PHOTO JOURNALING… A VISUAL WINDOW TO ANTI-AGING

The best thing I ever did was to keep a photo journal of my skin. My skin care journey started when I was 33 years old. I used the BEST QUALITY Skin Care possible, BIOKORIUM of course, followed a regimen of cleansing, toning, exfoliating moisturizing and hydrating. I then believed I was doing everything possible to slow down the aging process

At 62 I knew my skin was looking and feeling a little tired. I came to the realization that my skin was out of control then took a current photo and compared it to a photo taken 10 years before. WOW! I was a mess. I had all the 7 signs of aging* on my face plus a couple extra. What went wrong? I am sure there are many women just like me that spent years following a skin care plan trying to do all the right things in order to have beautiful skin only to wake up at age of 60 plus realizing you look and feel old!

I had no other choice but to figure out if Anti Aging of the skin was a real possibility or a figment of everyone’s imagination.

Trying to turn the clock back on my skin was fascinating, exciting and a little bit scary because I had no clue what I was getting into. I could not have done it without the help of my photo journal. It helped me take a closer look at the changes occurring in/on my skin and I could tell what products and processes worked the best. After 1 week of my new improved skin care plan I saw some changes happening slowly on my skin, but after 3 weeks I knew I was finally practicing Anti-Aging.

Losing weight and Anti-Aging in my opinion are very similar. When you want to lose weight your first step is to set a goal; something like I want to lose 10 pounds. Then you may decide what diet and exercise program you are going to try to achieve that goal, then step on a scale to get that bench mark number, your starting point, your actual weight. After a week or two you may step back on that scale to determine if the diet and exercise plan you selected is actually working.

When Practicing Anti-aging or starting a new skin care program you need to set goals as I would like tighter skin or I would like to get rid of the discoloration on my face. If you don’t know what issues you have, go to the 7 preconceived-industry-standard signs of aging* to determine what it is that is happening to your skin then get your benchmark by taking a series of photos. This way you can actually determine if you are getting little, no, or major results. Then determine what skin care diet or program you are going to try. You can check in with your local Dermatologist, Plastic Surgeon or try your local skin care professional. You can even go to your local drug store to pick up all the products you may need to start practicing Anti-Aging RIGHT?…..Well….maybe? It almost becomes a crap shoot when deciding what treatment procedure or product series will be right for your skin. There are millions of products to choose from. Some products are to strong some are too weak. Here is how I know if a product or procedure is working for me.

In my opinion it takes no longer than a week or less to determine if the program you choose is the right fit. When losing weight in the first week you probably feel better. Well the first week of Skin care is the same. Does your skin feel better? If your skin is red or dry and feels a bit uncomfortable you may need to change your program. Your best bet is before starting or investing in any new skin care regimen start a photo journal. Be sure that new skin care plan is working.

Here are some tips on photo positions I take to keep in my photo journal.

Face Front eyes open

Face neck and chest

Face front eyes closed

Face Right Side eyes open

Face Right Side eyes closed

Face Left Side eyes open

Face Left Side eyes closed

Then week to week, month to month you can see what changes are happening to your skin. Keeping a journal is not only important when choosing the right plan, but also tells the story of your skin care journey.

*Seven Signs of Aging:

1. Dark spots: Dark spots, also called hyper pigmentation are caused by a variety of reasons. It could be caused by sun damage, inflammation, skin injuries or even acne.
2. Sagging Skin: Ageing as well as the act of gaining and losing weight reduces the tautness of skin and gives an impression of loose skin and a perpetually tired look.
3. Dull Glow-Less Skin: Dryness is exacerbated by wind, extremes of temperature and air-conditioning. It causes the skin to flake, chap and feel tight.
4. Lines & wrinkles: These are a natural, unavoidable part of ageing. But, young people may get wrinkles way before their time due to excessive damage from the sun or by smoking.
5. Dry Skin: Apart from being uncomfortable, dry skin creates scaly lines and wrinkles and is not to appealing to look at. Fortunately, most dry skin results from environmental factors that can be wholly or partially controlled.
6. Patchy Skin: It is generally caused by differences in melanin content in different parts of the skin, but could also be caused by vascular (blood vessels) changes or the growth of foreign organisms on the skin.
7. Open pores: Open pores are sometimes referred to as a “strawberry nose”. However they can occur anywhere on the face, back, chest or upper arms.