There is so much pressure these days to look young and fresh, to the extent that when someone says “He/She is aging well!” they mean “They look younger than they are!”. In all truth, we have so many competing priorities when it comes to wellness that many of them contradict each other. Diets that are advised for losing that winter weight will often mean losing nutrients that are needed for good health.
It’s also the case that many treatments advised for non-threatening conditions have side-effects. No-one LIKES to have acne, oily skin or dry hair. It’s sensible to look to combat these conditions, but a lot of their treatments are actually worse than what they treat. It’s the equivalent of carpet-bombing a town because its town hall is unsightly.
So here’s the thing. No-one is saying that beautifying treatment is a no-no. We all want to look as good as possible. But to achieve that, it is important to make sure we’re not writing checks our bodies will have to claim.
1. Over-The-Counter Medications
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Going natural is important, but no-one should take it to the extremes where doctors are ignored. Pharmaceutical treatment is sometimes necessary. However, be very wary of pills that say they’ll end cellulite and acne. They won’t, first of all. Secondly, they’ll affect your body chemistry in a way which makes the initial problem look minor.Aside from the obvious diseases though, there are plenty of other adverse effects that go under-reported.When going OTC for skin treatments, natural is good.
2. “This One Food Will End Your Problems!”
No. No, it won’t. You know how companies are required to say that a certain food will help reduce problems as part of a balanced diet? That’s because no food has yet been invented that will cause oily skin to dry up a little, or make your hair as shiny as a labrador’s coat. Eat well, yes. Avoid fast food and processed snacks as much as possible. Drink water! But in all things, balance is essential.
3. Topical Applications
If someone comes to you and tells you that their product will rejuvenate or clear your skin overnight, run a mile. Nothing with that kind of working cycle could ever be good. A sound melasma treatment will make your skin look better and younger, but it will take a bit of time. And that’s good! Long-term problems need long-term solutions. If something works overnight, that’s how long it will last too.
There are a few other good rules of thumb. Avoid anything that calls itself a “Miracle Cure”. It isn’t. If something is sold with the tagline “Doctors Hate It”, then so should you. Look for words like “effective” and “efficient”. They’re not as exciting as “overnight” or “age-defying” but they’re actually true.
It’s important to remember, whatever the ailment, that there is a cause for it. If you just treat the symptom, it’s an incomplete cure. Even if you live healthily, sometimes these things happen, but living healthily will make them easier to treat. And if you take a more natural approach to treating them you’ll look and feel better for longer.
