A client wrote:

I am LOVING the Yonka products and really happy with my choices from you.  I have been doing the clay mask at least once a week and sometimes twice and keeping really good care with washing, toning and moisturizing every morning and evening.  Overall, my skin is doing really well, but I still feel like my pores are visible and I don’t know if they would be considered blackheads or just enlarged pores and I’m wondering if there is any other product you would recommend to work with this, or if this is just the way my skin is?

Once pores are enlarged, they remain enlarged. The good thing is by keeping your skin clean (and super clean through using the clay), your pores are less likely to become congested, which can and usually does lead to enlarged pores. Because pores don’t shrink (a myth for sure!), you may just be looking at slight enlargement vs. blackheads in the pores. If you look really closely, you should be able to discern dirt and debris (blackhead junk) and just simple (and slight, no doubt) enlargement.

I seriously doubt you have very much enlargement - it really is rare, although many people think they have “big pores.” Based on your wonderful program (you are an “A+” client!), it is also doubtful you have much debris in your pores.

Next time I see you I will talk with you about what I see. In the meantime, I truly think your skin is doing well and that any enlargement you do see is minor with my professional eyes.

Once again, so sorry for all the delays in my blog posts. Perhaps you are on pins and needles waiting to hear about the mole biopsy I had last month. Here is the scoop:

The pathology report came back suggesting further investigation was necessary. Reading dermatology reports on the Internet, in my particular case and pathology reading, some derms excised and some did not. In my case, since the mole could potentially turn into melanoma, I didn’t want to risk it and took the doctor’s advice and had it reexcised.

What does that mean? It means that I went in a few weeks after the initial biopsy and the dermatologist made about an inch incision on my neck and scooped out more tissue to get tested, making sure all the questionable cells were removed. I cannot at this time (figure out why) I can’t get pictures to post here, so I have put a picture of the incision on my Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Boulder-CO/Carolyn-Ash-Skin-Care/131912367520?ref=ts).

It is pretty unbelievable that literally a dot of a mole turned into a good inch of a scar on my neck. I was prepared there would be stitches, I know they have to make a bigger incision than you’d think, but I have to admit when I asked to see where the doctor had drawn on my neck, it was a bit of a shock. Thank goodness this wasn’t on my face! Yikes.

It just hits home information I have been saying for years: It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to getting funny-looking moles checked. The longer you wait, the more potential there is that you will be sporting a large scar where the mole was removed.

Make an appointment now with your dermatologist if you haven’t been in a year or more (or ever). Get a full body mole check and know you are doing yourself a huge favor in the process. You might be surprised to find out something needs to be removed.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Boulder-CO/Carolyn-Ash-Skin-Care/131912367520?ref=ts

Sign up for my Facebook Fan page! Along with this blog, I will continue to give you as much sound skin care advice along with other things skin care related and body balance related on my new Facebook page.

And remember: If you go to my website www.carolynash.com and sign up for my monthly discounts in the upper righthand corner of the site, you will receive discounts for products in my shopping area along with the across-the-board 5% off all products that everyone receives 365 24/7.

OMG! My apologies to Everyone reading this blog! For the past (almost) month I have not been able to access my blog site! This occurred during the change over from my old web servers to my new one. And in that process there were several glitches, one of which was access to post here.

I am so excited to be back online and to have this finally solved. I will get with the program and get some info to you shortly, I promise. I just wanted to post this to let you know I’m back! Yippie!