Facial Experiment continues~

I think another good name for this little blog would be "The Win some Lose some blog".  I skipped last week posting partially because I didn't feel like it and because I wanted to see any real difference.  I have noticed some improvements, although subtle in some ways and more obvious in others.  I have noticed also that there are some drawbacks that are becoming more apparent.
I have been basically consistent with the skin care, using the Clarisonic every night.  I love that thing, it really has done wonders with my skin.  The pores have gotten noticeably smaller.  They aren't invisible, but the appearance is improved.  I have done the facial exercises every morning and evening and I think it shows.  I have started alternating use of the Lite-stim to every other night.  I think it has helped as well, but I don't think it has been a big contributor in my attempt to improve appearance.

This picture is from last Saturday 7/28th when compared to the very first one taken in June.  The pictures, at least seem to match in positions.  Not as good as I would like but it could be so much worse.  There are some improvements that have been achieved over these last few weeks.  The skin looks healthier, the face itself looks more firm and is and the eyes look better.  My neck is also a little bigger from the exercises that I have been doing.  So that's the good stuff.

 The bad stuff is that since I have been working on trying to drop a few pounds in the hope of improving the "jowly" area on my jawline, I have actually seemed to have made it more noticeable to a certain degree.  Sure, I managed to bring the jowls down on my face but it is drawing attention to that loose skin that attaches my lower jaw and neck.  I have always had extra skin there and it has always bugged me.  Getting older....it is really bugging me.  I don't think the car accident I was in years ago helped it either because after the accident the skin hanging was more pronounced on one side vs the other.  It's my fault that I didn't go to the doctor right away to get it corrected.  I have no one to blame but myself for that so I just have to deal with it now.  I am thinking that

maybe the exercises might help a little bit more but I am still thinking that a neck lift is the only real solution to get rid of it.
The picture featured right here was taken today (Saturday 8/5).  The "pose" doesn't match but I think the idea is there.  The face doesn't seem so...blah and saggy as the original one.  The skin seems better except the neck.  Besides the less than occasional blemish, I have to say for the most part I am pleased with what I have done (except for the gross neck skin).  With the few pounds I have lost and facial exercises, the skin on the neck just isn't bouncing back like one would hope.  Everything else is going to plan, however.  Goodness knows I have stood in the mirror and did the "face lift" test.  All I have to do is put one index finger on each side of my lower jaw and "Poof!" the saggy neck skin AND the remaining jowls disappear!  So with that being said, I will try a bit longer to see if any improvement can be had in my real problem area and I will hope for the best but I know what the alternative will be if I can't make any headway.
I admit it, I will get cosmetic surgery.  I will get the neck lift if I can't fix it myself.  It's something that as I have mentioned before, always bothered me so there is no shame in admitting it.  At least there isn't to me.  Maybe this stupid blog project I'm doing will actually encourage someone to try some of the stuff I have been doing if they have "problem" areas in spots where I had improvement because they don't want to have to have surgery.  I would say, "Great!"  Good for them for trying!  But before we all get excited about this all, I still have one more month to go before I determine what is really going to succeed.  Who knows, maybe the facial exercises will finally get the loose skin to start tightening up and I can hold off on the inevitable surgery a bit longer!