Step 4 To Losing Weight - Ways To Put Your Best Face Forward

Everything I write about is derived from my feelings and personal experiences. The only aspects of my articles which are not original thoughts are the scientific studies that I've used to develop my opinions. My physical appearance has always been important to me, even if the attention I have given myself in the past has not always been positive and healthy.

It's interesting how we find ourselves thinking back to the advice our mothers and grandmothers once gave us. One piece of advice I remember was that I should never pick my zits because it would infect my skin and ruin my complexion. Because I never had skin blemishes of any kind, it wasn't an issue for me as a young woman, so I took my clear complexion for granted. In school, my friends who struggled with acne always commented to me about my beautiful skin. Even though I was glad that I had beautiful skin, I often felt self-conscious about my looks. I was careful not to enhance my natural beauty, and not smile too much. My parents made me very self-aware of my looks and always said things to me that caused me to down play my appearance.

In the late 70's, I began to blossom as a young woman. Men were physically attracted to me and I found that l enjoyed the attention I received from them. I was often told how beautiful I was and what beautiful skin I had. Eventually, I was noticed by a TV producer who hired me to work on several television commercials in the Seattle area. I performed on stage and also at different clubs in downtown Seattle. During this time of my life, I didn't drink much alcohol, but I still became a party girl who stayed out late and loved to dance all night long!

Cocaine was a popular drug in the 1980's, and I began using cocaine recreationally and also before shows on weekends. Cocaine kept me awake at night and my fresh face began to look tired. I started using nose spray to breathe, along with the cocaine which curbed my appetite and gave me confidence. Because of my cocaine use I was always congested, and the nose blowing gave me red rashes around my nose and mouth. The confidence from the drug didn't last long, but the drug use did. I slowly opted out of life and watched my once perfect complexion go downhill.

Fortunately, I stopped using drugs. Once again, I took care of myself and practiced a healthier lifestyle by eating fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and exercising regularly.

Eventually, I was married and had one child. Then I got divorced. But, I found a job and I raised that child on my own. I remember looking in the mirror one day and I noticing that my once perfect complexion was now ruddy and discolored. There were ugly bumps on its surface, skin tags on my neck and shoulders, and moles in ever increasing numbers accumulating all over my face. I even had a few zits that I picked, along with small growths that would burst near the surface of the skin on my nose and bleed down my face. I also had a few scars near my eye brow and chin that made me self-conscious, even though nobody noticed unless I called attention to them myself. The pimples mixed in with the freckles, the moles, and the bumps all melted together into one unattractive and depressing sight that I could see. As far as I was concerned, they were all zits! I no longer had the youthful, beautiful skin I had taken for granted all those years before. I felt sorry for myself because I hadn't taken better care of what I had, before it was gone.

The bumps and the growths multiplied as I got older. They became such a problem for me that I sought help from a dermatologist in town. It was fortunate that she happened to have some element of experience in rare skin conditions and she believed it was possible that I had Tuberous Sclerosis. She referred me on to a specialist at The University of Washington and it was there that the diagnosis was confirmed.

Tuberous Sclerosis is a very serious condition that causes benign or malignant tumors to grow in major organs of the body. I had MRIs performed on my brain, my eyes, my lungs, and my kidneys. Because I appeared so healthy, they didn't perform an MRI on my heart. All of my organs came back clear except for one kidney, which had two small tumors in it. My skin suffered the most obvious damage from the tumors, because they had spread across my nostrils and ears, my cheeks, and my jawline. There were larger ones here and there, but certain areas had clusters of tiny tumors growing on them. My mother told me that she thought I was suffering from adult acne! Nobody had heard of Tuberous Sclerosis.

The first thing I chose to do about my condition was to see another specialist in the dermatology profession. He told me that he could remove the larger ones first and then move onto the smaller clusters. The process took about six months to complete and I was very happy with the results, although it did leave small scars behind. I was referred to a biologist who was working diligently on studies with GHK and copper peptides for treating tumor growth, wound and scar healing. Dr. Loren Pickart has a BA in Chemistry and Mathematics and a PhD in Biochemistry. He has spent the last fifty years perfecting his line of skin and hair products that include these unique molecules in his product lines. I began using his products just over one year ago and I have noticed incredible results!

The skin tags and bumps are gone. The tuberous growths are barely noticeable. My skin has an even toned, smooth and healthy appearance and the scars have diminished greatly. The deep crease between my eyebrows is also barely visible (I used to be able to put my finger nail into it). I no longer appear tired looking. Dr. Pickart's products have actually remodeled my skin layer by layer. These products have worked for me and I recommend them to you, or anyone who has suffered from skin conditions or the natural signs of aging.

I do not have the luxury to afford chemical peels, plastic surgery, Botox treatments, or any type of injectable fillers. I also do not use expensive products on my face. The products I use are affordable and I have my complexion looking healthy once again. Another benefit is that I don't look as aged as other fifty year olds I know.

After I began to see the positive changes in my skin complexion, I decided it was time to improve the texture and color of my hair. I was a bright blond and the color had grown old and no longer looked good on me. I'd been a brassy blond for thirty five years and I was ready for a new look. I hired the skills of a young stylist and color professional skilled in putting color back into bleached blond hair. The process took another six months to achieve. The interesting thing I learned was that, even at fifty years of age, I have no gray hair. I'm pleased to know that the color I'm now sporting is much more appealing for a woman my age, with my skin tone and eye color.

My mother has been a hair dresser for more than fifty years, and she has told me that women my age should never try and wear their hair long. The rebel in me thought differently and I decided that I would try. I began properly caring for my hair and growing it out. At fifty, my complexion is healthier looking than it has been in years, and my long hair looks and feels great!

By Renee Haxby