HOW TO BEAT THE CHRISTMAS STRESS SHOWING ON YOUR SKIN
This time of year we can feel the excitement building to Christmas, with parties to attend and busy shopping trips, it can leave us feeling and looking exhausted! Here are some tips and ideas to help alleviate some stress.
EAT WELL – It can be tempting to snack on foods high in sugar when the weather is colder and we want a quick energy boost. Unfortunately this will lead to increasing blood sugar levels.Remember when our levels suddenly dip again, we’re left craving another sugary pick-me-up or stimulant such as caffeine.
– Try to stick to regular meals containing healthy proteins, such as oily fish, grass-fed meats or lentils. If you feel hungry between meals reach for protein rich snacks such as homemade energy balls, houmous and vegetable sticks or simply some dried fruits and nuts.
TIRED WASHED OUT COMPLEXION – All the extra stress, both at work and at home, inevitably takes its toll on one’s appearance. Lifeless dull skin, dark shadows under the eyes become even more apparent. Common symptoms including spots, psoriasis, eczema, dry skin and, if you’re
already run down, cold sores, dandruff, overtly greasy or dry hair — and even hair loss can all
affect you badly at this time of year.
STRESS AND EXHAUSTION – the temptation to reach for a pick me up in the form of a mini
Toblerone or a glass of wine. Plus it’s dark at 3.30pm, which I find leads to carb consumption.
Why does stress affect our skin so badly? Firstly, hormones. Being under pressure increases the production of cortisol, one of the functions of which is to suppress the immune system (that’s why we use hydrocortisone to stop allergic reactions).
– Cortisol can also lead to skin ageing, as it weakens the elastin and collagen structures within the skin. Hence that dull, lacklustre appearance that you get when you’ve had a succession of late nights in a row.
Hormones, too, are the culprit in stress-related hair loss. This used to be a mostly male affliction; but since we women decided, quite reasonably, that it was time for us to have a go at running things, more and more women have started losing their hair through stress. Stress results in waves of androgens, males hormones that have a deleterious effect on our hair follicles and shorten their life-cycle, initially causing thinning and eventually, over time, the death of the follicle.
-Try Aromatherapy oil baths to soothe the body and mind, massage, reflexology, reiki and
meditation can all help you to recharge.
– invest in a good eye cream to suit your skin like Inspira eye care cream, soft and luxurious feel. Invest in a good concealer to help the shadows under the eyes also.
– take vitamin D tablets every am on waking to help the blues and B12 to fight fatigue and stress.
Smile enhancement
‘SMILE ‘ verb or noun
Form ones features into a pleased, kind or amused expression, typically with the corners of the mouth turned up and the front teeth exposed.
Apart from having straighter, whiter teeth, the mouth, lips and exposure of the teeth when smiling can affect the attractiveness of a smile, there are some simple techniques that can enhance a smile and make you more confident.
Gummy smile (photos to follow – please put them next to this quote
This is a term used to describe the excessive display of the gum line when smiling, this can be
effectively treated with Wrinkle Treatments, a simple four point injection taking around 10 minutes, effects can be seen 5-10 days post treatment.
Snarl lip or the ‘Elvis effect!’
This refers to the pulling of the lip on one side of the mouth due to hyperactivity of the muscles on this side, so like the gummy smile, Wrinkle Treatments used on the hyper active side can stop this and give you a more even smile.
Droopy mouth corners or the ‘cheer up love look !’ ( photos to follow please put next to this quote)
When the corners of the mouth area start to fall downwards it gives the first appearance of an
unhappy or miserable mouth, due to the ageing process we lose the volume that supports this area and the integrity of the tissue becomes slack. Sugar derivative dermal fillers are an amazing way of giving gentle support to the corners and can be used around the lip border to to give a more
youthful shaped mouth area. Results can be seen almost immediately.