My facial skin looking male is really hurting me and I need help   I have the acne under control now for the most part as a started washing my face every night about 7 months ago and only get a pimple or so a month but the damage is already done from 25 years.

After reading a lot of stuff ->-bleeped-<- and trying my best to do the research and not just asking to be spoon fed a routine, this is what I have come up with and have been doing for a couple weeks.  I can send a picture of my skin up close if that would help ( I have some you can see by looking at my profile but not a really a close up of my skin)

Morning:
-Rinse face with water or cleanse face if I sweated during the night (cerave foaming cleanser)
-spf( Biore watery essence )

Night:
-cleanse face ( cerave foaming cleanser)
-Stridex pads in the red box 2-3 times a week
-alternate retinol and vitamin c serum every other night (true skin, but looking for something better as I just picked this off amazon randomly )
-moisturizer (cerave in the tub)

after my weekly electrolysis session per others recommendation to avoid skin damage, infection ect:
-thayers rose witch hazel after/ before treatment and a couple random time the day or two after
-avoid the Stridex pads and serums for a day or two after

Is this at all what I should be doing to help?What else should I be doing / not doing? Product recommendations? General tips / advice on how to help someone in my situation?


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Well, the best way to hydrate your skin is from within. How much water do you drink each day? If I get dehydrated,  i look haggard.

I know someone is going to say "You must live in the desert, Dev."   

Total neglect is the hallmark of male skin. Anything you do is going to improve that.

Have you considered a consult with a dermatologist, esthetician or skin care professional? My wife is a Mary Kay lady and has had me using their products for 20 years. It's a great line of affordable products. Closing in on 60 she has had to take out the big guns and switch to Medical-grade skin care (osmeceuticals) offered through the doctor who does her fillers and Botox.

Quote from: Courtney.lane408 on August 08, 2018, 06:35:03 PM
My facial skin looking male is really hurting me and I need help   I have the acne under control now for the most part as a started washing my face every night about 7 months ago and only get a pimple or so a month but the damage is already done from 25 years.

After reading a lot of stuff ->-bleeped-<- and trying my best to do the research and not just asking to be spoon fed a routine, this is what I have come up with and have been doing for a couple weeks.  I can send a picture of my skin up close if that would help ( I have some you can see by looking at my profile but not a really a close up of my skin)

Morning:
-Rinse face with water or cleanse face if I sweated during the night (cerave foaming cleanser)
-spf( Biore watery essence )

Night:
-cleanse face ( cerave foaming cleanser)
-Stridex pads in the red box 2-3 times a week
-alternate retinol and vitamin c serum every other night (true skin, but looking for something better as I just picked this off amazon randomly )
-moisturizer (cerave in the tub)

after my weekly electrolysis session per others recommendation to avoid skin damage, infection ect:
-thayers rose witch hazel after/ before treatment and a couple random time the day or two after
-avoid the Stridex pads and serums for a day or two after

Is this at all what I should be doing to help?What else should I be doing / not doing? Product recommendations? General tips / advice on how to help someone in my situation?


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@Courtney.lane408

Hi Courtney,

My wife and I have used many different skin products over the years and she and I have great skin for our age because we take care of it.
My favourite products are
Water - because this has a noticeable affect on skin.
Dermalogica : love this stuff!  I use the microfoliant daily, I also use the special cleansing gel (prefer this to cetaphil atm) and also -- skin smoothing cream containing Hyaluronic acid  -which is really good in general and after using derma rolling. Derma rolling will have a very noticeable effect if you have not done this before. Make sure you use a high quality product afterwards because you are essentially breaking the skin open in order to repair it and look better. Also the eye serum I use is multivitamin power firm - roll it on using a large metal ball wand that I keep in the fridge just before bed.
cetaphil -cleanser and moisturizer - non pore clogging, excellent for face.

Using a good microexfoliant has a huge effect on face skin - dermalogica has a few different ones, I tried the black powder one but I didn't like it, was a tiny bit irritating, the original white powder 'microfoliant' is the best imo.

hopes this helps,

Sonja.

Quote from: Devlyn on August 08, 2018, 06:46:34 PM
Well, the best way to hydrate your skin is from within. How much water do you drink each day? If I get dehydrated,  i look haggard.

I know someone is going to say "You must live in the desert, Dev."   

I'm trying to drink as much as I can for sure! Usually about a gallon a day!


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Quote from: Virginia on August 08, 2018, 07:13:53 PM
Total neglect is the hallmark of male skin. Anything you do is going to improve that.

Have you considered a consult with a dermatologist, esthetician or skin care professional? My wife is a Mary Kay lady and has had me using their products for 20 years. It's a great line of affordable products. Closing in on 60 she has had to take out the big guns and switch to Medical-grade skin care (osmeceuticals) offered through the doctor who does her fillers and Botox.

I haven't just because it takes so long to get in for a derm appointment but maybe I should?


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Quote from: Sonja on August 08, 2018, 07:32:33 PM
@Courtney.lane408

Hi Courtney,

My wife and I have used many different skin products over the years and she and I have great skin for our age because we take care of it.
My favourite products are
Water - because this has a noticeable affect on skin.
Dermalogica : love this stuff!  I use the microfoliant daily, I also use the special cleansing gel (prefer this to cetaphil atm) and also -- skin smoothing cream containing Hyaluronic acid  -which is really good in general and after using derma rolling. Derma rolling will have a very noticeable effect if you have not done this before. Make sure you use a high quality product afterwards because you are essentially breaking the skin open in order to repair it and look better. Also the eye serum I use is multivitamin power firm - roll it on using a large metal ball wand that I keep in the fridge just before bed.
cetaphil -cleanser and moisturizer - non pore clogging, excellent for face.

Using a good microexfoliant has a huge effect on face skin - dermalogica has a few different ones, I tried the black powder one but I didn't like it, was a tiny bit irritating, the original white powder 'microfoliant' is the best imo.

hopes this helps,

Sonja.

Do you do the derma rolling at home or do you go to someone who does it?


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I recently learned about micro planing. Seemed interesting so I gave it a try. You can use one of those eyebrow blades for it. Basically you prepare your facial hair to be soft. Then you pull the skin tight and shave as if using a straight razor. Not only does it remove the hair but takes off the top layer of skin. The skin has been prepped so now is the time to use some Vitamin c serum, retinol and glycolic acid. It will now be absorbed because you prepared the surface. Your face should be soft and if you have dark spots, rough skin from acne like me it will feel amazing. You can also try dermabrasion.

Quote from: Courtney.lane408 on August 08, 2018, 09:26:51 PM
Do you do the derma rolling at home or do you go to someone who does it?


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@Courtney.lane408

Dermarolling at home, we have a set of 3, just need to use isopropyl alchohol to sanitize before use and between us. I use it about once a week. I shower, cleanse face using stated cleaning gel, then use rollers, then use skin smoothing cream on face and other around eyes, my wife uses a different skin cream after this- can't remember the name but its a high quality vitamin c one.
I don't use the rollers at the same time as microfoliant - I think that would be too much in one go but I'm not sure if other people do or not.

Also for all reading, using a cheaper moisturizer like cetaphil is probably 90% as good as a more expensive one BUT like Virginia already said, its not using face products at all that leads to early dry rough looking skin. Washing your face daily ( NOT soap! ) and using a moisturizer has the effect of making you look 10 years younger by the time your 40/50. My mum used good products morning and night and everyone always commented on how much younger she looked than her actual age, same as my wife, and me - some people have already commented how I look younger than most of my friends - imagine what the effects of hrt will do!! LOL.

Sonja

Sonja.

Heyy I lurk around here every now and then and this post stuck out to me because skincare is something I've become passionate about since I started transitioning so I hope I can help a little!
So like I think as others have said what you put in your body helps a lot and the reason most men have alright looking skin is because a lot of them don't really wash their face outside of a shower so yes any routine is leagues better than nothing.

With that said I think the most important thing to see results is Consistency and sunscreen! A good routine will do wonders for your face but if you don't protect yourself from the sun longterm you'll notice it but it looks like you are using SPF. Then a few things to consider, Do you wear makeup? What is your skin type? Do you have Dry skin Normal skin Combination or Oily? Is your skin sensitive to products meaning do you always find your skin being irritated and red/burning or can you slap anything on and feel fine? Are you acne prone or not? (Will elaborate on these later).

Really the wonderful thing about having a skincare routine is you can Chose what you want to add to your routine depending on how you feel/what works for your skin. A really popular thing that people follow now a days is called the 10 step routine that's popular in Korea which Yes sounds daunting but again it's all preference! For instance a basic routine would be like;
1. Cleanse  2. Toner(such as thayers witch hazel toner's help with pores and product absorption as well as remove excess if the cleanser didn't)  3/4. Moisturizer with spf or moisturizer then SPF.

But then if you feel like hey my skin needs extra moisture or more glow or something firming or brightening you can add in extra products like serums or essences that go between 2 and 3. or you can add face oils to top it all off. (A note skincare routines are meant to go lightest to heaviest if you add in serums etc.)

So then depending on if you like wear makeup if you do at night your routine would looks different the best way I hear to remove makeup is to use an oil based cleanser or cleansing balm which is different from a normal cleanser because it gets makeup particles off that normal cleansers don't followed by your normal cleanse so your routine would look something like;
1. Oil Cleanse/remove makeup  2. Cleanse  3. Tone  4. Moisturize
Now like I mentioned it's important to know how your skin is because it helps you to better find products that fit your needs. For someone with oily skin they might want a light moisturizer or something that makes there face matte while someone dry might want heavily moisturizing or thicker products I mean this should go without saying but what works for some doesn't work for all. And really those outlines are just basic solid routines that cover the most important steps. Do you NEED to add serums? No. Do you NEED to face mask? No. But they sure can help and they can make you feel like you're pampering yourself.
I feel like this is all a big blurb because I am typing this late but in conclusion;

There aren't any rules but if you're going to have any routine it's about consistency. You should try to cleanse morning and night every day. If it's night and you wear makeup do an oil cleanse or a light makeup remover pad. Always wear Spf going out during the day. Figure out what your skin type is so you can find products that might be better suited for you. ALSO make sure to do some form of exfoliation at least 3 times a week because removing dead skin helps products work better in the long run and helps fade scars if you have any. If you're looking to brighten vitamin C is great for that. Vitamin C and retinol are both great for evening skin tone if you think your skin has uneven coloring because vitamin C brightens and retinol encourages your skin renewal. Hyaluronic acid is Very good for plumping the skin and moisturizing it. Also make sure to rub any excess product down your neck/chest they age too. When you're rubbing products in rub upwards lightly don't tug down it'll age you. and if you use an eye cream use your lightest finger (ring) and gently tap it in under your eyes because that's the most sensitive area of the face. Your Thayer's Witch hazel is a toner and can and will do you more good being used every day after you cleanse your face. I'm not sure how electrolysis plays into things to be honest but retinol and vitamin c are actually safe to use daily retinol more at night but vitamin c can be used every day day and night unless you're using certain chemical exfoliant products in your routine already which it doesn't seem like you are.

I have good skin even though I do a lot of gardening.  I wear a hat and sunscreen.  More importantly, I take advantage of nature's sunscreen, trees!  As much as possible, I'll do my gardening in shaded areas when the sun is out.  And take advantage of overcast days to work outside.  It is also cooler in the early morning and evening when there is more shade.  I'll take a break and go inside during the middle of the day when there is little shade.

Im 43 and for most of my life I did not take care of my skin. For the most part i worked outside and in some pretty rough environments , my skin was rough. Dry almost starting to look leathery.
I started drinking alot of water. Not city water but processed filtered water. Make sure it does not have fluoride added btw most water does thats on the market today.  Then use quality products for clensing and quality products for moisturizers etc.

There are lazer treatments you can get also. To help bring the collagen to the surface again. These work and you wont notice the diffrence really until about 3rd treatment if your skin is that bad. It feels like sun burn be warned. Lol but so worth it.

A friend of mine recomended some herbs. I took hair skin and nails daily and black cohosh if my spelling is correct , milk thistle, and some kind of berry , i cant remember now. I dont know if these things are on the market any longer. First let me say i noticed within 4 or so months my skin got much better. My hair was growing like crazy and about 9 months in, my wife had a talk with me. What i did not know at the time was i had mixed a hormone cocktail. Went from a chicken chest to a B cup, she pointed out " i smelled like a woman and was acting very female. At the time i was on other medications from a major injury so i didn't notice the changes. Well i stoped the herbals but found it was like an addiction almost. I felt so bad without without them.

Now my skin was very nice though and my receding hair line stoped and actually grew back in for the most part.
The question i cant answer is was the skin changes due to the herbs or the skin care products.
I still use skin care products. Face cleaner shiseido pureness. Or algenist clensers. I absolutely love Glamglow matte moisturizer but not everyday. I use Dragons blood by skin thurapy.

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Not everyone can afford or chooses to use prescription Tretinoin (Retinol). I've been using that for about 5 years, my wife 10+; the result are fantastic.

Dermaplaning is an easy and often overlooked method of exfoliating. No need to make a trip to see the esthetician, you can do this yourself by simply shaving your entire face.

I can't confirm results but the pleasure of those dollar sheet masks is hard to beat. I pick them up in the grocery store and it has become a Sunday night ritual for me and my wife.

Quote from: Freelysweet on August 09, 2018, 07:22:28 AMThere are lazer treatments you can get also. To help bring the collagen to the surface again.

Although the treatment is customized for another purpose, the microdamage caused by  laser hair removal will greatly improve skin much like dermarolling.

Quote from: Sonja on August 08, 2018, 07:32:33 PMHyaluronic acid  -which is really good in general and after using derma rolling. Derma rolling will have a very noticeable effect if you have not done this before.

Vitamin C has a long and well established history of benefits for the skin. I make the serum my wife and I use from the same vitamin capsules we take every day. We sort of alternate between that and Tretinoin, and I apply it after dermarolling.

Dermarolling can be done several times a week with short needles to promote absorption of serums and other skin care products. I began using long needle dermarolling to fine lines and wrinkles about 5 years ago. My wife's  esthetician was astounded by my one year Before/After shots. My face used to be covered in blood when I first started rolling. The collagen build up was so dramatic (as indicated by the cessation of bleeding) I switched to longer needles AND less frequent rolling after a year (More is NOT better. It is EXTREMELY important to decrease rolling frequency with increasing needle size so as not cause scarring). I upsized needles again the third year and only roll every 6 weeks now. I treated the cancer surgery scar on my face with a dermastamp. My dermatologist said  the improvement in appearance after a year was nothing short of miraculous.

The combination of blood and pain, home dermarolling is not for the faint of heart (often compared to the sensation dry body brushing with a boar's hair brush if you are a fan of that). Like chem peels the treatment can be done by most estheticians. I live with chronic pain with my back so I rather enjoy the change in focus. I had to take a break from rolling after I had a fat transfer procedure to correct the cancer surgery scar on my cheek, but will to resume my regimen at the one year anniversary when the graft is fully healed.

My skin is nothing to write home about, but I am trying to look after it better, now.  I use SPF 50 sunscreen and wear a big, wide-brimmed hat on sunny days.  Since you like CeraVe products, they have a couple of facial moisurizers, one for daytime, that include a sunscreen component (though I would add a proper sunscreen a well), and one for night.

In my case, diet, exercise, and avoiding sun are the biggest factors in how my skin looks.

Different foods probably affect people differently.  In my case I have the best skin if I minimize sugar, refined carbs, wheat, dairy, coffee, and packaged snack foods, and instead eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats like olive oil or avocados.  Also making sure to get enough of vitamins A and C (don't go nuts though!), and drinking plenty water or green or herbal tea helps a lot.  Getting regular exercise helps as well.

Depending on whether I'm doing well on my diet and exercise plan or not, I have noticeable skin changes in around 2 weeks.  A good diet has softer and fuller skin with more even color and few if any blemishes, while a poor diet causes the reverse.

Beyond that, I do light exfoliation daily, moderate exfoliation weekly, and try to keep the skin moisturized and protected from sun.  I haven't really found any particular products that work better than others beyond avoiding those that irritate my skin.