I just came home from my visit to the dermatologist. It's my second consecutive month out of three (I started April but missed May). And I just realized HOW MUCH HAS CHANGED ever since I decided to go to the dermatologist. It's like a 180-degree turn from what my skin has been like for sooo long!
I used to go to my dermatologist regularly before but I had to stop because I thought my skin was good enough. And then, I had breakouts. They were still manageable so I tried using self-medicated products (products I saw online, or those recommended by friends). This was, I guess, one of the colossal mistakes of the century. My skin went ballistic and rebelled against me. I suffered from acne for a long time and refused to go to back to my dermatologist because I was so depressed and thought it wouldn't go back to it's healthy state anymore.
But finally, I decided (after four years) to visit my dermatologist last April. She removed all the impurities (pimples black heads, white heads, you name it!). It hurt sooo bad. During the end of the pricking, my dermatologist injects some sort of liquid into the pimples she extracts (just from that, I feel the pain) so that it won't scar and would heal real fast. It's like magic! lol. :))
I asked my sister, who's a doctor, and she said it might be steroids. The dermatologist recommended different topical medicines I had to use in the morning and at night time. In less than a month, my face was back to it's healthy condition. I can't believe it took me four depressing years to come back to my savior, lol!
The moral of the story? Although reviews online, recommendations from friends, and suggestions of sales people/sales assistants may sound really convincing and enticing, sometimes, it pays to talk to the people who have studied the human skin for years. There's a big difference between understanding what really happens with our skin and just wanting to sell a product. Dermatologists know what they're talking about and even if it hurts (mine always does), it's the safest way to detoxify our skin from medicine and products that our skin doesn't really need.
(Shoutout to Dr. Selwyn Crisostomo for my now-beautiful and glowing skin :D)
Do you have a dermatologist? How often do you go? Do you think that store bought acne products can help, or do you agree that for clearer skin, you need to see a doctor?
