Quest for flawless complexion (part 8)

Wow, once I started writing it seems like I can’t stop. Glokalmama the writer is back! Yahoooo yippeedee yippeedeedoo!!!

Now on to my quest for flawless complexion. I have good news y’all! My quest is finally on the right track. I have found the best solution to my skin problem. My skin is almost 70% better with only 2 treatments so far – 1 round of chemical peel and 1 Transderm treatment. And it’s all happening in just 3 weeks, no joke! If I knew it would be this easy, I would have came and seek treatment from Dr. Chua much earlier. Thanks to my dear friend who suggested that I see this doctor. Peeps, if you have skin problem like moi, please go see a doctor, not a beautician - take my words for it!

To date, I’ve spent only RM480 for the chemical peel (natural fruit acid), which by the way was not the usual harsh type; RM180 for the lightener; RM120 for the sunblock; and RM350 for Transderm treatment. Previously I had spent RM4K for New York Skin treatment without any result at all (a total waste of money I tell ya!); RM1,800 for SKII products with very minimal result and forgot how much I spent at Dermalogica and Clinique counters. Gosh, I could have saved lotsa moolah!

I’m pretty confident that with a few more Transderm treatments, my complexion will be flawless...lalalala *happy to the power of 1000*.

I say syukur Alhamdulillah. Perhaps Allah is making it easy for me now that I have my aurat covered. Submitting yourself totally to God has its rewards, Wallahuwa'lam.

Quest for flawless complexion (part 7 - chemical peel)

My quest for flawless complexion continues after almost half a year break. Yesterday I underwent a small procedure to improve my skin – chemical peel. A much cheaper alternative than a combination of laser treatment and chemical peeling that was recommended by the other doctor I saw 2 weeks ago.

Today, my face, especially at the melasma areas, has turned very dark (black is more like it actually!). I was advised that it would take between 3 to 10 days for the skin to drop and for a new layer of skin to grow. Therefore I am now confined in the comfort of my own home – I look too ugly to go out and meet people *sigh*. What a bad timing coz I have a few social obligations to fulfill this weekend – a kenduri Tahlil and Nana’s Annual Concert *double sigh*. I should have planned more carefully next time. But what to do, itik dah jadi sudu...ngeeee

Quest for flawless complexion (part 6 - SKII)

It has been almost 2 months since I’ve started using SKII. I’ve been using a combination of the following products as ‘prescribed’ by the beauty advisor:
1) Facial Treatment Cleanser
2) Whitening Source Clear Lotion
3) Facial Treatment Essence (aka Miracle Water)
4) Cellumination Essence
5) Cellumination Deep Surge
6) Whitening Mask

My skin showed remarkable results in the first month that even my mom-in-law noticed the change and complimented me on my skin’s progress. BUT sadly my joy was short lived. Right after I started my swimming lesson my skin once again metamorphosed for the worst. The 3 huge patches on both sides of my cheek and on my forehead have become more pronounced now. Chlorine + the sun = a deadly combination for me (I found an extra strength sun block with 130SPF, even that too failed to protect my skin). It’s so severe that I feel so embarrassed to leave the comfort of my home and to meet people. On Sunday I bumped into an ex-colleague at Empire Subang and as I was chatting with her I felt the urge to cover my entire head with a brown paper bag so that she doesn’t have to see my face as we talk. Seriously, I feel like hiding from the rest of the world!

Hence, despite my busy schedule (yes, although it may be hard to believe for some, I am BUSY okay!) I finally did some research on pigmentation (it’s about time huh?). My condition is called Melasma – a type of pigmentation triggered by pregnancy hormone. Melasma starts to appear during pregnancy and becomes more apparent after the baby is born. Some even said that it’s related to breastfeeding too but was strongly challenged by some quarters, especially by the advocates of breastfeeding, due to lack of scientific evidence. Based on online expert advice, the recommended treatment for condition as severe as mine is laser therapy. I concur with this as I also don’t think that any amount of cream could save me now. And guess what, the cost of laser therapy is a hell lot less than that proposed by New York Skin...phewww! Nasib baik ahkak tak terjebak you ols...

Should I go for it? I say yes indeed! Nonetheless, I am waiting for my swimming lesson to be over and done with before I seriously look into this. It won’t be long now, I have about 4 weeks to go (I’m having 2 classes a week to speed up the learning process) before I would be a certified swimmer...woohoooo!!

I say, next to marrying my beloved hubby, having my kids are the best thing I’ve done (although scientists claimed being pregnant with them are the cause of my severe skin condition, kids please take note!), breastfeeding them is the best gift I could ever give to each one of them (although that could have contributed as well, kids please take note too!) and taking swimming lesson is perhaps the biggest fear I've overcome thus far (although this is a major culprit too). These are all parts and parcels of life. If laser treatment also failed me, so be it. Akan ku hadapi dunia dengan penuh semangat waja...yakin boleh!!!

Quest for flawless complexion (part 5)

My quest for flawless complexion continues. This time with SKII. I have completed a round of 10 treatments with New York Skin a couple of weeks ago. If that was a test, I’d say I didn’t graduate with flying colours. I merely met the passing mark. Yes I did see result from the treatment but based on my judgment the result didn’t quantify the amount I spent at all. Yet they kept pestering me to go for another so-called more intensive round. Not in this life time sista! I’m not that gullible you know...

Hence, on Friday I dragged my hubby to Parkson to get a brand new skin care range – SKII. I have started using it ever since. These days my 15 minutes ‘bersiap’ time has been extended to 30 minutes thanks to 5 types of products to apply on my face. Getting ready for bed also takes another 30 minute thanks to all sort of product to apply. What I like the most is the soothing and lingering smell of the products. It was quite a change from using fragrance-free products half of my life to products that smell like flowers. Quite a refreshing change I’d say. Love it.

With the new journey with SKII, I have tried 4 different types of products for my skin in the past – Clinique, AG2000, Dermalogica & New York Skin, all without much help. If SKII also failed to restore my skin, I don’t know what else to do...perhaps I just need to live with my pigmentation for life. I must try very hard to love it lorrr...boleh kah? Or should I ask for God’s intervention? I actually thought of including that in my prayers, but somehow I felt that it’s quite selfish to pray for flawless skin in my doa, don’t you think so? Or should I? Acik confuse la pulak...

I say ujian dari Allah comes in so many ways. Of health and wealth, it’s safe to say wealth is the heaviest test/burden one could have from God. You get closer to God when you are sick, but would you remember Him when you are filthy rich? Wallahuwa’lam...

Quest for flawless complexion (part 4 - New York Skin)

As an update on my skin condition, it didn’t get any better after I completed a full round of Dermalogica treatment. It in fact, became worse than before! Something is not right about my hormone, it has gone hair wired to the max. I feel like I'm metamorphosing into an ugly looking witch @nenek kebayan *sob sob*.

At first, I was really tempted to get myself SKII skin care range for a change. It came highly recommended by friends after my last post. However, after a deep thought I decided to take a more drastic measure – skin treatment. I don’t think any amount of cream could save my severely damaged skin at this point. Hence I signed up with New York Skin last week. For someone with no fixed income like moi, it is a huge investment indeed. I was literally sweating when I passed the consultant my supplementary charge card. If this didn’t work as well, only God can help me or perhaps I am destined to be ugly forever (not to mention hard earned monies going down the drain huwaaaa).

The package comes with 10 treatment sessions (every 10 days) plus 5 types of product to use at home. However, this first round of treatment does not target my pigmentation yet, it’s supposed to hydrate and rejuvenate my skin. Treatment for pigmentation would come later. Actually they wanted me to have both treatments concurrently, but I can’t afford it. To have both at the same time would cost me a whooping 8K! Where do I find such money lah...I’m so the very poor you know, ibarat melukut di tepi gantang gitu (betul kah peribahasa ini?).


(These are the 5 products that came with the package - milk cleanser, refreshing wash, hydrating toner, mosturiser and soothing cream)

I am hoping and praying for the best for my skin, insyaAllah. They say it’d take 5 months for me to see visible result (I wish they’d say 5 weeks instead...moi is kiasu tahap gaban nih, helpppp!).

Quest for flawless complexion (Help, my skin is behaving like a teenager's!)

I just came back from a neighbour’s house for Raya lunch and my brain is totally not back in its working mode yet – it’s still celebrating Raya. Since morning, I’ve been trying to write a few articles, all to no avail. I can’t event complete a paragraph (sigh). That’s the problem when you work as a writer. You need aspirations to write. A slight distraction could make your mind go astray and you are stuck with no end or even a beginning. Hence, I decided to write in this space instead. I have plenty of aspirations to write here. Who knows, it may even help ‘warm up’ my brain too...

During the many gatherings and open houses, I’ve met many friends and family and there is one thing that really caught my attention BIG time - their complexions are tip top (versus mine that’s getting worse by day). This is frankly making me feel a little bit inferior. I feel like a construction worker (or a cleaner dan professions yang sewaktu dengannya!)

Pigmentation being my main problem (despite 2 types of products of 2 different brands used), my face is now being attacked by blackhead and pimples….urghhhh! Having itchy hands doesn’t help either - I keep squeezing the blackhead and pimples with my fingers (I can’t help it, I love doing it. My husband is my usual victim and my eldest son is now my latest victim...muahaha). As a result, I am now left with scars too!

Just now my neigbours were joking about my pimples. They said that I should be happy to have pimple, they are too old to have it! Uwahhhhhh....

So, after years of neglect, I have decided to start doing something about my complexion rather than just wait and hope for a miracle to happen. I actually started taking some action just before Raya. I had a looooong overdue facial just 2 days before we head back to my in-laws for Raya holiday - my first facial in 19 months, the 3rd facial I’ve ever had in my entire lifetime (it’s kinda hard to believe isn’t it?).

I went to Aster Spring which I happened to see when I was shopping for Raya. I’ve had 2 facials since then (the 2nd one was a FREE facial, or so they say lah padahal depa dah charge with the first facial). It cost me RM198, and I purchased their products as well – Dermalogica (I know...I fell in their traps). They recommended so many different products to use that it confused me at first. The consultant had to write a ‘prescription’ to tell me what to use when. I’ve been using it for 2 weeks now but honestly, I’ve yet to see any improvement. But then again, it may be too early to tell.

After meeting so many friends with flawless complexion over the Raya weekends, I am actually contemplating taking a more drastic measure like going for skin treatment. I’ve heard of New York Skin and Dr. Murad. But me being a skeptic, I have serious doubts. I don’t wanna spend so much money which may not yield results at the end of the day. Plus, with very little moolah to spend, I need to be assured of the result. Do they (the treatments) actually work?

Or could someone out there please produce a miracle cream to solve my problem pleaseeeee? Urghhhhh...

The quest for flawless complexion (part 2 - AG2000)

Yesterday marked 1 month anniversary of me using AG2000 in my effort to clear my pigmentation. So far so good. The pigmentation has significantly faded, but still visible nonetheless. At least, I can now confidently leave the house without the need to put on compact powder to cover my flawed skin, alhamdulillah.

After 1 month, I only consumed about a quarter tube of the night and day cream. They are both very thick so I need to use only a small amount each time. The cleanser however, ran out pretty fast. It took me only 3 weeks to finish a bottle. A bottle of cleanser cost RM58 each. But considering the positive effect of the product on my skin, I don't mind paying that much. Of course, compared to other international brands, it's still considered cheap by comparison.

If you've been following my blog, you'll know that I had a full blown chicken pox last year right after I delivered Sophie. The scars are very visible on my face. AG2000 doesn't seem to help reduce the scar, it only works on the pigmentation specifically.

I will continue to use the product and post another update on the 'progress' of my skin in a month time. I hope by then, my skin would be close enough to being flawless, insya-Allah.

The quest for a slimmer waist

I finally did it...I bought the Osim Uzap belt in my quest for a slimmer waist.

Having gone through both normal delivery and c-section, I came to a conclusion that losing weight is a lot more difficult with the latter, particularly around the waist. Why? I don't have a clue. I could only guess that it was because we went against nature, hence, we have to work much harder against it. I'm not proud to say that after 6 months of delivery, my tummy is still 'thick'.

On top of that, after 5 days of splurging on food last week, I was beginning to look like 3 months pregger! All 2.5kg went to the tummy. So, I needed to take some very drastic action (the type that takes minimal effort that is). What better way than buying a machine that, hopefully, will make me lose the extra fat without having to do anything.

So on Saturday, off I went to the mall and bought it. It's so easy to use, I only need to wrap it around my tummy, plug it to the power socket and it'll automatically massage my tummy for 10 minutes of a pre-programmed rhythmic motion. I'm even using it as I'm penning this article. Oh I love technology! They claimed that I could see visible result only after 3 weeks. Well, let's see. I hope it's not just some unproven marketing gimmick...

The quest for flawless complexion

I wanted to write this article yesterday, but I didn't have time to do it. So, while waiting for the beef to defrost in the kitchen sink, I'm taking what little time I have to write this article. And by the way, I cooked nasi lemak earlier today. Hubby came back from India early this morning and asked for home cook nasi lemak for breakfast. Isteri mithali...

Back to my topic. When I look at other women's faces, I noticed how flawless their skin are. I look at them with envy. As far as I can remember, I never once had flawless complexion after I reached puberty. I blame it on the gene. None of my family members have flawless skin.

Of late, my skin has become worst. I have pigmentation on my cheeks and forehead - the worst of its kind. It started when I was 3 months pregger with Sophie. It become more obvious after my trip to Redang Island in March last year. The sunburn made the pigmentation worst (despite a thick layer of sun block that I applied on my face). At the beginning, I thought that after the pregnancy, it'll fade away like other dark lines we normally have on our body during pregnancy. But months later, it seems to stay.

So, I needed to take some drastic action. Being a Clinique fan for ages, I tried their brightening range. It's been months and still no improvement. So, I decided to change my skincare range. This time I wanted to try something local. I went for AG2000, a product by Healwell Pharmaceutical, the people who brought us Gamogen - a gamat-based product. Don't be deceived by the word local, though they are local, their products are not exactly cheap. For a set of 3 products - cleanser, day cream and night cream, it cost me RM398. Not bad hah!

I've been using it for almost a week now and walla...I could already see some result. The pigmentation seems to be fading away, unbelievable but true.

By the way, when I was in confinement after delivering Sophie via c-section. I consumed Gamogen. I can't help but to feel that it helped me heal faster. I took it with combination of pati haruan (forgot the brand though). After 2 weeks of surgery I could already cook, clean, wash clothes, iron, etc. while taking care of my baby and 3 other kids on my own. I wrote an article earlier on my experience during confinement - no maid, no help.

So my friends, if you have a problem like me, you may want to try this product. I'd like to recommend it. I'll keep you updated on the progress of my complexion from time to time.