Skin Issues that Never Seem to Go Away

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and Olay.

In my last post for Olay, I shared with you that I have had a lifelong battle with Acne. My acne started in my early teens as small bumps on my forehead that would occasionally turn into white heads. Later, I started to notice that the heat bumps I got in the summer months were now persistent black heads that would get inflamed ever so often. My mom started having me wash my face twice a day with Ivory soap and using Sea Breeze as a toner. No matter how much I washed and toned, it still persisted.

I went on to try just about every product on the market. Whenever anyone recommended anything, I immediately went out and bought it, yet nothing worked. One day I was at the doctor with my mom because I had gotten a sinus infection, and my family physician started talking about my acne and prescribed me the cream that was popular way back when, along with some tetracycline. To my dismay, it didn’t work either, except to leave my face dry and red.

I eventually went to a dermatologist, and went through the whole gamete of prescriptions before we both gave up and resorted to Accutane. Soon after starting Accutane, my skin was even more horrible that it had aver been. This was a side effect of the medication. Your skin is suppose to get worse before it gets better. Towards the end of the very expensive Accutane, my skin finally started to get better, and it lasted all of 6 months. For about 6 months in the year of 200o, I had perfect skin. It was youthful, it glowed, I was radiant, I would stop and stare at myself in the mirror. My skin was just gorgeous. Then my skin came back with vengeance. I swear it became oilier and angrier than ever. I think my oil glands were making up for missed time and pumping out overtime. My skin had went right back to being exactly the same as it had been before. I was depressed and just went about trying different over the counter medications with no luck.

My husband knew how upsetting my skin was for me, and was also helping me look for a solution. At the time, he was a marketer for a health company, and was visiting a plastic surgeon’s office trying to get business. After his sales pitch, they offered theirs, a gift certificate for the upcoming holiday for a facial, nails, and massage. I had a facial in the past, and it was a complete waste of time. I had no hopes that this esthetician would be of any help, but since it was a gift, I decided to try it out.

My husband and had also bought me an acne facial, something that I never knew existed. The esthitician sold me on getting more aggressive cleaning products suited to my skin, and with just 3 facials, and more aggressive cleaning products, my skin was almost perfect, except for the  occasional blemish once a moth. I have been using these products, that are available at spas, some dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons, and online until just the past few months, when I ran out. I hadn’t had acne in a while, and just assumed that maybe I had outgrown it. I was wrong, although it isn’t as bad as before, without the aggressive products that I have used in the past, my skin is on a slow decline.

After seeing that there is no other hope, except to back on those expensive cleaners and toners made especially for stubborn acne, I have recently went back on them. I am also using my Olay moisturizer and am seeing a slow improvement in my skin again.

Have you or someone you loved had to battle acne, deal with facial scars or cope with rosacea? I would love to hear about it in the comment section below for a chance to win a $100 Visa Card..

Feel like your moisturizer’s fresh feeling can’t last all day? New Olay Total Effects Cooling Hydration instantly cools and leaves skin with a moisturized fresh feeling that lasts from morning to night. The lightweight formula also fights 7 signs of aging for younger looking skin.
For more information visit Olay.

Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) Read the official rules for alternate form of entry.

Sweepstakes ends 5 PM PST on December 27, 2010.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.

Please also visit the BlogHer.com Exclusive Offers page where you can visit and see the round-up page where 14 other bloggers are posting and giving gift cards away.

Thanks for entering and good luck!