Win a ThermaClear from Savvy Skin

Here’s your chance to win a free ThermaClear, the zit zapping tool that has been getting rave reviews, and retails for $150 at Sephora. Therative, the makers of ThermaClear asked me if I wanted to test out a ThermaClear, but now that I don’t really get acne anymore, I thought a better choice would be to allow one of my readers to win this tool instead!

The ThermaClear works on mild to moderate inflammatory acne, usually characterized by red pimples or bumps. ThermaClear is not intended for use on blackheads, whiteheads, or cystic acne. The device works by sending heat to the source of the pimple, and it can make the pimple go away up to four times faster. I personally have not tested the ThermaClear, but have read a lot of good reviews about it, and a lot of my fellow beauty bloggers swear by their ThermaClear.

Win a ThermaClear from Savvy Skin!
The contest starts today and ends Friday, April 18th. To enter, just write a comment to this post telling us your worst pimple story, and include your name and email address (which will not be visible to viewers). As you know, my worst pimple story includes having acne all through high school, and then suffering from it for several years in my late 20s! My persistent acne is what caused me to make a whole website devoted to skin care! The ThermaClear winner will be chosen at random, and will be notified by email after April 18th.

Please note that by entering the contest, your email address will be shared with Therative, so that they can send you information about ThermaClear. If you would also like to receive information about ThermaClear via snail mail, you can email me your mailing address to jenipix (@) yahoo.com, but this is not a requirement.

I went to the Dermatologist yesterday for the first time in three years. I picked yet another doctor at the same Dermatology clinic, because I like to see a different doctor every time, so that I can learn as much as possible about skin care. First I had him check my suspicious moles on my back for skin cancer, and he said they were totally fine, and nothing to worry about. Despite knowing what to look for with skin cancer, I still get totally confused, and it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Wrinkles and Acne
The other main reason I was there was to get a presciption for topical acne/wrinkle products. I have been using Differin for several years for acne, however I don’t know if it’s the best treatment to use for fine lines as well. I have used Retin-A Micro in the past, but it was pretty harsh on my skin, so I wanted to avoid that. After some research, I discovered that Renova looked like a promising alternative. Renova is basically Retin-A, but in a moisturizing base. For some reason, I thought Renova contained pore-cloggers, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

The doctor gave me a prescription for both Renova .05% cream, and Differin .03% gel. Differin is usually preferred over Renova for acne, however now that my acne is minimal, Renova should be strong enough for my acne, and it will give me a chance to see if it works better on wrinkles than the Differin. If I end up hating the Renova, then I will just go back to Differin. I had been using the .01% Differin, but the doctor said the new .03% isn’t any harsher, and that I might as well try the stronger one. Renova is generally not covered by insurance for acne (but my insurance doesn’t cover Differin either) so I order my products through a reputable online pharmacy.

Blackheads
The only acne I can’t seem to get rid of are the blackheads on my nose. They are super annoying, and they are always there! I also asked the Dermatologist for a prescription for Tazorac, because I’ve read that is the best treatment for blackheads. Luckily he gave me some sample tubes of it, which I will only use on my nose. Tazorac is similar to Differin, but it’s stronger, and also harsher. It’s probably better for someone with oily, non-sensitive skin.

Eyebrows
Finally, I told the doctor my eyebrows have been thinning a lot - especially the outer edges of them. They also feel itchy all the time - like something is crawling on them. Ugh. He said they look fine, and since there’s no redness or scaling, that there’s nothing he can do. He said it’s probably just heredity, or possible an auto-immune problem, but he had no suggestions. I briefly mentioned I have been struggling with hair loss for five years, but he had no comment or suggestions.

This is why I hate going to the doctor - they rarely have helpful answers to anything. It’s extremely frustrating going to the doctor, only to feel worse than before you got there. That’s why I do all my own research, and figure out what will be the best choice for me on my own. I just get frustrated when I have a problem I can’t fully solve (hair loss, thinning eyebrows) and the doctor knows less than I do.treatment for depression and anxiety