[clinton]

I am only 24 and through immense stress for a year and weight loss due to surgery I am stuck with terrible crows feet. I mean atleast 6 noticeable lines going from the corner of my eyes almost a half inch long.

I have tried numerous eye creams and use moisturizer with spf to try to prevent more.

I am almost positive that retin a eye cream made them 10X worse. Maybe I was too young but it is bad.

What can I do? I don't want to do a short term thing like botox and I really don't have the money to get laser if that even works. Is there any cream that actually works?

Otherwise if I gain my weight back will my face fill out?

 

[fawnie]

Clinton,

Welcome and congrats for losing weight!

How's your nutrition now? Are you working with a nutritionist to make sure you get adequate protein and vitamins/minerals? Sometimes protein deprivation can make the face gaunt-looking and haggard. I'm sure the stress didn't help either did it.



Skin | care | talk

 

[clinton]

My weight is fine now. I didn't get my stomach stapled.. I had cancer.

I am very healthy.. I damaged my skin with retin a on top of the insomnia and stress.

What can I do? Being that I am only 24 can't I stimulate collegan?

 

[Mari]

My weight is fine now. I didn't get my stomach stapled.. I had cancer.

I am very healthy.. I damaged my skin with retin a on top of the insomnia and stress.

What can I do? Being that I am only 24 can't I stimulate collegan?

So sorry to hear about your health problems. rejuvenating your skin will take time -- just remember being stressed out along with the insomnia will make it more difficult to clear up your sking problems. So, first talk to a doctor about your stress and insomnia.

Don't stress yourself out more by expecting a turnaround effect in a few weeks -- getting your skin looking the way you want it to may take months.

You may be correct about the retin-a drying out your skin so what you need is hydration. You seem to be concerned about your eye area so I would suggest three products such as vitamin C serum which is effective in enhancing collagen production and helps in eliminating wrinkles and lines (many other benefits too); hyaluronic acid such as cellex-c Hydra B 5 which attracts moisture to your skin; and an eye cream which is rich, soothing and is absorbed by your skin (I use a product from Dermaglow). These products are meant to be applied under the orbital bone and where you see crow's feet starting.

Take is slow, you will see improvement.

 

[Lexi2009]

Clinton-medically speaking if you underwent chemotherapy this can contribute to premature aging. The stress cannot help either. Retin-a will make lines look worse before better but it is known that while it initially thins skin and makes it more easily damaged, it begins to stimulate a faster turn over and in turn stimulates collagen. That said at 24 you clearly have a lot more hope at recovering your skin fully. Hydration is important as are other things like sleep, drinking plenty of water, eating right and sleeping well.

The other thing is that I must ask are you male or female? If you are male it is not so abnormal or unusual for males to have crows feet even in their teens. I know it sounds strange but men have stronger facial muscles and as such forehead lines and crow's feet as well as smile lines often show up earlier. It is not usually as noticeable on males due to generally thicker skin also. I would recommend you try and gain weight back, weight loss in turn takes away an entire layer of subcutaneous (under the skin) fat which emulates aging. Aging is largely due to fat loss under the skin so it would make sense that a rapid weight loss would leave you with more wrinkles.

I am glad you are healthy now though, these superficial things can be easily remedied, the internal cannot so it is good that you got that under control and I wish you the best!

 

[IluvNY]

Clinton how is it the retin a damaged your skin?

Im have you looked into doing facial excersises for the crows feet area and massage their are some good links on you tube you may want to start off with and if they work well may be you could look into buying a dvd or something.

Also have you spoke to your doctor about your concerns?

Mari what is this dermaglow product you are using it sound interesting, may be it would help my eye area too, thanks?

 

[periwinkle]

A subject that deserves it's own thread is this.

Would you want to be lean with nice muscle tone but increase your risk for wrinkles?
Or would you rather be a bit on the fleshy side and have your subcutaneous fat help hide or prevent wrinkles?

Just some food for thought.

 

[Lexi2009]

A subject that deserves it's own thread is this.

Would you want to be lean with nice muscle tone but increase your risk for wrinkles?
Or would you rather be a bit on the fleshy side and have your subcutaneous fat help hide or prevent wrinkles?

Just some food for thought.

I agree with that! I do a lot of yoga and obviously do not have Madonna's money and the yoga takes all the fat and you end up veiny and more wrinkled!

 

[fawnie]

Hmmmm.....well....after chewing on that food for thought a while.....why not have both? If I exercise my body and also my face, along with massage, isn't it possible?

Exercise builds the muscle and subQ tissue and also skin tone of the face and gives it a more youthful contour. The wrinkle and sag is eliminated.



Skin | care | talk

 

[mireckca]

Hmmmm.....well....after chewing on that food for thought a while.....why not have both? If I exercise my body and also my face, along with massage, isn't it possible?

Exercise builds the muscle and subQ tissue and also skin tone of the face and gives it a more youthful contour. The wrinkle and sag is eliminated.

I am hoping that what Fawnie said is going to work for me. I lost alot of weight last year (60 lbs) only to be hit with sagging and wrinkles in my face. I have been vigorously fighting back with a high protein diet, lots of supplements, facial exercises, as well as Vit C + Retin-A.

I have made great progress so far but suspect that I will soon hit a plateau where further progress will be more difficult - but hopefully at least further deterioration will also be prevented or at least slowed down as well.

 

[periwinkle]

Hmmmm.....well....after chewing on that food for thought a while.....why not have both? If I exercise my body and also my face, along with massage, isn't it possible?

Exercise builds the muscle and subQ tissue and also skin tone of the face and gives it a more youthful contour. The wrinkle and sag is eliminated.

True. I'm hoping my facial exercises do just that. I'm just not 100% sold on them just yet. I like being on the lean side. I look so much better that way. For me it's a balancing act with striving for six pack abs while not getting too lean.

 

[fawnie]

True. I'm hoping my facial exercises do just that. I'm just not 100% sold on them just yet. I like being on the lean side. I look so much better that way. For me it's a balancing act with striving for six pack abs while not getting too lean.

Oh and we thought you made such a cute chubby little baby!!!!!!

Now I am hearing that it takes longer to see results from exercise/massage of the face if one waits till after 50 to start. So start young kiddies!

I'm not hoping to look 18 again with the exercises, but they have certainly improved things.



Skin | care | talk

 

[periwinkle]

More encouraging news.......

Facial Exercise Myth Busted!

 

[Lexi2009]

Hmmmm.....well....after chewing on that food for thought a while.....why not have both? If I exercise my body and also my face, along with massage, isn't it possible?

Exercise builds the muscle and subQ tissue and also skin tone of the face and gives it a more youthful contour. The wrinkle and sag is eliminated.

Depends where, my hands and arms are veiny from yoga--very lean too and muscular. Also if you ever look at the film (did not get far) that Madonna did with her ex husband (only because she was in a bikini the whole time) Swept Away, you see she has very good skin but it looks old sitting over a muscular six-pack, a lot like the men you see on these ads for bodybuilding who are in their 60's or older. For the face I think you can have both!

 

[clinton]

Thanks for all your positive feedback. You make me feel there is still hope.

How does this vitamin c serum product look? I actually have it but never used it:
Buy Zia Natural Skincare Ultimate "C" Serum Online at drugstore.com (i cant most link)


The facial exercise videos on youtube scare me.. my skin is way too frail around my eyes right now. Very dry in this compared to my cheeks. I have tried a couple moisturizer but nothing seems to do enough and I don't want to be greasy.

 

[fawnie]

Thanks for all your positive feedback. You make me feel there is still hope.

How does this vitamin c serum product look? I actually have it but never used it:
Buy Zia Natural Skincare Ultimate "C" Serum Online at drugstore.com (i cant most link)


The facial exercise videos on youtube scare me.. my skin is way too frail around my eyes right now. Very dry in this compared to my cheeks. I have tried a couple moisturizer but nothing seems to do enough and I don't want to be greasy.

Hi Clinton,
I don't know that Zia C serum. If you can get your hands on some pH strips and measure the pH to be sure it's below 3.5 it would let you know if it's worth the trouble.

I understand about not wanting to damage your skin. Here is a gentle exercise you could try to firm up around the eyes:

Looking straight ahead, place your fingertips just below your eyebrows and push up gently.
Holding the tissue up, try squeezing your eyes shut and hold for a count of 5.
Release your fingers and eyes for 2 seconds and repeat.
Do this 10 times.
Work up to 5 sets of 10 reps each.
Massage the tissues around the eye gently at first and tap the area gently at first.
You can build up pressure as you get stronger.
Massage is important to build collagen and release toxins.

What about some rosehip seed oil if you don't want to be greasy? You only use a couple drops warmed between your fingers on damp skin.
mountainroseherbs.com sells the best, IMO
Organic Carrier and Vegetable Oils

I hope this might help you in some small way.

Skin | care | talk

 

[periwinkle]

Thanks for all your positive feedback. You make me feel there is still hope.

How does this vitamin c serum product look? I actually have it but never used it:
Buy Zia Natural Skincare Ultimate "C" Serum Online at drugstore.com (i cant most link)


The facial exercise videos on youtube scare me.. my skin is way too frail around my eyes right now. Very dry in this compared to my cheeks. I have tried a couple moisturizer but nothing seems to do enough and I don't want to be greasy.

It might work well as a general moisturizer but that's it as far as I can see.
Here are the ingredients.

Ingredients: Deionized Water, Green Tea Extract, Jojoba Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Phospholipids, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharide Isomerate, Aloe Vera Gel, Tepescohuite Extract, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Carrageenan, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbic Acid, Milk Thistle Extract, Bee Pollen Extract, Algae Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Panthenol, Yucca Extract, Super Oxide Dismutase, Horsetail Extract, Squalane, Dimethicone, Essential Oil of Grapefruit, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Retinyl Palmitate (Vit. A), Beta Carotene, Cholecalciferol.

No listing of the percentage of vitamin C or PH level which is a HUGE red flag to me. It's sure to be much lower than the minimum of 10% needed for clinical results. 15-20% is even better.
There are countless companies on the net and elsewhere pushing their vitamin C serums/creams as proven formulas that work on the collagen of the skin as well as it's other benefits. Most of these products are not telling you the truth and are just riding the coattails of proven products such as Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, Cellex-C, as well as others. And that product is awfully expensive for a .5oz bottle as well.

Zia Ultimate C Serum - .5 oz. - LuckyVitamin.com

 

[fawnie]

Good investigative work, Peri!

Clinton, If you have the time and inclination there are several DIY serum recipes on the board here:

http://www.skincaretalk.com/anti-agi...oned-skin.html

http://www.skincaretalk.com/anti-agi...lic-serum.html

Adding vit E makes the serum soothing and ups the UV protection factor.



Skin | care | talk

 

[clinton]

Most of these products are not telling you the truth and are just riding the coattails of proven products such as Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, Cellex-C, as well as others.

Those products are over $120?? Isn't there anything reasonable? I saw fawnie's homemade versions which seem interesting just would rather have something someone else made lol

 

[mireckca]

Those products are over $120?? Isn't there anything reasonable? I saw fawnie's homemade versions which seem interesting just would rather have something someone else made lol

I highly recommend making the Vitamin C serum yourself. I have been making mine now for about 3 months and cannot tell you how easy it is, how effective the product is, and how good it feels not to pay $120 per bottle.

The first link that Fawnie gave is the one that many of us start with. You can substitute anything you want for the rosehip seed oil. Some folks use glycerin or other oils. I also add the contents of a couple of vitamin E capsules. If you read through enough of these threads you will get some other ideas too.

The second link is a superior serum that you can do later if you wish.

Now is the time to try - since there are folks here willing and able to give you any help that you need to do it right. There is no reason to pay $120 for a commercial preparation. Use the money instead to buy other stuff - like supplements and skin care gadgets.