Have you ever met someone whose face tells you everything? Are you one those people? Ever wonder what’s it’s like to live with a face that often betrays your innermost thoughts? Well, I know what it’s like because my face gives me away all the time. Just one day, for one moment, I’d love to be one of those people who has a plain, old boring face, one that doesn’t give anything away before my heart or head are aware of what my true feelings are. As if that’s not bad enough, my adult acne adds yet another layer of redness that I’ve spent my life trying to get out from under, if you will…. Skin Shrink
Here I was, leading a ‘normal’ life. I’d survived the teen years. I’d moved past any acne issues and somehow in my early 20s moved right into adult acne territory. After years of hormonal ups and downs, flare-ups, and a few rather ugly bouts during college, I thought I’d finally get a respite. I thought I was done. Nature – rather, my skin – felt otherwise. Instead of allowing it to take over and do its thing, I decided to take preemptive action.
I told myself that I wouldn’t go into my 30s with skin blemishes. I would finally have clear skin. There were plenty of options I hadn’t yet tried and others I might not have used to my advantage. It was time to make a change and go full-force with the alternative treatments. My game plan? They say, ‘go big or go home’. So I’m going big. First up, a nutritionist to help me make the best choices with natures own nutrients. Next, a doctor of alternative medicine. After hours after hours of exhaustive research, I learned quite a bit about the dos and don’ts of skincare. I knew for sure that I didn’t want anything that could have adverse effects…. Skin Shrink
In my opinion, the best discovery wasn’t a stellar dermatologist, but someone whose life’s work is the psychology of skin. How amazing is that? Did you know these people even existed? They’re at the forefront of an untapped market that could be a gamechanger for so many people across the globe. They are experts in a new field known as psychodermatology – a bona fide skin shrink. Using hypnosis and meditation techniques, these practitioners treat the skin from the inside out. Their unique approach addresses the direct link between skin blemishes/acne with emotional issues. They believe there is a connection between stress and acne.
The working theory is that the stress precedes the acne breakouts. They are essentially a trigger for acne, at any age. This unique approach has merit. Anyone who has dealt with chronic acne knows that certain things trigger flare-ups, so it only makes sense that the stressors we feel as we age would impact our skin later in life. The negative emotions we had when we were experiencing teen acne outbreaks are the same kind of emotions we’ll feel as an adult.
Our notions of self-esteem are rolled into our outward appearance. It’s part of our makeup. Negativity festers, therefore, creating a swinging pendulum between self-doubt and self-consciousness. Skin Shrink