Most of us can probably remember having skin issues during our teenage years, trying every product from the chemist to try and give us skin like the very lucky few we envied so much. Thank god you grow out of it eh? But what happens if you don’t? Or you do, but then problem skin comes back to haunt you years later? This is a more familiar story than you probably think, and we’re not just talking about acne. Rosecea, thread veins and other skin conditions cause many twenty-something’s and older, to wish for something else when they look in the mirror.
Although thebeautyobsession is focussed on all things beauty, we firmly believe that it’s not just the stereotypical supermodel who demonstrates beauty. Everyone can, flaws and all. It’s all about how you carry yourself and how you let your inner beauty shine through. This is often easier said then done though.
We wanted to take this opportunity to say there really is no such thing as perfect, and you shouldn’t feel like you have to hide away because of your skin. We want to take the embarrassment out of pimples, spots, redness and peeling skin and get people talking about skin issues.
We thought we’d start this series with a few tips on how to live with skin problems;
- Firstly, LIVE! Life is short, and it is far too short to turn down invites or shy away from meeting people because of your appearance. We know that worrying about skin problems can be incredibly difficult and can mean some people withdraw and become incredibly shy. You need to remind yourself that you are still you, and that you haven’t changed just because your skin has. Your friends and family still love you, you’re still capable of being witty or intelligent or whatever you’ve always been good at and if you’re worried about strangers don’t be. Only incredibly shallow people will judge you based on the appearance of your skin and would you really want to spend time with them anyway? People will notice much more if your demeanour is timid and self-conscious so stand tall and play on your strengths.
- Get professional advice. There’s no point sitting at home worrying about your skin problem but not wanting to talk about it through embarrassment. If your skin is causing you real issues, we’d advise that you make a trip to see your GP. They’ll be able to advise you if your problem is a medical issue and if they can support you with prescription medication or psychological support. If you or your GP think it is a purely cosmetic issue, then take some time to find an expert who can talk you through a skincare routine that could help. That might mean going to a salon or facialist, or finding an online support group.
- Look at the big picture. So you’re spending a fortune on your skincare regime but things aren’t improving? It’s not enough to rely on the products you put on your face, you need to thing about everything you put in your body too. A poor diet instantly shows on your face as well as the scales, causing everything from acne to allergies. The age-old fascination with drinking water for your skin is proven, and is often said to be the single biggest and cheapest benefit you can give to your skin. Sleep is also incredibly important, if you aren’t sleeping well, you’ll soon see the effects on your skin. While you sleep, your body works hard to repair and generate skin cells and it can’t do this if you’re only getting a few hours sleep a night. Take some time to look at your night time routine and make sure you’re getting your full eight hours.
- Don’t stress. Easier said than done we know, but your stress levels have a real impact on your skin. It maybe that stress is what has triggered your problem, or it could be that you’re getting stressed because of them. Either way, you can bet that it will be having a negative effect. Keep track of your stress levels everyday for a week and score yourself from 1 – 5. 1 being laidback and relaxed, to five being steam coming out of your ears stressed. If you score over 3 more than twice, you need to take stock of your day-to-day life and assess how you can give yourself some more “me time” to relax and think through some techniques to calm yourself when you feel your blood pressure rising.
- Put things into perspective. We are in no way underestimating the affect that skin problems can have on your life. They can affect every aspect of it, from home and work to relationships and friendships. However, please try and remember the old adage that there is always someone worse off than you, you may have bad skin but at least you’re still alive to worry about it! Take a step back and think about what advice you would give to a friend in this situation. It’s likely that you would tell them that it’s not as noticeable as they think, and that they really shouldn’t worry about it. Heed your own advice and take it all on board!
- Find out how to cover up! Bad makeup application can make a skin problem a whole lot worse. Rather than hiding the problem, it can often highlight the area and draw attention to it. Get yourself to your local makeup counter with a friend and ask them to show you how to apply a good base and cover up properly. Most counters have professionally trained makeup specialists and don’t charge for demoing products. Some will charge a small fee but you can redeem it on products if you wish. Knowing how to apply makeup properly will give your confidence a boost and help you regain some control over your skin.
- Play to your strengths. Your skin might be playing up, but we guarantee that everyone has at least one great feature they can play up. It might be your great hair, or your gorgeous eyes. It might be your amazing figure or your cracking smile. What ever it is, highlight it. You’ll soon find that people will notice that long before they notice anything about your skin.Make sure you’re making the best of everything else as well, and pay attention to the little things. If your eyebrows are groomed, your nails are painted and your teeth are clean and bright, you’d be amazed at how little else people notice.
And Finally – we really don’t agree with covering photos of celebrities with red rings and highlighting other people’s flaws. However, a quick internet search on most celebrities without makeup, will bring up thousands of pictures of everyone from the A-list to reality TV stars, all with blemishes, allergies, pigmentation, redness and more. Take a quick look now, and realise that EVERYONE, no matter their age, status or the amount of money they have in the bank, goes through stages where they’d like to go out with a paper bag on their head. Except they don’t, they utilise some clever makeup tips, stand up straight and face the world. And that is exactly what you need to do.
Watch out for more articles around skin problems. Tweet us using the #skindeep and tell us if you’ve found these tips useful, and let us know if you have any of your own.
Thanks for reading.
tbo
xxx
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