Real tried / tested reviews on peels etc for reducing facial pore size please?

[miss_daisys_delectables]

Hi there

I'd like to hear from anyone who has found successful treatments for reducing facial pore size. 

I understand that most products do not work, but maybe someone out there has had some luck?

I'm seriously considering a medium depth chemical peel treatment anyway, and wondered if this would help?

Many thanks

Tara

[windybabalon]

I had a chemical (laser) peel about six years ago, I'm in the USA, so not sure if my experiences will helps.

The procedure was done by a reputable plastic surgeon, under a local anesthetic, in his clinic..

I researched many Doctors, before choosing one, assuring myself that he was in good standing and of good repute in our Medical Community.

Six years ago the peel cost me $2,500. and I'm sure it is much more now for the same, or similar procedure.

After my face healed completely, which took about three weeks, I was very happy with the results..

However, the Doctor had prescribed an ointment to use during the healing, and it was very expensive.

Also, he recommended that I use a face cream for the next year or so, which cost another $150.00. for a small tube (about an ounce) which even being frugal, only lasted about a month..

This extra expense was never mentioned during the initial consultation....although there was mention of ointment..

In hind-sight, I think I should have asked more questions.?

Would I do it again,?

Probably not, as it eventually cost me far more than I had anticipated initially, and during the three weeks it took to heal. I couldn't go out, as my face was the colour of fire, bright red, and swollen.

Why did I have the peel done in the first place.??

Well I  was soon to return to work, due to a divorce.

Being out of the work-force for over twenty five years, and fast approaching 50...I thought perhaps it would give me a bit of a leg-up when I started to look for employment. as I knew I would be competing with women much younger than myself.

Sadly, looks do play a part of almost everything in this world..

Aging can be a detriment, and even though they say they cannot discriminate...believe me, they do..!!!

Anyway, there you have it,  my experiences, for what they are worth.

Good luck if you decide to go ahead and have the peel.

[windybabalon]

 well, I have just now re-read my post, and I think I need to elaborate somewhat.

I had the Laser peel, not the Chemical, and yes, it does diminish the size of your pores..

When I first talked to the Doctor in the initial consultation, he explained the different types of peels available to me at that time.

Chemical peels were cheaper, and you healed quicker, but the effects were visible for only a few months.

On the other hand, Laser peels were more permanent, and of course more expensive, with longer healing involved.

I chose the Laser peel, more expensive yes, but if I was going to go through the pain, I wanted it to be worth my while.

Oh dear, I just realised I didn't mention pain in my first post.

Yes, I'm sorry to tell you, but there is pain involved, but in my case, only for the first few days, then it tapered off..

[miss_daisys_delectables]

Thank you windy for your replies

It sounds like you had the deepest type of work done?  I can't have anything that extreme as I start a new job soon, and would need about 3 weeks off work to heal.  Also, I would be quite scared to take the plunge!

I will be having 3 dermabrasion sessions soon which though very much milder, may improve pore appearance on a lesser level (and I will only have a couple of hours of some skin reddening at worst)

Sadly over the counter peels are not strong enough to assist, so I may have to resort to a medium depth peel in the future, and see if that helps at all. 

Oh and you are so right about the age discrimination thing - I have my own employment discrimination related experiences on that too 😞 

Thanks again for sharing your experiences  x

[2017clearout]

Have you tried glycolic peels, daisy?  They often have them on special on the various voucher sites, but the ones in Boots (a month's worth of treatments, I think) are £25 for the box, and gave me better results than the one I had at Sk:n.  I've had a couple of sessions of micro-dermabrasion, when I've got it on offer (crystal clear, or something like that?) and it never looks like it's done much tbh - if I could afford it, I'd have my face lasered 🙂

I've enquired about chemical peels in the past, but been a bit put off by the downtime - I don't mind taking three weeks off (which I can only do at certain times of the year, because of work) but I want it to damn well work!  And if I'm paying hundreds of quid anyway, I reckon I'm better waiting until I've saved enough for Fraxel or something.  Mind you, by the time that happens, I'll be more bothered about my wrinkles, and lasers will probably be too old hat to use...

I find the Boots peels really work, like I said: the other thing that's had a dramatic effect on my pores is using a Clarisonic (I got mine on easy pay about two years ago, from a certain shopping channel's website).  It's expensive, but my skin's been transformed, and my hideous pores on my nose and chin are much better.  The other thing that helps keep them in check is Dr Murad's pomegranate T zone gel thingy - you can sometimes get a bottle on here for not too much (though people seem to be staying away from auctions, and tending more to BINs - still cheaper than buying direct, often, but not as bargainous as before).  If you go direct to Dr Murad's website, there's currently a box set available that includes a full size of the gel, plus some dinky sizes of other products, for the just under the price of the gel on its own.  Everything is always free postage, and they often have extra deals on.  Plus, if you go there through Quidco, it's something like 15% or 20% cash back on top 🙂

Some people rave about Dr Perricone's blue plasma peel - I tried it from the same shopping channel (again - easy pay, plus able to return 🙂 ) but it did nothing for me: I know products need time to work, but I tried it for nearly 30 days, and saw no difference in my pores,  My skin was soft, but at eighty quid a pop, that wasn't enough!

And I hear you and windy on the age thing: I am already invisible, and I'm not 40 for another few months.  What was slightly worse, though, was that one of the students (in all seriousness) asked if a visiting colleague was my son.  Ok, we have the same coloured hair - but he's only 3 years younger than me: on second thoughts, perhaps it's time to go straight under the knife, never mind the laser 😞

Let us know what you decide to go for - I'm a real skincare junkie, probably because I'm too incompetent to manage make-up, and I find it really helpful hearing about what other people are using.

[rainydaywoman11]

Hi Daisy, can I ask where your problem area (s) is, ie, nose, chin, wherever?  What type of skin do you have, dry, oily?  Do your pores fill up and you then have to extract the sebum?

I have no experience of peels- too scary for me - big coward.  I use Elemis products, almost solely, and they have transformed my skin.  

Invisible at 40 - I nearly fell out the bed - the boy must have gone to Specsavers, lol.  No, no, no, to invisible.

[miss_daisys_delectables]

---

@rainydaywoman11 wrote:

Hi Daisy, can I ask where your problem area (s) is, ie, nose, chin, wherever?  What type of skin do you have, dry, oily?  Do your pores fill up and you then have to extract the sebum?

I have no experience of peels- too scary for me - big coward.  I use Elemis products, almost solely, and they have transformed my skin.  

Invisible at 40 - I nearly fell out the bed - the boy must have gone to Specsavers, lol.  No, no, no, to invisible.

---

Hiya

My pores are very enlarged / open all over my face (boo hoo) 

My skin was fine until I hit my mid 30's and then my skin became the same as my mothers; she had them all over her face too - it's a heriditary thing 😞

I'm 47 now, and I'd like to look at improving my skin before it gets worse as my facial skin looks like a piggin teabag!

p.s

My skin only gets oily at the side of my nose and at the side of my mouth. 

Regards

Tara

[miss_daisys_delectables]

Cheers Hefzi for your post above!

I'm going to do some serious online research on the products you've mentioned; thank you.

One thing I haven't mentioned...

I had first time botox and filler work done last week (I don't feel at all guilty, as my confidence is returning)

I'll have to check if a period of time has to pass before having a peel etc...

[miss_daisys_delectables]

Let us know what you decide to go for - I'm a real skincare junkie, probably because I'm too incompetent to manage make-up, and I find it really helpful hearing about what other people are using.

---

Hefzi

I think you may like like this then 🙂

Scroll down a little and take your pick!  http://www.essentialdayspa.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=11902

I'm definitely going to make some of the serums.

[2017clearout]

OOh, thank you for this link!

How did you find the filler?  I have really deep lines between my nose and mouth on both sides - they disappear every July, when I'm on leave and spend all day every day sleeping, but by the end of September they're back, and I think they're horribly ageing 😞  I wouldn't mind, but I don't even smoke - must be all the moaning!  One of my colleagues got a fringe earlier this year, on the grounds it was that or botox - to be honest, I have no qualms about doing whatever it takes: I think, too, if you make small changes to keep the years at bay as you go along, it looks more natural.  It doesn't mean you don't age, of course, but it does mean you feel less rubbish looking in the mirror! I've toyed with the ideas of botox to stop 'em coming, and filler to fill'em in, but I am concerned I'd end up being the disaster case that makes the papers - which is why I've been hanging on for a laser!

My mum swears by a facial mask she makes at home - like me, she suffers big pores on her nose, chin and forehead (I also started to get them on my cheeks, which is a bit rubbish - I have an enormous one at the moment just in my line of sight, that's so big I think it's got squatters living in it): you basically mix up some ground almonds or porridge oats (you can grind them up a bit in the blender if you have one, otherwise you like a bit like you have the pox!) in a little tub of the fullest, fattest natural yoghurt you can find, and then add a good squeeze of honey.  If your pores are being really troublesome at the time, you can also add a squeeze of lemon juice, though it makes the mask look a bit rank.  

It will last a while in the fridge, so don't worry that it makes enough for more than one use - mum keeps hers about ten days covered with clingfilm.  You put it on after cleansing your face, whilst your face is still damp, and leave it on until its dry (this is the bit where if you've used porridge, the oats flake off as you wander round the house...) before washing it off with warm water and a damp flannel.  It tightens your pores as it's exfoliating, and the lemon helps too with this: the honey's a healer, and the yoghurt helps lock in moisture.  You can make enough for three or so masks for about £1 (more if you use ground almonds, though, as they can be pricey) and it works brilliantly.

I don't have facials very often any more, because I decided to spend on products instead as there's not really a salon here I like: but if you're feeling a bit flush and are near London, the Bliss steep clean facial is supposed to be the best thing out there for pores http://blissuk.vipguestservice.com/SpaMenu.aspx  I was eyeing this up before they even came to the UK, as I'd read about how great it was for problem skin.  They also have various peel add-ons etc.  I love their steep clean mask, which always makes my pores look smaller (though if you've got rosacea or sensitive skin, it can be a bit too active) - I get it on here, or in Debenhams (if I have to, and when there's an offer on extra points!) and it's brilliant.  

[miss_daisys_delectables]

I'll try the face mask, it sounds good enough to eat!

Well regarding the fillers (and botox), I was terrified as first, but because in the main, my folds from nose to mouth corners (naso labial folds) were so deep and jowly, I just had to try it 🙂

I also had a downturned mouth caused by marionette lines making me look miserable all the time, and TWO! deep in between brow deep creases which made me look angry and scowling when I was perfectly happy.  (People have asked me in the past if I'm annoyed when I've not been; it's just my face - I hated that!)

The effects have been quite amazing - my downturned corners of my mouth are gone, the naso labial folds are 95% gone, and the two glabella eyebrow frown creases are also 95% gone (I had a bit of botox in them too as a boost and the botox needs 5-14 days to take effect and I'm only on day three)

I had the vial contents placed in many areas, not just two or three and for this reason, the results are soft and natural. (I forgot, I also had some lines above my upper lip done which were caused by smoking in the past, and a scar on my chin - now gone)

The reason celebs have that  'frozen brow' or puffy faced look, is because they have way too much botox and fillers and lose all natural frown and end up stretched and shiny. 

I was advised all the way through the proceedure and because fillers show instant results, I could look in a hand mirror many times to see how it was going.  I do have to say that it depends where you go too.  I went for consultations in other clinics and felt they didnt really care, so long as they got max cash from you.  The clinic I used was very different in that they advised me NOT to have too much and to go very slowly, stating 'it's easy to have a bit more, but not so easy to remove from an overdone face'

Here's some before and after close ups of my folds and marionette lines...

One hour after the proceedure...

[2017clearout]

WOW!  That's a *huge* difference - it looks amazing, but not "done" if you know what I mean (and you look much younger than you said you were in your pictures, btw - your skin is so smooth!) - I will start making enquiries in earnest, I think!  

Liverpool has a lot of people offering it, but I don't want to go somewhere where the person has just completed a one morning course and is looking for victims to practice on - I am a walking disaster anyway, and knowing my luck, I'd end up with it in my eyebrows or something...

Thanks so much for sharing the pics- and let us know if you go down the route of a peel: salons and clinics always praise the results, but I think hearing from a real person is a much better option 🙂

[*pixachu*]

I've recently discovered a product that could really help you - it is a night-time breathable masque (the only one of its kind!) and it is also referred to as botox in a bottle!

Among other things, this product helps remove fine lines & wrinkles, smooth your skin, minimise pores, clear rosacea (results are amazing), works well on eczema, psoriasis, KP (that spotty skin on the back of your arms), spots/blemishes, dry skin anywhere on your body.

It's hyopallergenic & suitable for all ages, even babies. 

It is a miracle product. Much cheaper than botox, that's for sure. I liked it so much I have become a distributor!!

Message me for more information xx

[miss_daisys_delectables]

---

@hefzi wrote:

WOW!  That's a *huge* difference - it looks amazing, but not "done" if you know what I mean (and you look much younger than you said you were in your pictures, btw - your skin is so smooth!) - I will start making enquiries in earnest, I think!  

Liverpool has a lot of people offering it, but I don't want to go somewhere where the person has just completed a one morning course and is looking for victims to practice on - I am a walking disaster anyway, and knowing my luck, I'd end up with it in my eyebrows or something...

Thanks so much for sharing the pics- and let us know if you go down the route of a peel: salons and clinics always praise the results, but I think hearing from a real person is a much better option 🙂

---

Keep in touch Hefzi, and let me know if you do take the plunge!

[*pixachu*]

Have sent you the info miss_daisy 🙂
If anyone else is interested, please message me xx