“Many times during consultations we are surprised how boys and girls aged 12 years and under begin to take out a bunch of creams, soaps, scrubs, cosmetics, etc. from their bags. sometimes more than 15 products, and they ask us what to do with them or if we can prescribe anything else.” What does he say when talking to Hypertext Rose Taberner, dermatologist at the Son Llatzer Hospital (Palma de Mallorca) and member of the Spanish Association of Dermatologists and Venereologists, is not something exceptional. This phenomenon is known as cosmetic orexia and this is becoming more and more common.
Social media skincare trend leads to… many children and teenagers They also want to get on the bandwagon. They are at an age where group acceptance and physical recognition are a very important part of their lives. Your self-esteem depends largely on both factors. Therefore, if appearance is given vital importance and skin care routines are presented as a quick solution to show off a stunning face, It’s no wonder that more and more people who are too young want to have your own daily routine.
This is how cosmetic corexia is born, a phenomenon that can be harmful on many levels. On the one side, not good for the pocket. Young people spend very large amounts of money on products they do not need. On the other hand, it could be harmful to skin, since incompatible compounds are often mixed or aggressive agents are used unnecessarily. And finally, psychologically It also has many negative connotations. They are worth knowing and, above all, keeping an eye on them for adults who have children and teenagers around them.
What is cosmetic correction?
The term “cosmetic corexia” is quite new. It began being used last year due to the exponential rise in the number of children and teenagers becoming obsessed with skincare routines promoted on social media. Affected children are known in some regions as “Sephora kids”
Although this term has recently been used, it is true that many dermatologists began to discover it almost shortly after the pandemic began.
This is mainly due to the fact that there has now been a significant increase in the number of content creators dedicated to talking about skin care on social media. They usually ignore the fact that the procedures they are talking about are not recommended for children. They just praise benefits of hyaluronic acid, vitamin C or retinolamong other connections. If someone as concerned about their physique as teenagers sees all the wonderful things these compounds can do, it is quite normal for them to want to use them.
In fact, Rose Taberner explains something very interesting about this. “Not long ago we had trouble getting teenagers with acne to strictly follow the treatments we offer, but now we’ve found a way to get them to do it: just tell them we’re going to do it. send one routine“he says. “It’s like a magic word that guarantees compliance with the therapeutic regimen.”
Cosmetics for the youngest
In fact, children and teenagers do not need to follow any kind of daily routine. They just, like everyone else, have to wash your face. If they are going to be in the sun, it is also important that they use sunscreen, Well, there’s no age for that. For Rosa Taberner, a person who does not have any dermatological diseases, this would be enough.
There may be some condition. The two most common traits at this age are atopic dermatitis and acne. In such cases, treatment is necessary, or, as young people prefer to understand it, routine treatment.
“We will tell a teenager with acne to wash his face with a special cleanser in the morning and apply healing cream at night, and during sunny months use a non-greasy sunscreen. That would be enough.
There is no magic age
It’s true that as we get older, our skin has special needs, so it may be necessary to add more steps to that basic routine that younger people should follow.
There is no magic age, according to Taberner. For her, if she had to name a number, it would be 30 years. But this varies greatly between people. Now, even at this age, we must always remember that less – more. “If we limit ourselves to hygiene and photoprotection, adding some are active at night In most cases this should be more than enough.”
To all this, the dermatologist adds that careful skin care will be of little benefit if we continue to adhere to habits such as smoking, poor diet or lack of exercise. It’s not just creams that take care of your skin, and they don’t talk about it on social media.
Physical problems of cosmetic correction
Two of the trendiest ingredients in beauty treatments in recent years: retinol and alpha and beta hydroxy acids.
The first one is vitamin A derivative, with compelling scientific evidence of its benefits. It has a low molecular weight, so it easily penetrates into the deep layers of the skin. but at the same time he operates on a superficial level. It promotes cell turnover, which helps remove dead skin and allow new, brighter skin to emerge. In addition, it improves skin texture and elasticity, depigmentation, prevents and reduces wrinkles. As if that weren’t enough, it’s also a sebum regulator.
Overall considered one of the best allies against photoaging. And here we discover the first inconsistency of cosmetic orexia. There is no point in teenagers using this ingredient to maintain beautiful skin. Your skin is already beautiful and youthful. If they have a problem, they need to see a dermatologist to prescribe treatment for them. Don’t use retinol, no matter how much it is advertised on social media. And it’s not only a waste of money. As we have seen, retinol promotes skin renewal. This means it is peeling off. And this peeling in high concentrations or when the skin is not accustomed tovery high.
Step by step
Adults who really need it are recommended to start with low concentrations of retinol and rise gradually if they deem it necessary. Additionally, it should always be used at night and followed by sunscreen the next day. And in the first weeks, use it first a couple of nights a week, then increase it to every other night and finally daily.
Even with these considerations, sometimes sensitive skin needs to ditch retinol and try other products. Something similar happens with hydroxy acids. Are chemical exfoliants. That is, they do not have granules like physical exfoliants, but act directly on the skin, removing the surface layers of dead skin. This again represents an exfoliation process that needs to be started gradually.
Be careful what you mix
Skin care used to consist of washing your face and adding cream from a huge jar that contained a supply of products for the whole year. However, nowadays cosmetics have become an exhibition chemistry. This can be beneficial, but also the need to measure what we do very well; because, just like in the laboratory, there are ingredients that should never be mixed. Some examples are retinol and alpha hydroxy acids, vitamin C and acids, benzoyl peroxide and hydroxy acids, or multiple types of hydroxy acids within the same class.
Therefore, as Rose Taberner says, “less is more.” You must use the minimum to receive benefits and no more. Moreover, as explained in the journal article on comseticorexia Telva dermatologist Cristina Garcia Millanimproper use of cosmetics can lead to skin irritation and suffocation. The latter occurs when the sebaceous follicle becomes blocked, and can be very irritating.
What happens to teenagers?
There has been a recent boom in cosmetic correction. It makes sense that this coincided with the explosion in the number of skin care videos published on social media. But why are these videos so attractive to teenagers? For child and adolescent psychologist Esther Laso, it’s a question of self-esteem:
“We all need to feel supported by good self-esteem. Self-esteem develops throughout life, and is stronger in some aspects than others. When you are a teenager, you need your peers to support you, and the values of your peers will be the measure of a person’s worth. If I move into a sports environment, my physical qualities will be what will support me, if I work in another field, I will strive to prove myself there too.”
Esther Laso, psychologist
The fact is that on social networks the first entry point is the image, especially for the little ones. Advertisements and videos from content creators often consciously or unconsciously exploit this need that we all have. They present these products as a quick fix to improve their image. Moreover, some realities of adolescence, as common as acne, are sometimes presented as something disgusting.
All this leads to the fact that teenagers need to do their best to improve their image. “They believe that image will give them this self-esteem that they are still under construction,” says Laso. “Focusing on the physical gives them some security.”
What should parents do if they discover a case of cosmetic orexia?
First of all, to avoid problems such as cosmetic corexia, it is important that young people do good use of social media. According to Laso, this should be gradual and initially accompanied by family members. “It’s the same as letting a child go out alone,” the psychologist gives an example. “First he goes out for ice cream, then he gains the confidence to go for a walk, and when he gets older he goes to a party.”
The same thing happens with social networks. And, of course, it largely depends on each child at what age their hand will be released so that they can eat this ice cream alone. However, as an approximate age, Laso speaks of 14 years old.
What happens if you already have social media and family members or close adults see that you are obsessed with makeup? What to do with cosmetic correction?
First, confirm them
The first step, as the specialist explains, is confirm this concern which have. “Validation is about giving importance, but not necessarily agreement,” he explains. “Contextualize the impact of appearance on your life and provide the answer that the family feels is most appropriate.” This also depends on the case, of course. “If a child has acne, nothing happens because he takes care of his skin. The problem is that when I focus my goals on an image, all my behavior and my emotional reactions are related to my appearance.
In this case, “approach is more important than not purchasing the product because it needs to be identified.” where are we looking when we talk to a teenager.” For example, it is important to highlight the qualities that make them valuable beyond their appearance. Help them realize that they are more than just a pretty face and that they don’t have to be obsessed with taking care of it. They are great just the way they are.
Logically, if this is not enough, then in the case of cosmetic orexia, you may need to see an emotional psychologist and a dermatologist to help them understand what their skin really needs. We all need to love ourselves. This should be the first step any skin care.
Source: Hiper Textual
