I asked a friend if she had ever tried botox. I asked this friend because I knew she wouldn't be offended and I knew she would tell me the truth.
She looked at me as if I was crazy.
I interpreted her look to mean, "Are you kidding? I'm 32 years old, why would I need botox?!"
Her look actually meant, "Are you kidding? I'm 32 years old, of course I've tried botox!"
I have never had fantastic skin. It's never been horrible, but it's never been dewy. Only on certain forms of birth control would it ever be described as "glowing." So when we started trying to conceive in 2008, I resigned myself to the fact that my skin was going to show every hormone fluctuation. When I got pregnant, the skin all over my body (not just on my face) dulled, rashed, and all but held a neon sign blinking "It's crazy up in here!"
It's been almost three years since I've been happy with my skin. Pregnancy and aging and (truth be told) lack of skincare have made my face feel rough and look older than it is. I've fretted about it at varying degrees but it was only after I saw a few recent pictures of myself that I decided I had to get my skin situation under control.
Unlike my friend, I am just not quite ready to go under the needle. Common sense tells me that I need to try to take care of my skin before I call in the big guns. On the very week I was thinking about a plan of action, I was contacted by LeAine Dehmer, known in Southern California as "the skin whisperer." She offered me a facial that I couldn't refuse. The first session takes 2-3 hours and her waiting list is 3-6 months long.
I jumped at the chance and I cannot believe what I got in return. I get facials several times a year, and though I do find them necessary I rarely enjoy them. They're expensive, they're not relaxing, and the results usually last less than a week. The facial with LeAine was unlike any that I've had before. First of all she read the skin on my face like a palm reader studies your hand. She asked me questions about my lifestyle and could tell me within minutes what was happening underneath my skin and why, how it was affecting me and how I was affecting it, and then she assured me that the problem wasn't insurmountable.
What followed was three hours of deep and intense skin care. When she done, I was near tears when I looked in the mirror. Completely bare, my skin hadn't looked or felt like that in years and years.
If you're in southern California, LeAine has a spa in Tustin called Skinsations and she personally trains each facialist there (Skinsations fan page here, where they give out discounts and coupons). If you're not in the area, you can buy LeAine's clinical skincare line. So far, my favorite products are the skin breather (so much more than an exfoliant) and the moisturizer. At first I didn't think I liked the scent of the moisturizer, but it has really grown on me. I feel like my skin craves it. I use the skin breather in the shower several times a week.
I'm trying to take control of a few things in my personal life that I've let fall by the wayside, and taking care of my skin is one of my top beauty priorities. What are yours?
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Disclosure: my facial and sample products from LeAine Dehmer were offered to me gratis but the opinion here is my own. In fact, I have a second appointment with Ms. Dehmer tonight on my own dime. I cannot imagine a higher endorsement than returning again and again.
