DERMA-ROLLING BACK THE YEARS - WRINKLY OF RICHMOND RETURNS..

Focusing on other things I have been remiss into noting my attempts to soften, erase, diminish, minimalize the lines, wrinkles of life, living, bad living, stress, or the numerous other descriptive words on bottles, packages, boxes, containing gels, liquids, creams, masks, to rid self of the aforementioned lines, wrinkles of life, living...

There is so much product out there. There are so many treatments, and experts offering advice which is frequently contradictory.    The only place I have ever bought 'high end' skincare product is at the Duty Free and it seems from speaking to those in the industry, it is the one place I should not. The assistants there know their brand but are not dermatologists and that, it seems, is what you need when you want to know how to care for your skin.  Everyone has specific needs. Those needs change with the lifestyle as well as the age.  It changes if you change offices, if you work outdoors more, if you are traveling more, if you move house. So it's worth having regular check ups.

You also need a nutritionalist, because what we put in our bodies has a direct impact on our skin. As does stress, so exercise, yoga (I knew it!) and a healthy lifestyle, (no alcohol, no smoking, no sun and definitely definitely no sugar). Oil is good, flaxseed is best - in liquid form.   Better than tablets.   And I'm still on the CherryActive @cherryactive, although my favourite is beetroot juice (active).  And anything Bimuno.

Then there are the treatments. I had a hydrofacial today (Jill Zander clinic Esher High Street,  Amy my consultant very knowledgeable).  Love it.  It works.    Dermaroller last week (Vincent Wong, Harley Street clinic, lovely man, treatment ouch).   Improved the texture of the skin.   Or was it the week before. I'm going to try Derma ebrasion.  I'm told peels are a bit passe which is good. I didn't fancy one much anyway.

I feel like I'm in a sweetie shop and doing mix and match at the moment and hopefully will find my favourite treatment and product that will be the baby porridge of skincare (just right for me).    If the skin on my face could talk I'm sure it would be asking me what the hell is going on.  Largely ignored over the past three years - I've been told everything from 'you need more sleep and to drink more water (I try, I do try) to having my eyelids cut.   But I don't want the frightened rabbit look.  I remember going into a restaurant in LA with a group of other travel journos and everyone in the room look stretched, shiny and startled. They may have been perpetually surprised but I doubt it.   And they all look exactly the same.  Exactly.

So off to bed now. Drunk pints of water (hot with lemon) and waking up at 5.30am.   I could murder a Malteser.