I have still not been able to solve the skin problems I've had since I moved here. It gets a little better and then gets a lot worse. It's so frustrating. I might be the vainest plain girl ever, but I am so sick of angsting about my ragged face. I am so sick of wearing tons of makeup and catching myself moving my hair and tilting my head to hide my face when I'm out. It's making me feel insane. I am so sick of having skin problems in Japan. I know it could be much worse but it's making me really, really sad, even withdrawn (which we can't be havin'). But I don't know what to do. I wonder what other people's Biggest Problems Abroad are.This post feels too personal but I've been feeling really embarrassed about how tormented I am about my face, and I am a compulsive purger of shame! I feel much better now.
14 comments:
I've been having wicked skin problems the last few months since starting birth control for the first time. I heard it's supposed to CLEAR UP your skin. Not.
I don't think it's stupid to stress out about your face! Hopefully your skin will adjust soon, even though it sounds like you`ve been suffering for a while. Even though I don't use a lot of skin care items, I have one product which works wonders as a scrub. I know I won't be able to find it when I move to Japan next year. Even going a week without it now makes my skin fussy and break out.
selena - really! i went back on birth control because of my skin issues and it has definitely helped, not completely but noticeably. sometimes when you start it everything is crazy for the first few months though. i hope it evens out for you.
emily - if you really need that product, you should plan in advance for how to have it in japan. i didn't do that and it was a huge mistake. i used proactiv in the US and it was the only thing that ever let me have perfect skin. after a few years i sort of forgot how bad my skin could be without it and figured i had probably grown up and could find new products in japan. it was such a mistake. combined with the stress of settling in and all the food and climate and other product changes, ugh. it's been so terrible. i finally gave in/figured it out and ordered proactiv online and i'm anxiously waiting for it to arrive. if it doesn't help idk what i'll do. but yeah DEFINITELY WORK OUT YOUR ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS.
I had the pizza problem as well - no good pizza - when I moved to LA. I'm sorry that you're having so many problems in Japan with your skin, but mine gets better when I visit.
Start drinking green tea everyday. Brew sencha leaves. At least one pot a day. It's not a quick fix, but you'll see the results eventually.
malinda - no good pizza in LA?! i didn't know.
my skin always got better when i came here, too! that's why i was so shocked when a couple months after i moved here everything went insane. i thought it was because of the cold air in yamagata but i haven't been able to fix it since.
david - i drinks tons of green tea all day. i don't brew it, maybe i will try to start drinking really good tea.
this is so frustrating because i have done so much to try and fix it. i eat so healthy now, i sleep on my back so my face stays off the pillow, i'm taking birth control again, i even started paying attention to my soy intake because of the estrogen, ha. i just really hope going back exactly to my old skin routine will be the answer but it seems like my face is so insane now that i can't be sure. i hate going to the doctor but i might have to.
i've heard of lots of girls having mysterious acne problems in japan, so if you've got touchy skin, seriously, you really shouldn't try to leave your best products at home. your body and brain are going to go through enough changes when you get here and you and your skin really don't deserve the added trauma of an accute adult-onset awkward phase.
I'm not in Japan, but I just got over a long bout of pizza-face - it can be so frustrating! The main ingredient in Proactive is Benzoyl Peroxide, so if you don't get your Proactive soon, or if it's a hassle to keep ordering, I'm sure you could look up some Japanese products in stores that contain BP. Hope things take a swift turn for the better soon!
lauren -- that's kinda what i've tried to do and it has helped but only so much and i can't handle any more product experiments to try and make it better. i think i probably just can't deal without the proactiv benzoyl scrub. all of the exfoliating products i've found here are way too weak or too strong, so, i give up. HURRYYYY PROACTIVVVV. i ordered it a little over a month ago so it should be here soon and hopefully in a few weeks i can post just like, closeups of my gleaming bare face.
Are you trying Proactiv? I've been wondering about it because a) I have chin pizza and b) I've been bombarded with the ads daily for a month or so.
Let me know how it goes.
I'm going to see a dermatologist soon. In France dermatologists are great, they will do anything to help you become a sexy femme again that they might want to have an affair with de cinq a sept. They see potential going to waste. I miss France sometimes.
Jen - I spent my whole adolescence and first two years of college with breakouts around my chin. I never had a totally clear face because my chin was always broken out. I went on Proactiv when I was 20 and it made my skin perfect and even-toned. No acne and no redness anywhere. I didn't even have to wear foundation most of the time. It was nuts. You should totally try it. Now I'm like, if it doesn't save me now, what will?
P.S. They tell you to start using it gradually because it's so harsh. I was like WHUDDEVER and didn't listen and for the first couple of days I thought it felt like I'd burned my face off. After that I used it every other day for a couple weeks til I was used to it and then used it normally. It worked really fast, my skin was totally clear in like a month. It's one of those things where you can't skip a day, though.
I'm sorry to hear this, it pains me to buy products here when they are much cheaper at home. I'm interested to hear your thoughts on Proactiv as well - I still get sketchy face sometimes despite having gone through puberty a long time ago. Did you order Proactiv from Japan? As Jen said, I always see commercials for it, with Miss Japan Universe or whatever as the Japanese spokesperson.
If it's good enough for Jennifer Love Hewitt...;-) Where do you order it from?
The thing is, the chin thing is hormonal. In France they give you a topical antibiotic for two weeks and then that's it, no more for a year. Ah la la...
jen - that's why i go on birth control for my skin! but seriously proactiv just kept me clear. i would have a spot once in awhile while i was using it, always around my chin, but in general it just kept things smooth.
geg - i ordered it online from the international site because i didn't feel like deciphering any japanese, and it is taking FOREVER to get here. next time i'll order from the japanese site i guess although it might not matter since it's already on a shipment schedule. the price difference wasn't actually too bad. i think shipping is $15 to any country outside the US. the total for the three-step kit was like $55. it lasts about two months. also, you have to use a good moisturizer with it. i've never tried the proactiv moisturizer though, i use johnson & johnson purpose face lotion.
Oh I'm sorry to hear you are having skin troubles~! I always wondered if it was just me, but whenever I go to Japan I get acne and it doesn't get better after I leave!
I've had to go to the doctor and get on a prescription now. I was thinking next I go I should wash my face with bottled drinking water...?
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