Our relationships with our bodies can be complicated. The nagging thought that we’re too much of one thing and not enough of another affects people of all genders, ages and cultural backgrounds.
And although the urge to “fix” yourself is tempting, there are some things you just can’t change about yourself. The good news is that there are ways to put your best foot forward. Some answers can be found in professional therapeutic treatments that don’t aim to change you as much as they help you to be the best version of yourself.
Body size
While you can’t choose your size or the way you’re proportioned, body shape and size is one of the thorniest barriers to high self-esteem. For some, active living and healthy eating can bolster confidence and a measure of physical change, but neither can guarantee transformation into the kind of overly idealized body types reinforced in mass media.
Therapeutic treatments such as Venus Radio Frequency, Cavitation Ultrasound and Laser Light Skin Tightening – focus on lymphatic drainage, detoxification, fat and cellulite reduction. When performed by a professional clinic staff, these treatments can potentially alter the surface of your skin to give you a tighter, smoother look while reshaping and sculpting each body part.
Age
Everyone ages – but everyone ages differently. Your anxiety over crow’s feet, for example, could be equal to the anxiety someone else may have about their greying hair.
No one can reverse the clock for you, but there are precision skin care treatments that are designed to ameliorate the cosmetic appearance of inevitable aging. Businesses like Ici Paris Skin Clinic & Spa can help address sun spots, rosacea, acne, fine lines and other issues through recent technological advances – including photo rejuvenation and laser treatments. These therapies send pulses of intense light into your skin and removes spots of discolouration and vascular lesions.
Body hair
Ridding ourselves of body hair is a legacy cultural pastime passed down through the generations. But as deeply engrained as our shaving and plucking rituals are, getting rid of it is often no more than an aesthetic choice.
Genetic and health factors can determine the amount of hair on your body, and some can be addressed in consultation with your doctor (e.g., hormonal imbalances). Most skin clinics and spas also offer multiple methods of removing hair. Waxing can be one of the more affordable options, but it is not permanent. Electrolysis is generally more expensive and longer lasting, involving a tiny needle to cauterize the hair root. Laser treatment permanently destroys the hair bulb and can be used almost anywhere on the body except for areas near the eyes.
Pore size
The surface of your skin can say as much or as little about you as you like. If the pores on your face appear larger than you think they should, it can be helpful to examine the causes for that – which can include an excess of oil and dead skin cells. Sometimes it’s just genetics.
Your pore size is not generally a medical concern, so says a 2016 South Korean study from Chung-Ang University College of Medicine. And while you should try to accept the skin you have – flaws and all – there are facial therapies that can deep clean, tighten and minimize pore size over time. One option is a glycolic facial, a deep pore cleansing and exfoliating facial that diminishes pore size and improves the overall quality of the skin.
Attitude
Your feelings about your body don’t end with how your skin looks under a microscope or whether your favourite jeans fit the way you want. A positive or negative attitude towards your own appearance can influence how you look to others – but this is often one of the deepest issues to address. Solutions start with making time for self-care, which can include going to the spa by yourself or with a friend.
Getting a facial, a seaweed body wrap or an aromatherapy body massage is about more than the specific effects of the treatment. Going to a spa is a way of telling yourself it’s time to relax and care for your body. In a small but significant way, these professional treatments help rejuvenate you mentally as well as physically – and that can change how you feel about your appearance as well as how others see you.
Ici Paris Skin Clinic & Spa is a NOW Access partner. Check out their offers on nowaccess.ca.
