More Than Skin Deep - When your skin affects your self esteem

We can all recall how debilitating it was as a teenager to get a pimple on our face….it could end social plans for a week and cause untold social anxiety.

And we’ve all seen or known people who, through no fault of their own, have to live with something disfiguring, like scars, having something removed or birth marks (though many of those are now removable with lasers!).

So when it comes to the signs of ageing, it can be a mixed bag of emotions, specially for women.

On one hand, we’re intelligent and modern women who understand that ageing happens, we can’t look 21 forever and we have the wisdom that tells us getting older isn’t the end of the world. Therefore, we “should” be ok with how we look – are we really the type of woman who is phased by looking her age?

We’d like to say no….

….but we live in a world where we’re sold the image that women should have a flawless, youthful face, without blemish, wrinkle or weathered texture. And we know that time and lifestyle choices have slowly take from our youthful face from us. It’s easy to get into a downward spiral of feeling bad about ourselves because of these imperfections.

You're Not the Only One

Here in our clinic, we meet a lot of patients who struggle, sometimes for years, with trying to “be ok with their skin” as it begins to look more tired, sallow, uneven, blotchy, old, dull and lacking in lustre.

Finally, they come to see us, hoping we can help them improve their skin condition, but at the same time feeling like they’ve somehow failed to be strong enough or well-adjusted enough to cope with ageing.

But the truth is, specially for women, when we look into the mirror, we’re not just seeing the condition of our skin, we’re seeing what we feel inside – tired, flat, full, worn out or lacking lustre.

Women can live with this diminished sense of well-being and self-esteem but it results in a negative outlook on her day and, when she’s had to live through too many days with a negative outlook, it can contribute to the development of more serious depression or negativity about life.

While we’re not in the business of claiming to do miracles, and there’s a lot more to emotional wellness than great looking skin, we do know that how we look plays a part in how we feel.

And we all know that fantastic feeling we get when we are really happy with how we look. We walk out the front door with more joy, more energy, more vibrancy and ready for more fun.

But isn't it All in the Eye of the Beholder?

As the old adage goes, beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but the primary beholder of importance when it comes to your skin, is you!

When it comes to rejuvenation, our goal is not only to improve what our patients see when they look at their skin, but also how they feel about themselves.

We know that rejuvenating the surface can change an individual’s outlook on life and enhance their sense of effervescence. Rejuvenation, therefore, is not just about looking better, but feeling better. We hope patients look at their reflection and see a healthy glow, a renewed energy and a broader world to enjoy.

The Eyes of the Beholders are Not So Different

We may name someone different when asked who we think the most beautiful woman in the world is – perhaps its a Kardashian, perhaps Eva Longoria, Elle McPherson or maybe a classic icon like Jane Fonda or Marilyn Monroe.

But the truth is, when it comes to skin rejuvenation, we don’t differ too much on what we think could be improved.

We have a variety of rejuvenation options that address most of these concerns, such as brown pigmented lesions like sun spots, red and blotchy patches, sallow or weathered texture, lines and wrinkles.

When you come to our clinic, you can expect a rejuvenation experience that includes:

• friendly, helpful reception staff who understand your questions and will help you through each step of your journey with us, whether by phone, email or in person,
• an informative and open, no-pressure consultation with our dermatologist, who will review your skin and advise you on your options,
• a relaxed conversation with one of our registered nurses who will answer all your questions and ensure you have all the information you require to make any treatment decisions,
• a rejuvenation treatment plan, which may include a treatment schedule, a variety of treatment modalities, factoring in downtime following treatments to fit in with your personal schedule and ensuring that all treatments are as comfortable for you as possible,
• clinical treatments with medically trained doctors and nurses in either our day clinic theatres or treatment rooms, and private recovery areas where you can enjoy privacy and comfort, following your treatment,
• follow up and ongoing relationship from our staff, to ensure that your skin always gets the attention it deserves.

NEXT WEEK: We’ll be discussing realistic expectations and how to know what a skin rejuvenation wont do for you.