Saturday, February 27, 2016
Friday, February 19, 2016
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Friday, February 12, 2016
TCA 25% Chemical Peel on My Hands
About ten days ago I finally got brave enough to try a TCA 25 % chemical peel on my hands. I watched Youtube videos about it, especially "KuwLeo", who really has done a great series about his own work with peels, TCA 25% in particular.
It was a simple matter of pouring TCA 25% in a little dish and preparing my hands. I washed my hands with gel type soap, which is preferable because regular bar soap contains fats, and the chemical can spend all its time working on fats left over from the soap on the skin, and not do as good a job on the skin. Then I wiped off my hands with acetone, or nail polish remover. Why? To remove any remaining oils on the skin. Did I use gloves? No, but it's recommended. I forgot. I used a fan brush to apply the chemical. I am satisfied that it did a good job, but next time I'll use gauze, just because it's easier to handle for me. I painted the chemical on the back of my hands and my fingers. This time there was a sting, but nothing big. Apparently I have a high pain threshold. I put on two coats of chemical, and almost immediately saw frosting, which means a white fizz that forms when the chemical reacts to the skin. Using Jessner's peel didn't always cause frosting for me, so I was glad to see this level of reaction. But still, I didn't see a lot of frosting with two coats. Since I haven't done TCA 25% before, I immediately began to wash the peel off my hands. If I want to do more, I can do more later.
I washed my hands for two minutes in regular water, and that was the end of the "procedure." The next day I didn't see much difference in my hands, but on the second day I began to see brown, shriveled skin, more than I've seen with past peels, but not enough to cause any alarm. I also saw little darker brown spots sprinkled all over my hands, where there was much more sun damage than I had realized. I used Vasoline and another moisturizer called Dermasil, just depending on which one was closest. Dermalsil was really comforting to my dry, dry hands.
I had also gotten cortisone cream and Neosporin with pain relief medication in it. I never had pain to speak of, but my goodness, that night my hands itched. This was a surprise because I hadn't heard much about the itching. It was itchy enough that I woke up several times because of it. I tried the cortisone cream, which was supposed to help itching, but it was next to useless. I used the Neosporin, and the pain relief pretty much eliminated the itching, until I eventually rubbed it off and had to put on some more. On my left hand I put on Neosporin and/or moisturizer, and a glove to make them stay put. But on my right hand I didn't wear a glove much because it got in the way of using my fingers. I guess I should have cut the tips off the fingers and worn a glove on that hand too. My left hand did a little better, with no cracking. They said on the videos to avoid cracking. On my right hand many tiny little bumps appeared that may have been blisters. Or else I don't know what.
So after about five days my hands began to peel. Wow. I'm so pleased with the results. I've been doing various things to my hands for several years now....hydroquinone cream, derma rolling, a home laser that I got from QVC. None of those had had much of an effect. But this! I wish I had started with this peel. The brown spots were drastically diminished or gone. Wrinkles were reduced a lot.
So at this point my hands aren't 100% healed. The hands healed more gradually than the face. They're still peeling some, and feel dry. I am extremely happy with the improvement.
My plan is to do at least one more peel on my hands. I may work on a few areas on my forearms also.
This has worked out well. My mother said, "When I saw what you were doing to your face with the peels, I thought, 'She has such beautiful skin. Why does she do this to herself?' But then I realized that your skin is so beautiful now that you did these peels." I know my skin was OK, but it's so improved it's hard to believe. I'm very vain...
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Auntie Hélène's Pain Remedies
Have I ever suffered pain? Woo hoo! Enough that I looked for some way of finding relief.
There really can be significant relief from home remedies. I've tried various things. If it works I do it. Here are my recommendations.
1. Hot baths. There is a great deal of benefit to be had from hot baths. By hot, I mean hot. Just under scalding. About 110-112ºF.
I feel that at least once a week everyone should take a bath like this. At least everyone that is able to. Twice a week if one is ill. Try to elevate your temperature to about 103ºF, and maintain that for 20 to 30 minutes. This is very strenuous so be warned. Then maintain a temperature above 100ºF for an half an hour to an hour.
Why? Fever kills germs. A lot of diseases which are not classified as infectious diseases are believed by many to actually be infectious, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Some believe they have been cured by hot baths. Hot Springs, Arkansas is a place with geothermal water. Native Americans went to the hot springs for treatment of disease, and later, following the Civil War, veterans of the war went there for injuries and illnesses contracted during the war.
2. Broccoli sprouts. Recently broccoli sprouts were the subject of a study by Johns Hopkins to determine their anti cancer potential. The good news is that the active ingredient in cruciferous vegetables - sulforaphane - is 50 times stronger in the sprouts of the vegetables. This chemical is now being used IV as chemotherapy. But suppose one just ate broccoli sprouts? Half a cup can protect against numerous cancers. I am a sprouter and noticed that broccoli sprouts helped pain levels from a variety of causes due to the anti inflammatory properties of the sulfa. A word of caution - no more than a quart a day due to toxicity beginning above that level.
3. MSM. MSM contains sulfa. Somehow this is magic for pain and inflammation. When I found out how much it helped for pain, I started taking a lot. However, though I was in no pain, when I took six I developed insomnia. I guess it depends on the person.
4. Some doctors feel that tetracyclines can cure autoimmune disease on the theory that autoimmune diseases are caused by mycoplasma which is in a germ class like tuberculosis. Also like tuberculosis, the treatment is long term.
5. Marijuana. Although I actually have no marijuana experience, there truly is a place for marijuana in medicine. Besides pain management, many claim that it stops epileptic seizures.
6. TENS. TENS unit load up the electrical pathways that pain signals travel to the brain. When these pathways are busy with electrical signals, the pain signals don't have a path to the brain. The same principle is partly the reason that hot or cold applied to painful areas helps. The nerve pathway to the brain is crowded with signals about heat or cold.
7. Ultrasonic devices. These units can actually heal some problems because often the pain one feels is a result not of damaged cartilage or bone, but of scarring from injuries that prevent the smooth movement of joints. The ultrasonic waves break up the scar tissue which lies under the skin, in the muscles and tendons. This tissue will not show up on an X-ray and is not well treated by surgery, since surgery may cause more scarring.
8. Magnesium oil. Everyone needs magnesium, and most people don't have enough. Magnesium oil is magnesium in a form that is absorbable transdermally. A massage with magnesium oil can do wonders for muscle pain. A massage all by itself can to wonders for pain.
9. Vitamin C. Oh sure, we all know about Vitamin C, and we've probably all heard that studies have shown mega Vitamin C to do nothing for disease. Really? Define megadose. Studies have been limited to around 2000 mg. The megadose people, like the late Linus Pauling, recommend 18,000 mg. But, there's a problem. You can't absorb that much through the gut usually. So then there's IV Vitamin C. But that's expensive. Now there's another way - lypo spherical Vitamin C. This Vitamin C is coated with lethicin and travels much more readily into the bloodstream. Thus one can get a lot more Vitamin C into the system. Does it work? It helped me. It can be made inexpensively from lethicin granules and ascorbic acid powder (sodium type).
Well, that's my magic. Oh, one other thing. Oxygen therapy. LivO2. It requires an O2 concentrator, but this can be purchased rebuilt without a prescription.
I'm not a doctor. I'm a person who has tried many home remedies for pain and found that some work for me.
PS Fasting. Everyone should fast sometimes.
10. Almost forgot. A hypo allergenic diet. How do you do that? Well, something that I've tried is "mono meals." For one hour one eats as much as they want of one thing - pears, oranges, beef, pasta, whatever. Then don't eat the same food again for four days. For reasons unknown this helps the immune system cope with food. Another things that I've benefited from is low carb or specific carb. I love the specific carb diet because it's a lot more varied than low carb and does me as much good.
A happy immune system equals a less painful body. It usually helps with weight control too.
There really can be significant relief from home remedies. I've tried various things. If it works I do it. Here are my recommendations.
1. Hot baths. There is a great deal of benefit to be had from hot baths. By hot, I mean hot. Just under scalding. About 110-112ºF.
I feel that at least once a week everyone should take a bath like this. At least everyone that is able to. Twice a week if one is ill. Try to elevate your temperature to about 103ºF, and maintain that for 20 to 30 minutes. This is very strenuous so be warned. Then maintain a temperature above 100ºF for an half an hour to an hour.
Why? Fever kills germs. A lot of diseases which are not classified as infectious diseases are believed by many to actually be infectious, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Some believe they have been cured by hot baths. Hot Springs, Arkansas is a place with geothermal water. Native Americans went to the hot springs for treatment of disease, and later, following the Civil War, veterans of the war went there for injuries and illnesses contracted during the war.
2. Broccoli sprouts. Recently broccoli sprouts were the subject of a study by Johns Hopkins to determine their anti cancer potential. The good news is that the active ingredient in cruciferous vegetables - sulforaphane - is 50 times stronger in the sprouts of the vegetables. This chemical is now being used IV as chemotherapy. But suppose one just ate broccoli sprouts? Half a cup can protect against numerous cancers. I am a sprouter and noticed that broccoli sprouts helped pain levels from a variety of causes due to the anti inflammatory properties of the sulfa. A word of caution - no more than a quart a day due to toxicity beginning above that level.
3. MSM. MSM contains sulfa. Somehow this is magic for pain and inflammation. When I found out how much it helped for pain, I started taking a lot. However, though I was in no pain, when I took six I developed insomnia. I guess it depends on the person.
4. Some doctors feel that tetracyclines can cure autoimmune disease on the theory that autoimmune diseases are caused by mycoplasma which is in a germ class like tuberculosis. Also like tuberculosis, the treatment is long term.
5. Marijuana. Although I actually have no marijuana experience, there truly is a place for marijuana in medicine. Besides pain management, many claim that it stops epileptic seizures.
6. TENS. TENS unit load up the electrical pathways that pain signals travel to the brain. When these pathways are busy with electrical signals, the pain signals don't have a path to the brain. The same principle is partly the reason that hot or cold applied to painful areas helps. The nerve pathway to the brain is crowded with signals about heat or cold.
7. Ultrasonic devices. These units can actually heal some problems because often the pain one feels is a result not of damaged cartilage or bone, but of scarring from injuries that prevent the smooth movement of joints. The ultrasonic waves break up the scar tissue which lies under the skin, in the muscles and tendons. This tissue will not show up on an X-ray and is not well treated by surgery, since surgery may cause more scarring.
8. Magnesium oil. Everyone needs magnesium, and most people don't have enough. Magnesium oil is magnesium in a form that is absorbable transdermally. A massage with magnesium oil can do wonders for muscle pain. A massage all by itself can to wonders for pain.
9. Vitamin C. Oh sure, we all know about Vitamin C, and we've probably all heard that studies have shown mega Vitamin C to do nothing for disease. Really? Define megadose. Studies have been limited to around 2000 mg. The megadose people, like the late Linus Pauling, recommend 18,000 mg. But, there's a problem. You can't absorb that much through the gut usually. So then there's IV Vitamin C. But that's expensive. Now there's another way - lypo spherical Vitamin C. This Vitamin C is coated with lethicin and travels much more readily into the bloodstream. Thus one can get a lot more Vitamin C into the system. Does it work? It helped me. It can be made inexpensively from lethicin granules and ascorbic acid powder (sodium type).
Well, that's my magic. Oh, one other thing. Oxygen therapy. LivO2. It requires an O2 concentrator, but this can be purchased rebuilt without a prescription.
I'm not a doctor. I'm a person who has tried many home remedies for pain and found that some work for me.
PS Fasting. Everyone should fast sometimes.
10. Almost forgot. A hypo allergenic diet. How do you do that? Well, something that I've tried is "mono meals." For one hour one eats as much as they want of one thing - pears, oranges, beef, pasta, whatever. Then don't eat the same food again for four days. For reasons unknown this helps the immune system cope with food. Another things that I've benefited from is low carb or specific carb. I love the specific carb diet because it's a lot more varied than low carb and does me as much good.
A happy immune system equals a less painful body. It usually helps with weight control too.
Monday, February 1, 2016
Jessner's Peel #3
Have I learned my lesson? No, I have not.
What can one accomplish with a medium chemical face peel? A lot. What can one accomplish with six superficial face peels? About what one can accomplish with a medium face peel.
And so I pioneered on to my third Jessner's peel. I wasn't afraid this time. Oh, just enough to exercise caution. First, I put Vasoline on my left eye, because I intended to peel my eyelids. I decided to do the left eye first, then the right, and nothing but my eyes. Then follow that with the rest of my face. The last time I saved the eyelids for last, since the eyelids are more sensitive. The problem was that I then had Vasoline over both eyes and couldn't see what I was doing. So I did the eyes separately, one at a time, each one getting it's own individual peel. I put Vasoline on the my tear ducts, inner eye, and as close as I could get to my outer left eyelid. Then I proceeded to put the Jessner's peel solution on my left eyelids. The lower lid frosted, but I was more cautious with the upper lid because I didn't want to take chances with acid in my eye. Can I say that last time I did get some in my eye, and my eye swelled up a little. Yet I am not blind. I don't encourage this, but I mention it because it is a concern. Why would I get so close to the eye? Because, in my own case, I have allergies, and my eyes have really taken a toll. They have dark circles, and a red rim, and it just isn't pretty. I don't think most people suffer to this degree but I was very tired of the dark circles and red rims. At the end of the eyelid peel, I remembered something that I should have done to protect my eyes, which is to put the gel type artificial tears in so the eyes are coated. So I did that after the fact.
After two peels, I saw enough improvement in my eyelids that I went on.
I have read that about six superficial peels equals one medium peel. Some would say, "So get a medium peel." Maybe, but first, I am on my own, and second, medium peels can cause consequences that superficial peels don't cause. What's the rush?
And so I did my third Jessner's peel. At the moment, I'm still waiting for results. I'm not nearly as frightenend as I was the first time. My face looks like I'm sunburned.
Time three. Nothing to speak of. Achy a bit. Yes, going on to TCA 25%.
I think I'll try the 25% TCA on my hands first. I have an idea I have thick skin and will tolerate it OK, but it's a lot stronger than Jessner's and I want to see how I personally react.
What can one accomplish with a medium chemical face peel? A lot. What can one accomplish with six superficial face peels? About what one can accomplish with a medium face peel.
And so I pioneered on to my third Jessner's peel. I wasn't afraid this time. Oh, just enough to exercise caution. First, I put Vasoline on my left eye, because I intended to peel my eyelids. I decided to do the left eye first, then the right, and nothing but my eyes. Then follow that with the rest of my face. The last time I saved the eyelids for last, since the eyelids are more sensitive. The problem was that I then had Vasoline over both eyes and couldn't see what I was doing. So I did the eyes separately, one at a time, each one getting it's own individual peel. I put Vasoline on the my tear ducts, inner eye, and as close as I could get to my outer left eyelid. Then I proceeded to put the Jessner's peel solution on my left eyelids. The lower lid frosted, but I was more cautious with the upper lid because I didn't want to take chances with acid in my eye. Can I say that last time I did get some in my eye, and my eye swelled up a little. Yet I am not blind. I don't encourage this, but I mention it because it is a concern. Why would I get so close to the eye? Because, in my own case, I have allergies, and my eyes have really taken a toll. They have dark circles, and a red rim, and it just isn't pretty. I don't think most people suffer to this degree but I was very tired of the dark circles and red rims. At the end of the eyelid peel, I remembered something that I should have done to protect my eyes, which is to put the gel type artificial tears in so the eyes are coated. So I did that after the fact.
After two peels, I saw enough improvement in my eyelids that I went on.
I have read that about six superficial peels equals one medium peel. Some would say, "So get a medium peel." Maybe, but first, I am on my own, and second, medium peels can cause consequences that superficial peels don't cause. What's the rush?
And so I did my third Jessner's peel. At the moment, I'm still waiting for results. I'm not nearly as frightenend as I was the first time. My face looks like I'm sunburned.
Time three. Nothing to speak of. Achy a bit. Yes, going on to TCA 25%.
I think I'll try the 25% TCA on my hands first. I have an idea I have thick skin and will tolerate it OK, but it's a lot stronger than Jessner's and I want to see how I personally react.
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