Amanda's Skin Story
Many people would look at my skin and think what great skin no wonder you are a Dermal Clinician. However, I have a secret to tell, when I was 20 I started to develop acne on my checks and forehead.
Lucky for me I was just starting out as a young beauty therapist so I had products and treatments at my fingertips. But it still wasn’t that easy to get rid of it, in fact it took almost 2 years to get fully clear skin again. It was with the combination of quality products and looking within that I achieved the skin I have today.
So I want to share with you my Skin Transformation Journey to encourage you that great skin is a reality.
My Story Begins Here
When I was 22 I started to develop acne (pimples) around my jaw, cheeks and forehead. Around the same time of the acne flaring up I also had a birthmark removed from my neck which I had to go under general anaesthetic. After the surgery my face flared up something chronic and my face was a mess.
I would describe my face back then as lumpy and bumpy with a dull look to it. The worst thing I did was try and cover it with makeup, which only accentuated the issue.
The pictures below were taking 1 week after my surgery, this is probably the worst I have seen my skin ever.
What was my treatment plan?
When my acne started to develop I just started working at a skin clinic. My work colleagues at the time were trying different treatments such as peels, micro and IPL. With all of that I started using various types of products, however I felt that the products that I was using at the time weren't giving me the results I was after. The same went for the treatments I was doing - it wasn't that they were bad they just weren't suited for my skin at that time.
After a year of doing treatments and using products that were not delivering the results, I decided to take a more holistic approach and look at diet and inner health.
Healthy Skin From the Inside Out
It was this decision that lead me to see a naturopath to see what was happening on the inside. To my surprise I was deficient in pretty much all nutrients and vitamins. In fact, I was so deficient in zinc that I miss read the script and took 20 mLs instead of the recommended 3mLs. Now when I told my naturopath she was shocked that I wasn’t in hospital severely sick. Only someone with a severe zinc deficiency could get away with only a mild headache.
What I was also beginning to understand was my constant bloating and constipation was contributing to my acne. This was creating inflammation in my gut and as a result toxins not being eliminated.
Healthy Gut = Healthy skin
At the time I wasn't aware what was happening internally was manifesting through the skin and causing all the issues. But it did help me to understand that great skin isn't just products and treatments, rather a holistic approach.
Now it was a process to start healing the gut, to do this I had to eliminate gluten and diary from my diet and begin a leaky gut diet. When I started to do this my acne do start to clear up but there was still a long way to go to completely heal the gut.
Finally Seeing Results
Seeing how inner health played such a significant role in healthy skin and overall general health, I decided to do my Bachelor of Health Science to find out more. It was this that took my skin to the next level. Not the stressful nights getting assignments done but learning about the science of skin and how it works in a more intricate way.
So to sum it all up healthy skin comes down to 2 things - quality products and a healthy gut.
The photo on the right was taken 2 days after I had a PRP treatment. The lightening was a little dark so it has casted a slight shadow on my face.
My Hero Products & Treatments
Now there are many great products on the market so I’m not bagging out any product or I’m not endorsing any company here. Only the truth of what worked.
So my hero product was Aspect Dr – I’m a big believer in being simple with my skin care so all I used was a Deep clean cleanser, Multi B serum, C serum and sunblock in the morning and at night Cleanser then applied Vitamin A or (retinol). Since then my knowledge has increased and I have found other products that are also amazing and have changed my skin routine up.
For treatments I did a series of peels, fractional laser, skin needling and PRP (platelet rich plasma) all were working on tissue regeneration. Which I will go more in-depth into another article.
For inner health healing, I decided to go down the path of using food to heal my gut. I did this with quality supplements like magnesium, B vitamins as well as using a combination blend of cacao, slippery elm and flaxseed oil in a smoothie.