Part III

My previous post caused a lot of Twitter turmoil. Because I said I was very happy with Efracea, a pill that calms your skin, I received venom thrown at my, by the way, very calm head like: “Too bad you promote antibiotics.” The anti-antibiotic mafia was awake and ready to rumble.

In the end, Jetske Ultee, my dermatologist, managed to restore calm on Twitter and win the battle. There were even a few antibiotic fascists who offered their apologies.

Efracea has a minimal dose of doxycycline, indeed the substance you could become resistant to. But it is so minimal that the bacteria are not killed but the skin is only calmed down, and if bacteria are not killed, you cannot become resistant to it either. If you want to know more, I would gladly refer you to the following medical publications. (mediascape.com/viewarticle/45). Or to Jetske's office, of course. Because she has all the knowledge at hand.

I ended the Twitter spat with the announcement of having a glass of wine (and advised all my opponents to do the same) to which Jetske replied that wine is also good for the skin. So you can see what a small cross-media conflict can be good for.

Anyway, one should not swallow too much. So we are going to reduce that Efracea. My skin is calm and there are plenty of other ways to keep it calm. What Jetske emphasizes is cleansing. I must honestly say that I sometimes skipped that, say four times a week. A small editorial investigation shows that of the six present, three never (never, mind you) wash their face before going to bed. Because they don't feel like it. And because they wake up looking better. And we are talking about people who are professionally quite involved with fashion and beauty. I was one of them too. Since Jetske came into my life, I have been dutifully washing my face every day. And her exfoliant helps to purify my skin.

Last Friday I went back for a ‘consultation’. My skin was photographed. Jetske and laser expert Annelijn stood with their arms crossed to critically examine The Skin. I became a bit nervous because hey, I really did get some sun in the summer. White smoke rose in the Velthuiskliniek and thumbs went up. I saw it myself too, darn it. It was not only much calmer, there was also a glow on my skin.

To top it all off, Annelijn gave me a peeling that removes the top layer of skin and also stimulates cell renewal. Then she lasered away a few red veins (there is still some work to be done) and I got a cooled silicone prosthesis on my nose to reduce swelling.

Next task. Carefully, but very carefully apply vitamin A acid. And occasionally make a mix of jojoba and tea tree oil and let that absorb into the skin. That kills everything that causes trouble in your skin.

In two months I will see Jetske again in her Rotterdam headquarters because she can then really look into the skin. I am looking forward to it. And from now on, everyone should scrub that stuff every evening.