Dealing With Acne

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I’ve been talking myself out of posting these pictures for the past couple of weeks…  I never ever ever planned on posting about my horrible skin issues that came on when I was pregnant with the twins.  Now that it’s behind me though, I feel a little obligated to share what helped and how I got through it.  If this post can help even just one person going through the hell that is acne — it’ll be worth it!

I’ve never had amazing skin but it was always manageable until my pregnancy with the twins.  I was like, WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME!!!  I was mortified and because I was pregnant there wasn’t much the dermatologist could give me.  I just had to wait it out.  Acne is a mean thing to be afflicted with…  I was embarrassed to leave the house and I felt ugly all the time.  I was so paranoid everyone was staring at my skin and thinking I was gross and it definitely affected how I treated those around me.  If you’re struggling with acne, I know the toll it takes on you and I’m so sorry you’re going through it.  And ps, you’re not gross and you’re not ugly — your skin will never define you.  But it does make enduring some days harder than others!

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Let me introduce you to the tool that single handedly improved my acne, the PMD.  The PMD stands for Personal Microderm.  The device basically exfoliates the top layer of dead skin, breaking down that cell barrier so that product can be more effective and penetrate deeper into the skin.  Because it has a vacuum suction, it increases blood flow and stimulates the body’s natural production of collagen and elastin.  Have you ever had a microdermabrasion done at a spa?  I’ve had a bunch of them and 1) they’re super expensive, anywhere from $100-$200 per treatment and 2) in order for them to work, you have to be consistent and go often.  That circles us back to #1… they’re expensive!  The PMD basically allows you to get the same results as professional, in-office microdermabrasion treatments in the luxury of your own home.

I had used the PMD in the past to lighten a few acne scars I got when I was pregnant with Boston and Savy but I’d never actually used it to treat blemishes.  I pulled the bad boy out and started using it again consistently and in the pictures at the bottom of this post you can see how my acne progressively started healing.

For the full story and more before photos —-

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The PMD is so easy to use!  Start with clean, dry skin.  Attach the desired disc depending on the level of exfoliation you want and attach the plastic top.  Plug it in, turn it on and start exfoliating!  Simply hold the skin taught, and move in a sweeping upwards motion.

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Even though I’m not dealing with intense blemishes anymore, I’ve been left with a lot of scarring.  Slowly but surely they’re lightening and I’m feeling so much more confident with my skin.  I’ve been using the PMD weekly for nearly a year and I can’t recommend it enough.  It’s by far my most favorite and cherished beauty tool and it’s helped heal my skin in so many ways.  The PMD can clear blemishes, it can lighten acne scars, sun spots, help with hyper-pigmentation, lighten fine lines and wrinkles and reduce enlarged pores.  If you’re battling acne, or struggling with the nasty side effects, or you just want your skin to feel smoother and your makeup to go on nicer, give the PMD a try.  Because I love you guys, I contacted PMD directly and they’re offering 15% off with the code “twistme15“.  It’s the highest coupon code they’re offering right now and it’s only available for a limited time!  The PMD is usually $159, but with the coupon code it comes down to $135 + free shipping.  That’s about as much as you’d spend on one microdermabrasion at the estheticians office.  Beg for Christmas, get it for your birthday, clip coupons and eat macaroni for a month, I don’t care what you have to do, you need this little tool in your beauty bag.  The PMD is worth it’s weight in gold!

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…. ahhhh I don’t wanna share these… I don’t wanna share these….
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I’m wearing heavy makeup in the bottom three photos but even with makeup, you can clearly see how the skin started healing.  Because the PMD removes that top layer of skin, it’s important to follow up with rich skin care products to further restore that glow.  I’ve been using Cacay Naturals oil.  If you’ve never moisturized with an oil — ahhhh you need to try it!  This oil is 100% organic and it’s chuck full of nutrients.  It has retinol in it which is a known anti-aging ingredient and I just love massaging it into my skin, it’s so so soothing.  I actually found a 50% off coupon that works on Amazon so it ends up being $17 prime! CAOIL100

I hope this post helps someone out there who is struggling to find their perfect skin.  Let me know in the comments what products and tools you’ve been loving and if you’ve been inspired to try out the PMD!  Remember, twistme15 for 15% off!

xoxo

Abby Smith

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20 thoughts on “Dealing With Acne

  1. Did you use the cacay oil throughout your pregnancy? I’m trying to find out if it’s safe, and there is very little info out there on it.. thx!

  2. Do you use the oil alone, or do you add a moisturizer on top of the oil? I know some skin care treatments make you breakout more before it gets better, did you find that to be true for this product?

  3. Thank you for sharing this! Did you use the PMD and/or the Cacay Naturals oil during your pregnancy? I’m currently pregnant and am having a similar experience.

  4. I’m so glad you posted this. I’ve had hormonal acne on & off for the past 16 years (my skin looked best when nursing). I’m currently on 2 RX creams. Do you use any RX creams? Also, what do you cleanse your skin with? Just wondering if it’s safe for me to use the PMD while on RXs & what cleanser works for you. Thank you!

  5. My acne is the same! I’m gonna get this, I hope it works for me! I also like the mario Badescu brightening kit at ulta. It helps brighten my dark spots and scarring from acne.

  6. I just got one a few weeks ago. I have used it 3 times and so far love it. I think my skin is clearing up already. I used to have pretty much perfectly clear skin but after having my daughter and getting an iud my face exploded in acne. I had no idea how to deal with it. I recently had the iud removed, got a rx from a derm and started using the pmd. I’m using the moderate discs. What strength do you use?

  7. I’ve been struggling with acne from my early teens and at 25, I finally decided to take matters into my own hands. I don’t think we have this fancy equipment like yours in The Netherlands. So I went to my dermatologist and she got me on Roaccutane/Accutane. It has been amazing!! So, if you can’t get a PMD, it is really worth doing research. It might not be cheaper depending on your health care plan (monthly visits, blood work and medication itself), but I think more people need to know about it 🙂 Ps, so glad that your skin has cleared up 🙂

  8. I’m 19 and have had really bad acne for nearly 7 years now. I’ve used almost every type of face wash and lots of different prescription creams and gels. Nothing seemed to really work.
    It has definitely got better this last year. I now use the Clinique Anti-Blemish Face Wash and Epiduo cream but I think it’s probably more to do with age.
    I have so many scars from over the years though and they just refuse to go. I’ve been really interested in microdermabrasion but as you say, so expensive!
    I’m a student right now so I’m not in a position to buy this right now but hopefully soon!

  9. Thank you so much for sharing this!! I used to have perfect clear skin but since my junior year of college, I’ve had pretty consistent breakouts and a lot of scarring so I’m glad to hear you’ve had progress with this too. My husband on the other hand has had bad acne since he was 12 so I hope maybe this will help him too!

  10. I’ve been interested in saving up for one of these for a while now. (I hear you Alyssa on the post-pregnancy breakouts)

    Question:do you moisterize with the oil daily or just after using the PMD? thanks!

    1. I use it morning and night. I also use it as a base for my foundation, it’s literally THEEE best! It doesn’t clog my pores or make my skin feel oily at all!

  11. Thank you for sharing your story Abby. Acne is such a taboo subject for people to talk about, which really is uncool because it can be a crippling chronic condition. I’ve struggled with it off and on for 15 years so I GET IT. Slowly though various measures over the past year or two I’ve moved toward healing but I will always carry that emotional scar.

  12. Thank you for the post! I totally understand what you went through but my problems were actually after I was done being pregnant and nursing. My skin just went insane with the hormonal changes. I want this product bc I have paid for the micro facials and they do work wonders on my scaring and discoloration. How often do you use it? And also do you have oily skin? Thanks again!

  13. I wish I knew about this as a teen! I had terrible acne from 6th grade until I was 22. I thought it’d never go away! So I definitely understand the helplessness and embarrassment. I don’t know what happened but it eventually went away and my skin is super clear now, except for some scarring. I might have to check this out!

  14. ok, am I blind? Where is the link to buy the PMD machine. I’ve had adult acne on my checks for years and have tried every type of facial wash and even going to a dermatologist and nothing has worked. I want to try this!

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