Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Saving face

It was brought to my attention in a recent comment that perhaps our subtitle: the whitest people in Miami, is no longer accurate due my inability to hide from the ever-blasting sun here. While yes, compared to people who are still getting snowed in in April, I am starting to look like I have a little tan. But we don't live in those places. Remember - I still hardly consider us living in the U.S. We live in Little Havana, Little Brazil, Little Haiti, Little Jamaica....and even the boys and I with a hint of tan are still as pasty as can be next to these people. And poor Ryan never sees the sun. So the subtitle remains. :)

While I know a good dose of Miami sunshine sounds heavenly to a lot of you, it is starting to scare me to death. While, of course I like the way I look when I'm tan, I'm really trying not to be tan, which seems like a hard thing to do in Miami. I am pretty sure I am going to age 20 years in the 5 years we will probably live here. My brother-in-law is a plastic surgeon and he was in town for a day over the weekend. We didn't have time to go to the beach, but we did drive over to South Beach before we went to the airport and he walked up to at least see the beach and then came back to the car. His one comment: wow, there's a lot of sun damage out there. Yeah, yikes.

Maybe it's being the big 3-0, the incoming wrinkles, or maybe it's the fact that I'm constantly catching a glimpse of me in the mirror next to my little babies and wondering how we get from that (their perfect little faces and milky complexion) to this (wrinkles, sun damage, spots, not such beautiful skin). I try to put on sun screen all the time, but it still gets me. I can really see the sun damage starting in a little row just under my eyes, over my nose and across the other side. My brother-in-law recommended this Nia 24 product which is supposed to be really great and can even help reverse some of the effects of sun damage. At first I was excited that maybe my skin would even look better after using it, but now I'm really hoping to break even, just trying to counteract all the damage I'm doing on a daily basis here. (The stuff is pretty expensive, but I did call 866-642-3963 and they sent me a free sample of a couple of the different products .)

This is why I keep trying to convince Ryan to go into oculoplastics instead of retina. Oculoplastics deals with all reconstruction of the eye, but also eye lifts and cosmetic stuff - including botox. Too bad my one time getting to try it wore off already. :) I could really be a junkie.

In the meantime, I think I need to buy a big straw hat before I look like one big raisin.

8 comments:

Jenilee said...

I wish there was some miracle product that would turn our skin back into the beautifully, soft skin of our babies. I would definitely go for that.

Chadlee said...

I feel the same way. Surprisingly, the sun here in Colorado is pretty intense. I need to get a big straw hat, too. But I feel like a lot of the damage is already done. I'm going to look 80 by the time I turn 40.

Anonymous said...

I like your clever title, "saving face." Yeah, all those years of seeking the sun, even occasionally going tanning back in high school, are soon going to be regretted as I start becoming a "shady lady," in attempts to preserve what little youth is left in my skin. But it is hard, the skin just looks so much better tan. Not that I have much opportunity to bask in the sun anyway.

The Freemans said...

I didn't comment on your last post but I loved it...that is the hardest stage ever...I think that is why there is a three year gap between my second and third....You already have your third!!! I really can feel for you though...I get comments all the time. My favorite is, "it looks like you really have your hands full" I feel like responding "Ya think, what was your first clue!!!" I just have to keep reminding myself they grow up so fast and I don't want to wish it away....but there are some days I really do wish they were all self sufficient....Really how do you enjoy it while it lasts!!!!

Melanie said...

A big straw hat will do the trick and you will look so good! Thank goodness they are in style!

Gavin and Shawna said...

We have been beach-goers our whole lives...and I don't see that changing any time soon. I do wear foundation with SPF to the beach...and rarely get burned on my face...but other than that...I will die some day, happy and tan!!
I think all the craze about sun damage that you can't see...is mostly a marketing ploy for more products that " you can't see their benefits, but they're there"...fishy, if you ask me!

ROck on...the beach and the sun are awesome...and good for our all around attitudes!

Anonymous said...

You need a Kaminski hat from Australia. Famous!

xoxocyhunsaker

Shannon said...

Every time I am with Casey I am far more sensitive about my lines. I have really been noticing them lately because of my own babies fresh face. I used to think I wouldn't mind aging as long as my health was good. It is hard to see the fresh young face begin to sag and age. Fortunately Scott likes my lines. He says that my laugh lines show I am happy.