When acne flairs up a girl’s confidence deflates.
Google how to treat this common skin condition and you might find an ad promoting a suicide hotline. Not only does acne cause a huge conflict with our confidence, but it has a way of rearing it’s ugly head in times when our self-worth is so crucial. I’m not just talking teen age years. How many times have you woken up the day of an important event ( your wedding, a recital, concert, ceremony or basically any time you have to be in front of a camera or crowd) and found a huge blemish taunting you in the mirror?
Why is that?
Some say it’s emotional: our nervousness causes the oil gland to be more active, perhaps a way of keeping us humble.
Some say it’s physical: hormones, diets, habits and genetics.
Others say it’s a cycle of life and we should just let it run it’s course.
But it doesn’t happen only in adolescence.And it doesn’t happen only on our face.
Acne happens anywhere, and for any reason, that the sebaceous glands in our skin become clogged, infected or inflamed. Getting to the root of the reason may require professional help, but before booking your appointment with a dermatologist, you would be wise to start with the basics.
Perhaps there is a simple reason your pores are being blocked, like the products you use. And I’m not talking about your skin care or makeup because most girls who struggle with acne make sure that anything they put on their face is noncomedogenic. (If not, by all means, start there to find your solution.) I am talking about the conditioner that runs down your back and face when you rinse it off, and the hairspray that doesn’t restrict itself to landing only on your lovely locks. Many women struggle with face, shoulder and back breakouts simply because their hair product is blocking their pores causing the oils in their glands to build up.
If this is a possibility for you, and you don’t want to stop using or change your products, I recommend you change your routine:
- Most conditioners should be left on awhile in order to penetrate the hair and do their work. Therefore, you may be in the habit of rinsing it out just before stepping out of the shower. I suggest you lather up your body and wash your face after rinsing out your conditioner. That way all residue is off of your skin and only on your hair.
- Most women finish styling their hair after doing their makeup and then set their style in place with a sticky, pore-blocking spray. I suggest you finish your hair before washing and making up your face (and remember, your face includes your décolletage). This can be tricky with some styles but where there’s a will, there’s a way and if holding your bangs back illuminates your acne you may find it worth the effort.
By no means do I suggest that these simple solutions will fix every cause of acne, but too often in life we overlook the simple things that create big problems. Acne, like so many Confidence Conflicts, can flair up almost instantaneously. One pore gets blocked; one word, thought or deed blocks our confidence and our self-esteem is rocked. And it takes time to heal once there’s an infection or irritation but unless a change is made no healing will begin and the problem will only persist.
If you are struggling with acne or any other kind of confidence conflict, I encourage you to consider the root or the reason and then get back to the basics of taking care of yourself so that your skin and your confidence are clear, clean, strong and healthy.
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