Today’s post is way different than my normal fashion over 50/60 post, but I thought I’d share what I did recently as a treatment on my face. Now mind you, I’m no expert on any of these sorts of treatments. I have had a handful of facials in my life and don’t consider myself a real spa girl. Don’t get me wrong, I love getting pampered, but honestly the cost of pampering is not inexpensive so it’s been few and far between in my world for the most part.
As I’ve gotten older I have started looking at my face in particular to see what I might be able to do to slow things down and to treat myself to a little bit of anti-aging on my face besides just anti-aging skin care routines. I haven’t been really unhappy with the aging process on myself all that much. It’s part of life and we all have to deal with. I think we as women are so accustomed to looking a certain way and our faces are a huge part of our natural external beauty and how we feel about ourselves. Am I right? I have tried to take care of my face and skin and have used a lot of different skin care lines over the years. I have not stuck to any one in particular, but right now I’m using some Neutrogena products with hyaluronic acid.
I know that all women my age can relate to this. Watching my face fall and grow older has not been fun. Yes, it’s a natural part of life, but it’s not easy to swallow. Looking in the mirror year after year, there are changes small and large that creep up. I was not all that concerned about my face in my 40’s and midway into my 50’s as well. I felt like I still looked pretty good (for my age, ha!) and didn’t see a lot of sagging or wrinkles yet. We all age at different rates and some get wrinkles earlier than others do. Getting into my 60’s has definitely brought about more changes with my face and skin. It would be nice to stop time, but we can’t. It seems our society is obsessed with youth and looking younger way more than it used to be when I was a teenager. I see younger and younger women getting Botox and fillers. I have no problem with anyone doing any of that, we all have to figure those things out ourselves, it’s just not something I will start at my age now. I’m sure I’d love it if I tried it, but I think it can get addicting and I don’t need that either, not to mention expensive. If it came to doing cosmetic procedures or going on trips, I’d choose trips every time!
Honestly I never had a lot of disposable income to spend on cosmetic treatments, but I do have more to spend now than I used to, so I’m not opposed to looking at skin treatments and dermatology procedures to look and feel better about my skin and face. So that’s where I am right now. This is a very vulnerable post as you’ll see lots of up close pics below of my face before, during and after the treatment I recently had done.
It’s called IPL and stands for Intense Pulsed Light treatment. I went to the dermatologist last Fall for my normal yearly scan and screening. I’ve had skin cancer before and with my fair skin, I have to be careful. My poor daddy has had so many skin cancers on his face that I have been afraid I’ll face the same thing. So far, nothing bad has shown up on my face, but it may yet. Anyway, the dermatologist told me that I was a good candidate for IPL treatments to get rid of the dark spots on my face. I’ve always been freckled and fair skinned, so as I’ve gotten older they just look darker and like age spots now, so I thought it would be nice to see if I could get them lighter and less noticeable. They had a special price on their annual sale in November and I signed up for a $150 treatment for one. I just went a couple of weeks ago so I thought I’d share the process with all of you! I shared this on my Instagram stories and everyone blew up my comments, so I know it’s a topic we are all interested in, so that’s what we’re talking about today.
I shared in stories that I don’t have any intention of doing Botox or fillers or ever getting plastic surgery. That’s just not for me. I’m going to try to age as gracefully as I can like my mama has. We can try to slow it down and do what we can to stop it, but it’s going to come no matter what. Our faces are going to age one way or the other. Hollywood has so many botched plastic surgeries that it’s not even funny. I often say how in the world can anyone get a good facelift if the celebrities in Hollywood can’t even get it right. I’m not naming names, but there are a lot of them that I think have ruined their faces. Jane Fonda might be one of the few that I think has had a good one done. So many others just look like plastic people and not even the same anymore. Who wants that? Certainly not me! You should hear Mark go on about plastic surgery. He definitely doesn’t like it!
If you do a search online for IPL skin treatments before and after, you’ll see a lot of examples, many very dramatic. I’m sure everyone’s skin reacts differently. I’m happy with the results of mine, I can see some difference although it’s not as drastic as some of the other pics I’ve seen.
OK, be prepared for some scary pics. I don’t normally put myself out there like this with no makeup and completely bare faced, but I’m doing it for y’all!
This is the morning I did my treatment, Before.
BEFORE
I took pics of both sides of my face but could have done a better Before shot. I had lots of dark spots above my lips that I really wanted lighter and plenty on the sides of my face. If you’ve noticed those 2 bumps I have on my chin in photos before, those are acne scars from my early 30’s that never went away. I didn’t have acne that bad really, but into my early 30’s I had flare ups of adult acne with cysts along my jawline and this is the result of that. I could probably have them lasered off, I’m not sure.
So I did my IPL treatment almost 2 weeks ago and I thought I’d show you the Before and Afters and talk about what else is out there that some of you may have tried and liked the results. As I’ve said, this is all new to me. I haven’t done tons of research. So many of my friends talk about this stuff a lot and I’ve listened in occasionally on what’s out there, but I have no idea how and what they all are. There are a lot!
The IPL treatment itself took about 20 minutes. Several asked me if it hurts and it does. It’s like a stinging rubber band and intense heat all at one time. I definitely jumped a few times but it’s bearable. I went to Skin Care Specialists in Marietta by the way. Ashley was my technician and I liked her a lot. They seem to have all the available latest equipment and procedures that you would want there.
This is the next day after treatment. She called this peppering and says that they get darker before they get lighter. They did! She said in about a week that the dark would just flake off and it did.
By the way, the gal who did my treatment was 35 and said she gets fillers and treatments like this all the time. The perks of working for a dermatologist, I suppose! But I can see that doing more and more would get addicting even at what I consider a young age.
Other side
Four days later
Four days later.
Seven Days later
Seven days later.
10 days later.
10 days later
I’m very happy with the results, even though it’s not that drastic. I still have some spots and all but they are lighter overall. My complexion looks clearer for sure. One warning I got was to stay out of the sun or it will all come back, so I need to be diligent about sunscreen on my face and make sure I wear hats more outside.
Here’s a side by side comparison, Before and 10 days After.
I feel like it’s a good start to doing more to my skin as far as anti-aging. I definitely am interested in doing more peels and things like that to improve my skin tone and do what I can to slow it down within reason. Over the counter products will only do so much. I’ve tried so many skincare lines and never found an expensive one that I just raved about or felt like made a huge difference. I have heard good things about medical grade skin care like Obagi and I may look into those.
With light makeup on.
One thing I am going to do is get on Retin A. I follow several ladies on Instagram (Msmelissa55 and kittywass and Angie Hot and Flashy are three, check out their You Tube channels too) who are my around my age and older and the ones I am most impressed with both use Retin A and have used it for 10 years or more. So that is definitely going in my arsenal and I’m getting on it and staying on it. I know there are so many different strengths of Retin A and products that contain Retinol over the counter. I already have the low dose one from my dermatologist and have started using it. I have heard that you might need to work up to using it every day. It will cause flaking and peeling, but that’s new skin coming out. I’m going to stick with that and see what it does for me. It’s supposed to promote collagen turnover too, I’ve heard. Someone on Instagram also told me about an over the counter product called Differin that is a Retinol too. I think I will get some of that and start using it on my neck and hands to see what that does. It’s not as strong as Retin A, but sold at Walmart and other places. It says it’s an acne treatment online but heard it does the same as Retin A with a smaller cost. I saw this online about Differin: “It is quite useful as an anti–aging product for the improvement of fine lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, and sallow skin.”
So I hope you enjoyed this post about the IPL treatment. It’s not drastic and won’t take 10 years off your face, but it might be a good option if you have dark spots like I do. I think it definitely helped and so I’m open to looking at other treatments like this down the road. This one was $150 on special and I’ll go back in a few weeks to do another followup for $50 and she will treat what’s left. Several told me their IPL treatments were way more than I paid, so check around your area if you’re interested in doing it. I waited until they had a sale to try it.
I would love for you all to chime and let me me know what you’re doing as well. This is a great conversation to have among the over 50 and 60 group of ladies. I know we are all concerned about looking our best as we age and there are things we can do to help. I don’t judge anyone who chooses fillers and cosmetic surgeries, we all have to figure those things out ourselves. I’m just trying to do the best I can with what I have to work with and since I turned 60 I’ve started thinking about these things more and more. Like I said earlier, I never really obsessed over my face and aging before this stage of life. I guess that’s a good thing!
What are you doing for skin care and anti-aging? I’d love to get some good conversations going in the comments. We’ve touched on this subject before but not to this extent and I know from the Instagram stories I did that it’s a favorite topic to talk about so please join in and let me know what you think and what you’re doing to keep your face looking as good as you can! We can all learn from each other!
WOW ! You look great !👍
That really made a difference. You look great!
Hi Rhoda, I also have had IPL. My thoughts about plastic surgery, etc. mirror yours. Thanks to my Dad and Irish complexion I have lots of those spots and am also diligent about skin cancer screening. I’ve had IPL on both my arms and hands which were full of spots and I spent a fortune for 5 treatments. My results were good with everything faded but not as complete as I’d hoped. I haven’t decided if I’ll return for another round for additional results. I’ve done just one place on my face which I’ve covered with sunscreen for 40 years and only had a few spots. My doctor also recommended Retin A and I’ve been using it about a year now and recently bumped up to the stronger formula. It takes time but I’m definitely seeing results most notably on my chest but also my little wrinkle between brows is essentially gone. It does cause dry flaking skin but I exfoliate daily and moisturize to counter that. I apply every other night (nightly is too harsh for me). A tube lasts a long time making it cheaper than a lot of big name claim products on the market. Thanks for sharing your experiences and good luck!
Lori, that sounds encouraging. I am going to stay on the Retin A and see how it does for me. I’d love to get rid of that little wrinkle between my brows but don’t want to start with fillers.
My friend did this treatment last year and found it removed some of the age spots that were on her face. I definitely see the difference in your skin and will look into these types of treatments for myself when I feel I need it! Thank you for sharing with us.
You look beautiful Rhoda!! If anyone has any helpful non-surgical double chin reducers I would love to hear them!!
I had IPL done a few weeks ago and probably need another treatment at some point. Since I have an olive complexion apparently this is something common. Have been using a retinol from my dermatologist and it does seem to help to smooth out my skin. You always look great:-)
This may be an unpopular question, but wouldn’t using foundation correct most of these small spots? I’ve been using face makeup since 8th grade and it has kept my skin protected from the sun.
Foundation will definitely cover up most of it and I’ll never be rid of all of them. I don’t mind a few freckly looking spots, that’s always been my trademark. And if it does have sunscreen that does help protect the face. We all need to use sunscreen protection.
You look great. I use Obagi products and love them. I have been using Obagi for 10 years and have had wonderful results. I am 50 years old and I get told all the time I look 40.
I’ve heard many good things about Obagi so definitely looking at those, my Retin A is Obagi.
So brave of your to share this with us! I definitely see a big difference! I am in the same place as you.. just turned sixty and starting to get serious about skin care which I now wish I did earlier. I had tons of little bumps on my face and thought they were acne scars but doctor said no overactive oil glands caused them so I had them all zapped off and was so happy with results! Anything I learned is it’s definitely worth seeing a dermatologist to know all your options. I’m going to look into ipl for my chest.. that is where most of my spots are. Thanks so much for sharing!
HI, Marla I’m going to ask about getting those bumps zapped off next time I’m there.
Rhoda, your IPL worked great (and a great price too). I’m a freckled blonde too, but have been diligent about slathering sunscreen on my face. The rest of me, not so much; lots of hours mowing grass. I had IPL on my freckled hands, chest, and neck. What a difference. I’ve been using Retin A on my face for about 18 months now and seeing quite a difference. With a GoodRx coupon it only costs about $58 for a 3 month tube. Watch Dominique Sachse on YouTube. I followed her night routine for applying it and have never had peeling or dryness. I’m up to 0.1% now. Also check out Coolibar for really beautiful sunprotective hats. BTW, you have beautiful lips! I’m eager to hear everyone’s tips because I don’t have tons of extra money to spend either!
THank you, Roxanne, I’m happy to share and I love hearing from all of you who have done this too. My first one but maybe not the last thing I try. I will definitely look for a Good RX coupon next time. I need to watch more videos of these gals who have been doing this for a long time. So much to learn! I wish my lips didn’t have all the lines, but I asked the gal about that and she said the only thing that really helps is fillers and I’m not ready to do that.
Rhoda, I enjoyed this post. You looked great before, but I can see where this procedure made a difference. As you know, I’m a few years older than you are, and everyday it seems like I see a new wrinkle or 2, especially around my mouth and eyes. I have been using Retin A for awhile now, and it does help. I have an appointment in a couple weeks for a screening and will be talking about ways to help with my concerns. Like you, I don’t want to get started with Botox, etc. because I would have to continue with it, and it’s just too expensive. Thanks for being vulnerable enough to post this. You look great!
Thank you, Beverly! You look great too!
Follow Angie on HotandFlashy blog. She has a video on how to start using Retin A. Her blog has a lot of useful information. I had 3 sessions of IPL done two years ago. It helped with my rosacea and spots. I have very sensitive skin and my face was swollen for 3-5 days after treatment.
Hi, Genna, I have found Angie too and need to go look at more of her videos. She’s very attractive! I’ll add her link in too.
I had much rather grow old graciously and accept what God deals me than to look like a piece of plastic getting ready to burst or split. I think as you start using fillers it takes more and more to fill out the wrinkles and you end up looking so fake. Some people are blessed with good skin and others not so much. I think people who have oily skin do not wrinkle as badly as those of us with dry skin. Just stay true to yourself and accept the fact that it is a blessing to get old. Look forward to your posts and frankness.
HI, Bobbie, I agree with that sentiment too. I did have oily skin growing up and I think that helped me with not having wrinkles so bad. I’d love to have some of that oiliness now. Now I’m more normal or on the dry side.
I have been using Retin A for 15 years. Two years ago I did micro needling. It work by damaging the dermis and promoting collagen growth. It doesn’t do much for the deeper lines around the mouth. However I will keep it up.
Obagi is wonderful. I purchased the entire package about 5 years ago, around $500 plus a tube of RetinA. The Obagi is a system, lots of bottles on the vanity, and after a few months I got lots of compliments on my skin. Just too expensive to continue and the products are strong on the skin. Would I do it again, yes, if more affordable. I found the Retin A to be too strong on my skin and even now my face turns red and stings when I get in the sun, which I think is an after effect of using Retin A, and I wear sunscreen every day without fail. My daughter found two products online that I am using, one for brightening the skin and one is a moisturizer and after using a month I have a noticeable improvement to the brightness of my complexion. I am 77 and still want to look the best I can. I have used Hydroquinone 4% skin bleaching cream on my dark spots, that works very well for spots, but on a entire face would probably be difficult.
Hi, Jean, thanks for sharing your experience with Obagi. I am very interested in it and may fork over the money and try it. Honestly some of those higher priced skin care lines are about 1/2 to 1/3 of that anyway, so I’d be more inclined to spend it on medical grade. I’m going to talk to them about that when I go back in April.
I have rosacea, Rhoda, so a few years ago it was recommended that I have the IPL treatment which I did. I have a very high pain tolerance, but found that this treatment was not for me. Every touch was horribly painful! Glad that you could tolerate it and kudos to all you ladies who are able to do these treatments! I do use the Obagi products and have for about 8 years and I use Retin A. These two products alone help with the aging skin and I would recommend them to anyone even before the IPL treatment. I am blessed that I have inherited my Mother’s genes for my skin. I am 73 and have very few wrinkles. We have so many options now to help with our aging skin and I love to hear what you all doing to make our lives better as we age.
First off, I thank you for your honesty and courage! A lot of us wouldn’t dare post pics of us as our true selves. I am a 65 year old woman that spent too much time in the sun starting in my teens. Back then we put iodine into bottles of baby oil as our suntan oil, I shutter when I think of it. Consequently I’ve had my fair share of cancer spots on my face. When I was in my early 40’s I was told women should start using professional grade skin products in their 30’s, I felt was already behind schedule. Luckily I’m medium skin tone so didn’t show the signs of sun damage as a fair skin woman would. I immediately switched out all my over the counter products and started using products from my Dermatologist office which included Retin A. Fast forward to my mid 50’s and I began using the SkinMedica line which I highly recommend. I also started doing everything possible to start building collagen and getting regular facials and professional exfoliation. Once I hit 60 it was time to step up my game and get a bit more invasive with the new technology that is available to us. I’ve had Microneedling and Sublative RF, all with great success. I firmly believe what we eat is so important to the way our skin looks so that meant no sweets or fried foods and a daily avocado is a must for me. Recently I’ve started to incorporate products into my regimen that are chemical free and “clean”. In closing, it’s never too late to start, my skin is well hydrated and looks 15 years younger. Thank you again for your post, I so enjoyed reading it and being along for your journey to a beautiful complexion.
Hi, Wendy, I loved your comments and what you are doing for yourself. Sounds like a very good routine, thanks for chiming in. I’ve heard good things about SkinMedica too.
Thank you, Rhoda for doing this blog post. I was very curious about IPL, and whether it would work.
I think I will look into it now. I was only having my bad spots frozen up to now.
Foundation does help to even out your skin tone, but as you get older ( I’ve got about 10 years on you), it just gets worse. So much better if you keep up with it with occasional treatments and Retin A cream.
And the lovely ladies at my CVS, are always looking for a good coupon for my RetinA cream- they are really helpful if you ask! I have gotten it as low as $38 recently.
You look great! Both before and after. $150 is an incredibly low price. In Houston it would be many times more than that.
Rhoda; your skin looks lovely. I have very fair skin so sunscreen is my friend. I am a firm believer in clean skin it have found so many cleansers are harsh and drying. Finally started using Clinique’s Take the Day off cleansing balm and then I clean with a lightweight cleanser. Occasionally I use Bliss That’s incredible-peel with Glycolic acid to smooth and exfoliate. I really like those. I moisturize with Thomas Roth water drench (with hyaluronic acid). It’s very light weight but quite effective. I’m adding Retin-A as well I’ve been quite spoiled with good skin and using so many products has been a learning curve to find what works and what timing is best. I’m sure it’s very person specific.
Thank you for your transparency. I love the results and more importantly I am glad you found something that makes you feel your best.