Skin damage for woman who is in her late 50s

[Anonymous]

It amazes me that people do lasers, botox, peels, etc. and still lay in the sun. If you don't use sunblock daily - start and stop sitting in the sun! You get enough Vitamin D in 5 minutes. Tell your kids.

[Anonymous]

Ok, what are basic cosmetic procedures that are becoming non negotiables now and would be good to do and why?

Does anyone do Softwave? I dont even know what it is, but it comes up a lot.
What about Fraxel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will love laser. Try BBL to start. It’s the ideal time of year to do it. It is soooo good for the spots. Try that and see if there is anything that bothers you after that. But don’t invent problems

I don't know what that means- invent problems. I just walked into the dermatologist office as a regular person and came out thinking I was a lizard. Maybe the dermatologist is inventing problems.

Did you go in looking for cosmetic possibilities or a skin cancer check? I only go in for the latter and don't get a laundry list of cosmetic options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will love laser. Try BBL to start. It’s the ideal time of year to do it. It is soooo good for the spots. Try that and see if there is anything that bothers you after that. But don’t invent problems

I don't know what that means- invent problems. I just walked into the dermatologist office as a regular person and came out thinking I was a lizard. Maybe the dermatologist is inventing problems.

Did you go in looking for cosmetic possibilities or a skin cancer check? I only go in for the latter and don't get a laundry list of cosmetic options.

Skin check. And no, I wasn't given any cosmetic options. I never have been, actually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will love laser. Try BBL to start. It’s the ideal time of year to do it. It is soooo good for the spots. Try that and see if there is anything that bothers you after that. But don’t invent problems

I don't know what that means- invent problems. I just walked into the dermatologist office as a regular person and came out thinking I was a lizard. Maybe the dermatologist is inventing problems.

Did you go in looking for cosmetic possibilities or a skin cancer check? I only go in for the latter and don't get a laundry list of cosmetic options.

Skin check. And no, I wasn't given any cosmetic options. I never have been, actually.

Just so I understand, OP, are you unhappy with what you see in the mirror?

This whole thread is you soliciting what are the "normal" cosmetic procedures to do to look good as you age. The answer to that ranges from none to spending thousands of dollars a year. It seems like you are feeling pressure to begin this routine, but you also say that you thought you looked good until you went to the derm and were told you are a lizard...

[Anonymous]

Focus on anything that can turn into skin cancer, especially on your face and be religious with sunscreen all year. Once you have skin cancer, depending on type, etc you could need a chunk taken off and it changes your looks. I had a friend need a plastic surgeon and many procedures thanks to one skin cancer on her face.

[Anonymous]

OP I am like you - mostly see derm for skin cancer checks but also have some sun damage. I have had lasers only - IPL and VBeam. I do think it helps with the overall appearance of my skin but it's not permanent, you have to do it every year, and it's not going to dramatically change how you look. But, if you are interested, make an appt at your derm office with the PA or RN who sees patients. At 2 different practices this has been the person with more time who has suggested procedures to me (like fraxel, which I actually haven't done). Likely the receptionist at the place will know who does the laser treatments (and it's usually not the name derm). Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Focus on anything that can turn into skin cancer, especially on your face and be religious with sunscreen all year. Once you have skin cancer, depending on type, etc you could need a chunk taken off and it changes your looks. I had a friend need a plastic surgeon and many procedures thanks to one skin cancer on her face.

This is alarmist. If you are keeping an eye out for things that pop up on your face and going to derm every six months to get checked, you will likely catch anything before it gets out of hand. I have had four removed and no scars.

[Anonymous]

How do you all have so much money for these multi-thousand dollar laser treatments that you're suggesting? Or is it just a self-selecting response group, and the social workers and adjunct professors are staying out of it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will love laser. Try BBL to start. It’s the ideal time of year to do it. It is soooo good for the spots. Try that and see if there is anything that bothers you after that. But don’t invent problems

I don't know what that means- invent problems. I just walked into the dermatologist office as a regular person and came out thinking I was a lizard. Maybe the dermatologist is inventing problems.

Did you go in looking for cosmetic possibilities or a skin cancer check? I only go in for the latter and don't get a laundry list of cosmetic options.

Skin check. And no, I wasn't given any cosmetic options. I never have been, actually.

Just so I understand, OP, are you unhappy with what you see in the mirror?

This whole thread is you soliciting what are the "normal" cosmetic procedures to do to look good as you age. The answer to that ranges from none to spending thousands of dollars a year. It seems like you are feeling pressure to begin this routine, but you also say that you thought you looked good until you went to the derm and were told you are a lizard...

No, and I think I actually wrote that in my original post. I think I look ok, but I also think I am 42 most of the time, so I am delusional. The list of stuff on my summary report alarmed me- all with different names, I mean I had a list of 10 to 12 different types of anomalies. My question was, and you can go back and read- was I supposed to be doing stuff all this time that I wasn't doing? And, is it TOO LATE? What do most women do, and is it for health or will it improve my appearance?
MY biopsies turned out to be a precancers, and I have tons more, too just like those. Now she wants to freeze them off after the punch biopsies, which it still healing, so that will be just great.

I remember when bleaching teeth was new. It seemed cosmetic and maybe vain and unnecessary in the beginning. Now it's normal to just not have stained teeth, and gross to have them. I think that's what happened here ...I assumed I looked normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you all have so much money for these multi-thousand dollar laser treatments that you're suggesting? Or is it just a self-selecting response group, and the social workers and adjunct professors are staying out of it?

Yeah, that's the other concern. What does routine maintenence cost and how oftem do we spend this amount?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will love laser. Try BBL to start. It’s the ideal time of year to do it. It is soooo good for the spots. Try that and see if there is anything that bothers you after that. But don’t invent problems

I don't know what that means- invent problems. I just walked into the dermatologist office as a regular person and came out thinking I was a lizard. Maybe the dermatologist is inventing problems.

Did you go in looking for cosmetic possibilities or a skin cancer check? I only go in for the latter and don't get a laundry list of cosmetic options.

Skin check. And no, I wasn't given any cosmetic options. I never have been, actually.

Just so I understand, OP, are you unhappy with what you see in the mirror?

This whole thread is you soliciting what are the "normal" cosmetic procedures to do to look good as you age. The answer to that ranges from none to spending thousands of dollars a year. It seems like you are feeling pressure to begin this routine, but you also say that you thought you looked good until you went to the derm and were told you are a lizard...

No, and I think I actually wrote that in my original post. I think I look ok, but I also think I am 42 most of the time, so I am delusional. The list of stuff on my summary report alarmed me- all with different names, I mean I had a list of 10 to 12 different types of anomalies. My question was, and you can go back and read- was I supposed to be doing stuff all this time that I wasn't doing? And, is it TOO LATE? What do most women do, and is it for health or will it improve my appearance?

Answers to your questions:

1) You were supposed to be going to the derm for regular skin checks and making a derm appointment if something strange popped up on your face. You were supposed to be wearing sunscreen/hat.
2) It is too late to go back and do all that, but it sounds like you have an opportunity to be more on top of things moving forward.
3) There are some laser treatments that will target precancerous cells - those are the treatments you should consider if you want to impact whether you end up getting some skin cancer spots. Botox/filler and some other lasers are for cosmetic improvements and are optional for you depending on how much you care what you look like and how big your budget is.
4) The liquid nitrogen works well on precancers and doesn't hurt that much. Sounds like once you get that done you will be in better shape.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will love laser. Try BBL to start. It’s the ideal time of year to do it. It is soooo good for the spots. Try that and see if there is anything that bothers you after that. But don’t invent problems

I don't know what that means- invent problems. I just walked into the dermatologist office as a regular person and came out thinking I was a lizard. Maybe the dermatologist is inventing problems.

It's a rabbit hole, OP. Focus on being proactive with pre-cancerous spots, find a daily routine that works for you and move on. There's no need for all the expensive maintenance stuff that a lot of people do unless you are hating what you are seeing in the mirror.

Maybe get a derm who is more health focused and less beauty treatment focused.

My kids call me a speckled egg... we laugh about my spots. It's not that big a deal, honestly. I wear a little bit of make up and focus on more important things.

DP. I am the person getting the SKs frozen off regularly. I do it because the path in my family tree is that so many of them develop that it became—for one family member who had this happen—impossible to identify a malignant melanoma on her back until the suppuration sent her into the doctor’s office. This ended in her death.

We don’t have a genetic syndrome that causes an excess of moles or skin growths (like Lynch syndrome)—just a huge buildup of SKs clouding the field. Easy fix: remove them regularly. I do also appreciate the esthetic effect of doing this.

[Anonymous]

Just wash and moisturize friend. Stop giving away your money, your time and happiness away so strangers will or won’t think something about you. There’s no shame in getting older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will love laser. Try BBL to start. It’s the ideal time of year to do it. It is soooo good for the spots. Try that and see if there is anything that bothers you after that. But don’t invent problems

I don't know what that means- invent problems. I just walked into the dermatologist office as a regular person and came out thinking I was a lizard. Maybe the dermatologist is inventing problems.

Did you go in looking for cosmetic possibilities or a skin cancer check? I only go in for the latter and don't get a laundry list of cosmetic options.

Skin check. And no, I wasn't given any cosmetic options. I never have been, actually.

Just so I understand, OP, are you unhappy with what you see in the mirror?

This whole thread is you soliciting what are the "normal" cosmetic procedures to do to look good as you age. The answer to that ranges from none to spending thousands of dollars a year. It seems like you are feeling pressure to begin this routine, but you also say that you thought you looked good until you went to the derm and were told you are a lizard...

No, and I think I actually wrote that in my original post. I think I look ok, but I also think I am 42 most of the time, so I am delusional. The list of stuff on my summary report alarmed me- all with different names, I mean I had a list of 10 to 12 different types of anomalies. My question was, and you can go back and read- was I supposed to be doing stuff all this time that I wasn't doing? And, is it TOO LATE? What do most women do, and is it for health or will it improve my appearance?

Answers to your questions:

1) You were supposed to be going to the derm for regular skin checks and making a derm appointment if something strange popped up on your face. You were supposed to be wearing sunscreen/hat.
2) It is too late to go back and do all that, but it sounds like you have an opportunity to be more on top of things moving forward.
3) There are some laser treatments that will target precancerous cells - those are the treatments you should consider if you want to impact whether you end up getting some skin cancer spots. Botox/filler and some other lasers are for cosmetic improvements and are optional for you depending on how much you care what you look like and how big your budget is.
4) The liquid nitrogen works well on precancers and doesn't hurt that much. Sounds like once you get that done you will be in better shape.

Ok, thanks.