Acne Remedies That Really Hit the Spot ; Health Notes Health Notes Sarah Stacey [Eire Region]
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Summary
My brother used to call me Spotty Muldoon, for obvious reasons. From the age of 12 to my early 20s - with flare-ups into my 30s - I was beset by acne on my face, chest and, almost worse, my back. I dreaded summer, when I couldn't escape baring my horrible zits. It's a common reaction, says Dr Linda Papadopoulos, a psychologist who specialises in psycho-dermatology. 'People with any sort of skin disease love the winter, when they can cover up from head to toe. There's a huge increase in depression and anxiety in the summer.' The problem is embedded, she says, in the mythology around skin disease. 'Clear skin is universally desirable, partly because it's seen as an indicator of health and hygiene. Some people believe acne sufferers aren't washing enough, which is ridiculous because, actually, sufferers often overwash and make the problem worse by drying out the skin and making it sore. Spots are also associated with adolescence, so adults - and acne affects all ages - may be viewed as if they haven't really grown up.' Simply letting your spots be seen can elicit bullying behaviour, direct and indirect. One of Dr Papadopoulos's teenage patients was mortified because 'a girl kissed everyone hello when the school term started - but she shook my hand because of my acne'. And acne on your back - or any skin disease - can dent your confidence so seriously that sufferers put romance on hold. 'If you meet a cute guy or girl who you might go to bed with, you don't know when you should tell them about the problem. Do you tell them before sex, or let them discover it on the way? It's such a pressure that some people just avoid physical contact altogether.' I never learned to like my spots - who would? - but having a schoolfriend's father sympathetically dab Germolene on the pustules on my back, rather than make a big deal of it, helped me at a very vulnerable time. Accepting the problem and developing a strategy is key to dealing with it, says Dr Papadopoulos. So here are some ideas to help you make every day a 'good skin day' this summer.
. Remember you are not alone There are literally millions of people with the same problem, or other more hidden ones.See the full content of this document
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Acne Remedies That Really Hit the Spot ; Health Notes Health Notes Sarah Stacey [Eire Region]
. Prep a couple of sentences to show people you are OK For instance, 'I am having a fla...
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