“I can’t believe you have never been to a dermatologist before,” one of my roommates said incredulously. “You of all people.  I thought you’d have one in your friends and family plan.”

It would make sense: I am crazy attentive to my skin. Always reading about the newest must-have development (AHA acids! Lycopene! Copper! Peptides!). Always conscientious about applying face cream/treatment/serum, morning and night. And as a result … well, I’m almost 40 and the lady who carded me at the Fresh ‘n Easy store last weekend thought I was 26. .

So, why visit a dermatologist at all? I figured it was a good idea to have a mole on my arm – my irrational affection for the sun has me a little skittish about any marks – and what turned out to be an irritated 1mm sebaceous gland on my nose (Doctor: “You hardly notice it.” Me: “Take it off! Take it off! It’s all I see in the mirror!”) checked out.

I drove up to Southwest Skin Specialists because I had used one of their dermatologists as a source in a past Great Stuff column, and she was both incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. While I was in her office, Dr. Shannon Heck mentioned that she thinks most people 30 and older can benefit from a retinoid treatment – a form of Vitamin A that helps treat sun damage and is supposed to smooth out wrinkles and build collagen in the dermis. I was, of course, all over that, so I walked out with a sample of a topical cream called Avène.

Within three days I noticed two differences: The pores on my nose looked a lot smaller, and the sebaceous glands weren’t as productive. I was entranced, to the point where I considered applying it to only one side of my face to see if I could tell the difference. (I decided against it, because who wants one half of your face to be worse than the other?)  Consider me a convert.

Well, I actually noticed THREE differences: The third is that they’re not joking when they warn you that the cream makes you more susceptible to the effects of the sun.  I went to a friend’s house for Pool Day, and even though I wore a hat,I still ended up with a “whoa, how much sun did you GET?” redness on my face. (It can be minimized by actually applying sunscreen, which I had not done. Bad Sammit!)

Coming soon: a discussion of Lumière eye cream — how do you feel about fetal cells helping prevent wrinkles?

ammit

WHAT SAM WORE: 8/22/08
The shirt: Short-sleeved cotton polo (Old Navy)
The pants: Vintage khakis by Chip & Pepper (Last Chance)
The shoes: Sneakers by Ted Baker (Piperlime)
The scent: Supercitrusy Acqua di Parma cologne
Listening to: “Shower Scene” by Saint Etienne (and watch YouTube video of “Like a Motorway” here)

sammit

Posted in: Great Stuff |

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