After I dusted it onto the oily avocado stain, the stain was still visible and green. I thanked her politely and made for the restroom, in order to try soap. But when I started washing the shirt, I noticed how easily the avocado stain flaked off. Apparently, the talcum powder had a great affinity for oil! A few minutes of rubbing later, and this "impossible" stain had vanished.
Yesterday, I came across some talcum powder in the grocery store. I figured I should buy some, as it's much cheaper than purchasing new shirts every few weeks. But I happened to notice that this was "medicated" talcum powder. Concerned that the medication might dampen its stain-lifting capability, I had a look at the ingredients: talcum powder, zinc oxide, fragrance, and chlorhexidine hydrochloride. How convenient: it turns out that this oil-lifting substance has been supplemented with zinc (which helps to repair skin, although zinc oxide is not an ideal form) and chlorhexidine hydrochloride, a disinfectant analogous to chlorhexidine gluconate, which kills acne bacteria.
Conceptually, it made sense: First of all, I needed an oil absorber to help lift the dead skins cells out my follicles, allowing them to function properly again. Secondly, I needed a disinfectant to kill the bacteria which aggravated the condition. And finally, I needed zinc to assist with the repair process, which is very difficult to acquire in the diet, unless one is willing to risk eating shellfish that might live in polluted water. Granted, my zinc gluconate supplement should be taking care of this requirement, but it's potentially advantageous to have zinc delivered directly to the front lines.
Last night, I kept this powder on my face for about 15 minutes. When I rinsed it off, I noticed how several whiteheads simply flaked off -- just like the avocado! This morning, the level of inflammation had visibly subsided to a lighter shade of pink, probably due to a combination of the continuing healing process, the zinc supplementation, and, logically, a severe reduction in the bacterial population:
As you can see, my acne severity has moderated since yesterday. And here's how I look as I type this. I'll continue to apply this powder as long as it remains effective:
By the way, I have cut out carrots and potatoes in order to reduce inflammation. But I have still been eating a few handfuls of blueberries or cherries daily.
Hey, I read the whole laser story. Sounds like a bit of an ordeal. A couple comments: What about using oral pain meds prior to the procedure? Personally, 90mg codeine along with an NSAID would fit the bill for me, but I need more opiates than the averge bear. I'm kind of dubious about the talcum powder treatment. Seems like it would clog pores, and you certainly don't want that junk in your lungs. Also, do you really want to dust your face with a chlorinated hydrocarbon? Might as well be Aldrin or Dieldrin... Seems counter to the rest of your lifestyle. Finally, judging from your picture on day 1, you look pretty young, like 24-5-ish. I can't argue with the results on your forehead even now, before you're done healing, but I have to wonder if it's all worth it at this point in your life. I don't know if starting early is better or worse than starting late. Maybe better, maybe not; I just can't come up with a theoretical or clinical basis for a decision. Did you find some evidence that said it was better to start early? Looking forward to a side by side before/after when your skin tone is back to normal.
ReplyDeleteHi George. Oral pain meds would probably help; people should discuss those with a doctor, as they are sometimes addictive. The talcum powder really worked. It dried up most of the whiteheads and the dead skin that was shielding the bacteria; I simply rubbed them off, one day at a time, until they were gone. (A couple whiteheads remained, so I killed them with other techniques described later.)
ReplyDeleteI see no reason not to use chlorhexidine, which dentists use regularly, where I could actually swallow some of it. But certainly, I wouldn't continue after the acne is gone (and didn't). The talcum powder might work without it, though, on account of its fat-absorbing capacity. But absolutely, I agree that you _don't_ want talcum powder in your lungs! It's not easy to prevent that, however. A weak electric fan might help (or not).
24ish? Heh, thanks... that was 11 years and perhaps 1,000kg of brocolli ago. I did this now because the damage is still mostly reparable. If I waited 10 more years, it would be much less so. It's just like health maintenance generally: people think that healthy lifestyle only matters for seniors, but it's actually the young people who can most radically improve their length and quality of life by modifying their habits.
Hi, did you try taking antibiotics for the acne flare up? also i was wondering what medications you had to take pre and post lasering. thanks!
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