Lifestyle /
Coping With Skin Issues
Skin Problems such as Acne, Rosacea, and Eczema Can Be Embarrassing in a Society that Prizes Healthy, Fair Skin.
Men and women who suffer from skin discrepancies are prone to ridicule, social stigma and, often, a loss of confidence leading to depression. I was diagnosed with rosacea in September 2013. During that summer, I recall travelling back to Singapore to visit childhood friends just days after I had been accepted to the PhD program that I'm presently enrolled in. I'll never forget the funny looks and questions I got from the flight attendant asking me why my skin was so red. As a child, I would blush easily but I didn't realize these were early symptoms of rosacea.
Some of you may be unfamiliar with the disease. Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that makes sufferers prone to facial redness, small and superficial dilated blood vessels, swelling, and pus-filled pimples. If left untreated, the disease can even reach sensitive areas of your face, like the eyes and nose, deforming their shape. There are many triggers for this disease, including extreme heat and cold, alcohol, stress and an unhealthy diet. When I was diagnosed, I had no restrictions on what I ate and drank. I was stressed because of the uncertainty of where my career was going and the doctors offered no help except countless antibiotics and medication. These treatments could briefly numb the nerves and hide the redness that I had to cover with lots of make-up, making my skin more unhealthy and taking away its natural glow.
Before: With Samita Nandy in 2013 — in the beginning stages of rosacea
Being from a South Asian (Indian) family and being in my mid-20s, I faced a constant pressure of “recovering” from a disease that I was told by the doctors I couldn’t be cured from. My family members offered natural home remedies such as aloe vera gel to counter the redness. Feeling pressured, I did use them and made strange combinations that eventually led to a severe allergic reaction, causing my skin to turn red extremely painful, with an unstoppable drainage of pus and crusting over my face, leaving me unable to function in a daily routine due to low blood pressure. The condition became so much worse that I was put on prednisol, a steroid, to help my skin recover. That’s when I realized that if I wanted to fight this disease, it had to be from inside out. I committed and never looked back.
After: a recent photo of mine in 2015
Below are my suggestions for coping with skin issues.
Be Open About Your Emotions
Skin issues like acne, rosacea and eczema can cause us to feel stressed, isolated and embarrassed. Be open about your emotions to your loved ones and support system. They will be your strength and will motivate you on your recovery and path to success. Also, these diseases are usually due to a certain lack of nutrients or a weak autoimmune system and they can be controlled if you take care of these causes.
Be Positive That, One Day, It Will Be Under Control
Change comes from within. While this sounds cliché, your attitude will keep you committed to bringing change into your life. The more positive you are that, one day, it will be under control, the more you will be naturally inclined to keep on trying until the disease is under control.
Raw, Organic, Healthy Juices Are The Way To Go!
As I was coping with the disease, I came across Joe Cross’s documentary called Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead (2010) and its sequel, which was released in 2014. Cross was suffering from a disease that led to chronic hives, which were essentially red rashes on his skin because of his weak autoimmune system. He turned his life around and went on a mission to promote juicing. Both these films are worth watching. He encourages people to reboot their systems with a healthy dose of vegetables and fruits, and I realized that in South or Southeast Asian countries, we have raw, natural organic juices available to us in juice corners everywhere, yet this is something we take for granted. It made sense for him to promote the juice in North America, where the diet is mostly composed of meat and starches and where people don't want to eat fruits and vegetables. As a result, I began to supplement my diet with two fresh juices a day. Here is one recipe I came across for glowing skin from Mind, Body, Green. If you don’t have the time to get a juicer, I recommend a home-grown Canadian brand called Pulp and Press. Although the juices cost about $8 each and are on the costlier end of the spectrum, they have delicious combinations and are cold-pressed. They offer delivery all over Ontario and are worth every sip! Within days of drinking, I was getting compliments on my skin, and since then, I have had no breakouts.
Take Your Vitamins and Pro-Biotics
I take one pro-biotic pill daily along with one women's daily multivitamin to counteract the antibiotic I'm on. While I was on this antibiotic for the past two years, I didn't realize that it was eating away the good bacteria that was present in my gut. Taking pro-biotic pills and vitamins has played a key role in transforming my skin and has made it much better. I have had no flares since I began this routine and I plan to remain committed to it for the rest of my life!
Feature Image Source: edesibabes.com
Blog Images: courtesy of Nidhi Shrivastava
Nidhi Shrivastava
Author
Nidhi Shrivastava (@shnidhi) is a Ph.D. candidate in the English department at Western University and works as an adjunct professor in at Sacred Heart University. She holds double masters in South Asian Studies and Women's Studies. Her research focuses on Hindi film cinema, censorship, the figure o...
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