So as I mentioned in Tuesday’s post, I had a hysterectomy.
And like… my skin is freaking out.
My operation was in May, and it’s now September, so roughly four months, and my skin has decided that now is a marvellous time to act like I’m a teenager again.
I had a full hysterectomy and excision of endometriosis but kept my ovaries, so technically I shouldn’t be having that many hormonal problems. I am not in menopause, I shouldn’t be in perimenopause, BUT I have so many questions.
Nobody told my body and my skin it was okay to carry on as normal, so we’ve gone backwards almost thirty years to my teenage skin, which was patchy-flaky, with both dry bits and oily bits, and with random breakouts because why the heck not, y’know? Acne is fun when you’re in your 40’s.
I’m genuinely annoyed because it took me YEARS to get my skincare routine dialled in, and then all it took was one two hour surgical procedure to make me have to do a reset. I do not regret the operation for a second but the skin thing, that can do one.
The good news: my ever faithful Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream and the Apricot Toner are still staples, as is the Elemis Cleansing Balm. I’m so pleased because my skin likes those, and it seems to be okay so far.
The bad news: Elemis night creams now make me break out, so I’ve temporarily switched to No.7 for my night cream, which seems to be working great. Also for some reason my previously oh so reliable Mudmasky products have started drying me up and breaking me out. I’ve had to switch up my body moisturiser too, but I’m still settling on one. Current favourite is the Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion but the skin on my body is drinking it in so fast I may have to try E45 or Aveeno or something.
It’s all just very strange right now. I’m 41 years old and my skin is acting like I’m 13 again. I get this is a huge change in my body but allegedly my hormones shouldn’t have been that affected.
I am wondering if all the stress I had because of how sick I was before my operation is now coming out in my skin. I haven’t even bothered to put makeup on since my operation because there’s zero point until it calms the eff down!
I’m hoping by month six (November) my skin will have gone ‘oh okay then’ and calmed down back to my usual dryness. Patchy dryness is the worst. I can deal with my normal flaky-ass face but this? No thanks.
The change of seasons might have had something to do with it too, but I’ve never experienced my skin being quite this… awkward… before, at least not during my adult life!
Still, onwards! Things can only get better, right?
WEST SURREY STYLE 