Managing the Identity We Project

Anyone who has been following the news has probably read of the most recently successful first-of-its-kind operation at the Cleveland Clinic on a woman who had suffered severe facial trauma. The woman who is NOT being identified, got essentially a whole new face. Dr. Maria Siemionow who performed the successful surgery commented in her press conference that her patient needed "a new face to face the world." Unlike other parts of our body which can be covered up, the face is the unmistakable flagship product of our brand. No wonder products for the face abound!

The face might as well bear the American Express tag line: "don't leave home without it!" What steps can we take to preserve the face we have? Finding and using good skincare products from an early age, good nutrition, adequate sleep, and yes, pints of hydration. If we also remember that other life stage issues and daily stresses will affect the face we wake up to everyday, we are part of the way there.

In life stages, the face of a preteen is more often than not responding to unique hormonal challenges of impending puberty. Then there is teenage acne which with proper care may take leave to return to the unsuspecting woman in their childbearing years due to hormonal excesses. During menopause, the skin may yet again present some hormonally induced challenges.
Some daily stresses that may affect our skin may include climate changes, events in our lives and inadequate sleep.

Often, we do not have control over some of the antecedents of poor skincare. No one can choose to skip a life stage to avoid acne or other skin irritations. Some of what we can control include: what foods to avoid that may cause our skin to break out; what regimen to follow to minimize outbreak; and making hydration an intricate part of our daily routine. When we have done all this we can then sit back and be confident in knowing that we did everything to manage the identity we project!

Next time, I will examine how teens can start a regimen to manage their skin.