I’ve always had great skin. I never got acne in high school or college and I waltzed into my 20s with clean, plump, and glowing skin. Once I graduated college and started working, I noticed that my skin became a little bit duller, and maybe a little more finicky. If I didn’t get great sleep, I’d notice some eye bags. Around my menstrual cycle, I noticed a hormonal pimple or two. It wasn’t anything to run to the doctor about, but my skin wasn’t as great as it used to be.

Sure, other people had it worse. I had never experienced cystic or chronic acne, and the breakouts I did experience were hardly noticeable to anyone but me. But, it still bothered me. Surely, there was something I was doing wrong, or something more that I could do to fix this. I wanted to go back to having that effortless good skin that screams health and eight and a half hours of sleep.

So I deep-dove into the world of skincare and spent hundreds of dollars trying everything from electric facial brushes to Korean skincare. Everything worked a little. Some things broke me out or made everything worse. I had the vague sense that my skin didn’t want me slathering so many of these unknown concoctions on it, so I decided to pause and try a different angle.

Taking a Scientific Approach to Skin

I decided that if these skincare ingredients that I was slathering on my skin were causing reactions, surely there was something going on at the chemical level. And if something like that was happening, I wanted to know what science said about it.

So, I decided to go to a dermatologist. Well, I tried to go to a dermatologist, but the wait for an appointment was a couple of months out and I was not patient enough to wait that long. Surely, I thought, in this era of online therapy and online everything, there was a company that could help me with online skin advice. I did a quick Google search, and surely, there was.

Alpha Skin Consultation

When I found Alpha Medical’s website, I was interested and nervous. I had some experience with ordering birth control online and figured that if I could do that, then getting a skincare consultation was probably an easier ask.

Alpha Medical was different from the other services I had tried because they were concerned about my overall health, versus just giving me a product. The best part was that I didn’t need to go anywhere, and only had to submit photos of my skin online. I answered a few questions around my medical history and health, and had a clinician reach out to me via email in less than 24 hours.

My Alpha Treatment Plan

The Alpha Clinician reached out to me with a prescription treatment, explaining how to use it and making me aware of potential side effects. She prescribed me tretinoin (generic Retin-A) at a concentration that was appropriate for my sensitive skin.

I received my treatment in the mail a couple of days later. After having tried almost every over-the-counter skincare option on the market, I wasn’t feeling too optimistic about this. I figured skincare is skincare and didn’t expect it to make a difference.

The Results

The first week of using it, my skin got worse. I was prepared for this though, since my clinician had warned me that this was a common part of the process. Since I knew that it would pass, I avoided looking too closely at myself in the mirror and let the phase pass.

Once it passed, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my skin looked better. Slowly but surely, I noticed that my skin was getting brighter and plumper. I was excited. A couple more weeks went by, and I noticed that I had unconsciously stopped wearing foundation. I enjoyed the look and feel of my skin and I wanted to show it off to the world.

When my period came, I got the usual pimples that crop up every month, but I noticed that they healed more quickly and didn’t leave any scars.

I hadn’t expected this treatment plan to make any difference, but it really worked. It brought me back to the good skin of my youth. I can now flaunt the skin of my former late teens early 20s glory and I feel like a whole new person.

Would I Recommend It? YES!

If I was asked whether or not I recommend getting an online skin consultation, I’d think that was a weirdly specific question to ask, but I would also definitely recommend it. I thought I had good skin and was surprised when prescription grade skincare changed it for the better, so I definitely think it can help those who have more severe issues.

If you’re struggling with chronic acne, sagging skin, discoloration, or wrinkles, I think that you deserve a prescription grade treatment for your problems. I think we consider our skin as aesthetic and deny ourselves the care we need to get healthy, beautiful skin. After all, even I thought the changes in my skin were nothing to run to the doctor about. But, when I did talk to a doctor, it turned out that she had an effective treatment for me.

If you’re interested in trying an online skin consultation, reach out to the folks at Alpha. I’m sure they’ll be able to find a solution for you.