogica as one of their lines.

I'm an esthetician, and I've had my hands in a multitude of products, and Dermalogica is the one line that has never ever failed me. I've always had amazing results consistently with clients.

Part of their facial process involves an in-depth skin analysis, and then an esthetician will sketch up a routine customized to your skin (and should be able to explain precisely why what products are chosen, citing the ingredients involved). I wouldn't recommend buying their products without first consulting with an esthetician who is trained in the line because they have SO many products, and if you pick the wrong ones, you won't get the best results (this is true for any skincare line).

Some stores also have someone who will just do an analysis if you want to skip the facial, I do believe.

There are always coupons you can google for their online store. 

So if anyone feels really overwhelmed about where to start with skincare, I recommend Dermalogica, because it's so personalized and education-oriented. Everyone's skin is SO different, and small details of your lifestyle, which are also highly individual, have a huge impact on your skin.