Hi geeks
wondering if you can shed some light on the following

My sister in law has incredibly bad skin (acne) she is 38 years old and her skins has got worse since she came off the pill 5 years ago.

The doctor has told her that she is pre-menopausal and it is her hormones that are causing the problem. She has also been having IVF treatment which has been unsucessful.

She doesn't eat properly, smokes and drinks far too much (IMO) and insists on plastering herself in makeup to cover it all up which I am sure is just making it worse.

I have told her to try some different products for both skin care and makeup but she is insistant that there is nothing that can be done as the doctor and her IVF consultant have told her this.

Can you suggest anything that might help?

I would tell her to detox and change her lifestyle - become healthy from within!

Skin products can only work with what they are used on!

Have to agree Caroline - hormones, smoking, drinking, poor diet and loads of makeup! Not a good combination! No skincare range can sort out that little lot - like anything, for it to really work you have to remove the triggers! You are what you eat (drink and smoke!) as they say!

I know you are right, I have tried to tell her all this. And I have tried to tell her that she is never going to get pregnant whilst her body is in such a bad state. Her and my brother have spent thousands on IVF and I think they are just wasting their money.

I was hoping that there would be something that would start to make a difference to her skin and then try to convince her to give the other areas ago.

I feel a bit for her really. She is quite insecure about her looks and is terrified of being a big girl again which is why she doesn't eat properly and she says she couldn't possibly go to work with her skin not covered up as it is so bad but you can see how thick her make up is.

Well Nimue do a fab range for environmentally damaged skin combined with products for problematic skin and it would help. But they're not miracle products, and a therapist will always advise to sort out the cause in the first place. if you want more info then contact Kelly01 - I've packed all my stock lol!

Sounds like a candidate for 'you are what you eat'!!!

Can't really add anything apart from whats been said,
Do you think you could persuade her to have a facial ?

If not then you know what to get her for xmas ! You could go with her & have a spa day

When i had acne alcohol was one of the things that made it worse, they swelled up & felt hard so i stopped drinking.....

I am 37 with cystic acne. I went to a dermatologist for 9 years to no avail.
I started using a line called Cosmedix, a medical grade line. I also only use their makeup (which is pure minerals, not like Bare Minerals). They also have supplements. When I am taking the clarity supplements I don't even break out before my cycle.
If she can find an esthetician who uses these products I would highly recommend it!
Good Luck!

I think given that your sister in law is undergoing IVF she is probably under a huge amount of stress.This obvioulsy will have a knock on effect,i.e the drinking and smoking too much.

It's easy to say cut down but being in her situation it must be very hard.

I would suggest you or someone close to her have a chat and explain that she is doing herself absolutely no favours.I.e in the baby department and the skin department.

Her health is obviously not good hence her skin showing the stress from within.

Once she cuts down the ciggies and booze then it's time to focus on a good skin care regime.Her skin will improve amazingly once she cuts these nasties down or out of her regime.HTH

there are products out there for this type of skin (ache), ive even made them myself with good results

i think a good exfoliant will be beneficial for her to use 3 times a week. she has very small pores and is producing alot of sebum (skins natural oil) which is causing it to block up with puss. gross! the exfoliating will open them up and MIGHT cause more pimples but will go eventually. she needs to use a cleanser for an oily skin and a toner day and night will be very beneficial for her. the smoking generally drys the skin which is a problem she wouldnt have and the alcohol also dehydrates the skin but on the other hand, the make up contains alot of oil so by putting more make up on, she is just making it alot worse. perhaps she should try a tinted moisturiser but being in her profession she probably has to wear alot of make up.

Anyways i hope this helps!
Elise xxx

From personal experience I empathise with her.

I dont think her skin will change until she changes from within and and what she puts into her body!

The biggest battle though is for her to admit that this is the cause of the problem. Her hormones wont help but this she cannot change so she needs to see what she can change. A good skin care range will only compliment her healing from inside.

HTH

I would suggest going back to the doctor again. There are drugs which will really help to clear the acne up. One of them is roacatine. Sorry don't know correct spelling. I don't know if this can be taken while trying to get pregnant but as i said there are quite a few on the market. I have known many people with severe acne who have used this and completely cleared there skin up. You also cannot drink when on this medication so it might give her the willpower to give up alcohol as well.
If this is not an option i would try the herbalist approach. Because it is hormonal i would suggest agnes castus liquid form from bioforce. You can get it from most health shops. It tastes foul but it really helps balance hormones. It will help skin and also makes the menstrual cycle regular. Also bee pollen is known for its use in fertility. I am not an expert but i was told i couldn't have children and a herbalist doctor reccomended the above plus drinking aloe vera and i was pregnant in three months and my skin looked loads better. Obviously she must check with her doctor first but hope this helps