Hello friends!

It’s been nearly a year since I provided an update on my dark spots. And I know you all have been on the edge of your seats waiting for this. I am sorry. I have failed you. Despite my abysmal progress reporting, I have continued to stay true to my skin care in an effort to rid myself of the damn things.

The current lineup as of late includes:

• The Organic Skin Co. Holy Basil Cleanser
• The Ordinary Glycolic Toning Solution
• The Inkey List Retinol
• Bare Minerals Skinlongevity Herb Serum
• Pure & Care Aloe Vera Sleeping Mask

You may or may not notice that I have stopped using the Ambi Fade Cream. But let me make something clear, this is NOT because this product does not work. I think this $5 cream actually made a huge dent in the severity of my dark spots. Click here to see those before and after photos.

The reason I stopped using it – well, constitutes a quick story. About a month ago, I had a virtual consultation with a med spa. I wanted to learn about all the “procedures” (read: botox, injectables, laser treatments) and get a doctor’s take on options for me. The appointment went fine, albeit a tad awkward over FaceTime. We discussed a small amount of botox on my forehead as well as laser treatments for my dark spots and collagen treatments for the “loss of volume” in my cheeks. They were keen on getting me scheduled for a couple of these procedures but I explained I am simply not ready.

Mostly, I am not ready to fork over the thousands of dollars this would all cost.

After some thought, I decided to tackle what has made me the most self-conscious all these years: my dark spots. And I want to tackle it head-on! The next day I purchased 6 sessions of IPL photo facials from a salon near my house with great reviews. A couple weeks later, I had my first appointment.

All in all, it is a relatively quick, moderately painful treatment. Google it for the details, but essentially a gel-like cream is rubbed on the face and the laser moves across your skin, zapping as it goes. It is not pleasant. But honey, pain is beauty.

After the appointment, the esthetician warned me that small, coffee ground like flakes might appear on the skin and that this is totally normal. After a couple of days I did notice this happening.

As reference once again, here are my before photos from May of last year, after using Ambi for a couple of months.

Here are a couple of photos documenting my skin 3-4 days after getting IPL. These photos were taken in February and also document my general state after not showering for 4 days.

The spots look much worse but I am told this is normal. I will continue to provide updates during my “IPL journey” (haha) and plan to take photos after each session.

Anyone out there gotten IPL? If so, tell me your experience!