skin update

not to sound vain, but i've been watching my face like a hawk. i guess it's me believing in the power of topical retinoids, but i also think part of it is being bored to death. every few days i sit and think about how my skin has gotten better or worse, and i guess that's a good thing cause i was very well prepared when i went back to the derm today. for the past week i have been getting less of those gawd-awful cysts...thank goodness cause if it was a permanent thing i would probably shoot myself in the foot. at one point thursday there were actually NO active blemishes on my face for what i would say is the first time since my 9th grade year. two or three swelled back up later on friday but they were still smaller, and i gotta take progress for what it is. i have used my MaMa lotion twice so far - once thursday night and once sunday night, and lucky ol' me woke up to peeling skin on monday. ah, the joy of "results". it's ok, i went to walgreens today and noticed that their offbrand cetaphil moisturizing cream is even cheaper than wal-mart's, so i will definitely be going back tomorrow for that (and some AHA body cream, but that's another post). if you have never worn mineral makeup, let me be the first to tell you that it will make your flaky skin look even worse, and no amount of blending will fix it, so i stepped out today wearing nothing but mascara and sunscreen. no wonder they still make liquid foundation.

anyway, i was nervous while waiting for the derm to call me back so i made a list of things i wanted to ask:

• my cheeks and chin are clearing up, so why does my forehead hate me? it must be because i have called it big for so long.
• why did the blackheads on my nose come back?
• if i switch from RAM .04 to RAM .1 will i go through an IB again? that thing was bloody hell.

not to say he quite answered them all...boy is he a fast talker...but i did get an answer to the most crucial question, and he told me that .1 would work the same but make me peel more. not exactly the answer i wanted to hear on a day like today where it looked like my face was seconds away from falling off, but he did offer me about a month's worth of samples so i can see if there is a difference. i used the first one tonight, and i am crossing my fingers that my nose doesn't peel off before i can get to walgreens. he also put me back on an oral antibiotic since my face did so much better when i was on doryx, except he wrote the prescription for doxycycline 100mg. i have no idea what the difference is, but that's what the acne.org message boards are for. gotta love the internet. so here is my new regimen, as of today:

AM: doxycycline capsule // wash with johnson's head-to-toe // clindamycin pad // eucerin EP with spf 30 // mineral makeup if i dont look like a mummy

PM: remove makeup with baby wipe or EVOO // wash with johnson's head-to-toe // wait 30 mins and apply RAM .04, RAM .1, or MaMa lotion depending on the night // selectively moisturize where needed // meditate, relax

in with this are the mint julep mask once a week, 100oz of water a day, and the hair/skin/nails vits and flaxseed oil geltab. once i get back to school i'll throw in a healthy dose of exercise. reassessing, i am aiming to clear up as much as possible by august 30th. if i'm not at 100% by then i am cool with that. i took new before shots last week so i have something to compare.

p.s. scored another doc connect..."you need to hurry up and finish school so you can come work with me." the downside? " but you gotta go straight through no stopping - i can't wait too long, i'm getting old." so much for that year off on the dr. fuller plan.