En español | "You look tired" is a phrase no 50-plus woman likes to hear. It's a loud and clear hint we're not coming across as fresh, healthy and attractive to others — and who needs that? Clearly some combination of stress, insomnia, the daily barrage of social media and news, family/work/health issues and a few too many late-night Netflix binges is throwing us serious shade. Here are nine ways to snap out of it with an at-home routine and a 911 fast fix.
1. Cold brew your face and bodyNo hitting the snooze button. Even if you feel and look like a zombie, a cold shower, steamy suds-up and icy rinse finish will get your senses tingling, smooth superficial creases from your face and lift any brain fog. Prefer languishing in a cozy bath? Do the cold, steamy, cool routine as you wash your face. The heated soothing cleanser part will still steam the lines and the cold will give your circulation a jolt.
2. Moisturize while skin is dampTiming and technique matter. Think of a "tired" face like a deflated balloon, a "fresh" face like a round inflated one. If you lightly blot your face and immediately apply your hydrating cream or oil, skin gets plumped up. Wait five minutes, or 20, and you've lost that absorption window when emollients work best. Gently massage moisturizer into face, neck and décolletage for two or three minutes. This helps relax tension lines and gets a glow going.
3. Freshen eyes ASAPThe skin here is super thin and dry. It not only shows fatigue first, but amplifies it by going red, puffy, dark-circled and saggy. Clarify the "whites" with fast-acting drugstore drops like Lumify by Bausch & Lomb ($12, Target) or Alcon Naphcon-A Eye Drops ($11, target.com) both staples in A-list celeb makeup artist kits. Next a caffeine-packed eye cream like Garnier SkinActive Clearly Brighter Anti-Puff Eye Roller ($8, target.com) with vitamin C and caffeine, cool metallic roller tip soothes or Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel De-Puffing Eye Gel with caffeine and cucumber ($10, target. com) — chilled if possible (keep it on call in the fridge) — to soothe and reduce swelling and discoloration. No drops or cream handy? Check the freezer for frozen peas or blueberries and apply the icy bag over closed lids for five minutes. Or try cooled tea bags.
When you look tired, stressed mature skin either gets temperamental (sensitive, ruddy and possibly prone to breakouts) or it can go desert dry (ashy, sallow), and expression lines and wrinkles seem to sink deeper. Either way, a creamy, dewy stick foundation with a wide range of 30-40 shades like Flesh Firm Flesh ThickStick Foundation ($18, ulta.com), Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick ($46, sephora.com) or Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick ($46, sephora.com) pulls your face together fast. Pricey? Yes, but when you're aiming for authenticity instead of a mask, multipurpose coverage pays off. Using fingers, makeup brushes or sponges, dab and blend the foundation stick where and when needed on red, brown, blue or violet discolorations.
5. Blush, don't bronzeInstinct says go sunny and beachy — but hold it right there. Don’t reach for a self-tanner or bronzing powder. That's OK for your best days. But to restore a glow, grab a creamy pink or peach blush like Revlon Insta-Blush ($8, Target) or e.l.f. Beautifully Bare Blush ($4 target.com) and give cheeks a yoga-class flush in seconds.
Now's not the time for smoky dark eyes — black liner and dark brown shadows can look sexy at night in dim light, but they'll drag you down during the day. To restore sparkle, choose a nude palette in light to medium shades of mauve, peach and shimmery taupe like Maybelline Total Temptation Eyeshadow + Highlight Palette ($9, target.com) or NYX Professional Makeup Eyeshadow Palette in Soft & Rosy ($8, target.com). The combo of muted brown liner and mascara and pale shimmer on your upper lids restores shape and keeps the emphasis there. Skip makeup beneath the eyes, where liner and mascara can emphasize bags and crepey skin.
7. Shake up your hairPulling hair back or wearing it up can exacerbate a fatigued look, especially if hair is pulled too sleek and tight. Always let a few pieces float or cut feathery bangs if ponytails are your thing. Keep your hair loose, tousled and free and play up texture, wave or color. Yes, it's a distraction but one that works and makes you look lively, animated. Consider getting highlights around the face — it adds a frame of light just where you need it.
8. Wear cheerful vibrant colorsA white shirt is a classic brightener and black makes us feel slim and chic, but juicy colors like orange, red, raspberry, yellow and bright blue signal an energetic attitude. Ditto to splashy prints, stripes — even in a scarf. When feeling blah, throw on some color. It’s an instant pick-me-up.
Let's say you're already at work, a meeting, a party or a restaurant when a "frenemy" delivers the "you look tired" news. Grab an ice cube and head for the restroom. Rub the cube (or pat hands splashed with icy water) over your face right over face makeup. It revs up circulation like a cold shower. Brush your teeth or rinse your mouth with fresh water. Yawn to relax your jaw and de-tense facial muscles that exacerbate lines. Bend at the waist, run your hands through your hair and flip it back. Unbutton your blouse or shirt to a V to show more neck and upper chest, roll up your sleeves to show forearms, or take off your jacket or cardigan and go sleeveless — don't let it all be about your face. If possible, take a brief brisk walk. Movement has a caffeine-like effect that makes you look more alert. Breathe deeply from your diaphragm, five counts out and five counts in. Sit and stand up straight — no slouching — to appear more energetic. Add some statement glasses and bling. And smile: instant facelift.
‘How are you?’ It’s something we’re asked countless times a day by friends, family and colleagues, and the resounding response is usually along the lines of, ‘I feel tired. ’ One of the many outcomes of the upheavals of the past year and the uncertainty of the months ahead is a feeling of perpetual tiredness—and that fatigue is written all over our faces as dullness, dark circles and angry, misbehaving skin.
“This ongoing situation is having numerous indirect effects on our skin,” says Dr Anjali Mahto, a consultant dermatologist at Skin55 in London. “Many of us are suffering from increased levels of stress and anxiety, which means that not only are we feeling mentally tired, but levels of baseline chronic stress are affecting sleep patterns, resulting in physical tiredness and impacting the stress hormone, cortisol, aggravating any pre-existing skin conditions.”
It is the effects of stress that Noella Gabriel, co-founder and global president of Elemis, argues that we are noticing in our skin. “We need to understand that stress is not just something we go through, but something our skin has to contend with on a daily basis,” she says. “Our skin faces external stressors every single day, a fact that is then exacerbated by our own emotional stresses. ”
So, even if we are sleeping well, the constant hum of stress that many of us are experiencing right now is causing us to feel tired and making our skin look fatigued in the process. Here’s what you can do about it, according to the experts.
“Around 9pm, as the day closes, the body prepares for sleep by producing melatonin, a powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidant,” explains Gabriel. “Melatonin helps to balance the circadian rhythm and counteract inflammation and oxidative stress, which are key players in ageing. If this process is interfered with by broken sleep, anxiety or stress, the body produces cortisol, which in turn prevents your skin from producing hyaluronic acid, its natural hydrator.” What all this means is, poor sleep can result in dry and dehydrated skin, leading to dullness and an impaired skin barrier.
With many of us working from home now and foregoing makeup, it’s tempting to skip an evening skincare routine, but if you do, you are missing out on an opportunity to support your skin’s repair mechanisms while you sleep. In terms of the best products out there, Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair takes advantage of your circadian rhythm and helps to even out skin tone and boost glow, while Elemis Ultra Smart Pro-Collagen Night Genius is clinically proven to help strengthen the skin’s protective barrier, so it can hold on to its own moisture better and minimise sensitivity. It has also been shown to hydrate skin over 72 hours. Both help to make you look more rested than you may feel.
“When my patients tell me they think they look tired, what they are often referring to are changes in the upper third of their face, especially around their eyes,” says Dr Mahto. “Their concerns can range from pigmentation or dark circles to fine or deep wrinkles, to hollowing due to volume loss and subsequent tear troughs.”
The phrase "Why is your face so angry?!" anyone can get pissed off, especially if you were sitting without touching anyone and, as it seemed to you, was enjoying life. Of course, none of us wants to be a grump in the eyes of others. But what can be done about the involuntary grimace of sorrow and discontent? Women have been asking this question for a long time. Let's figure it out...
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For example, even before the war, in the fight against despondency, European women used special headbands with a painted smile. Today, American women are turning to cosmetic clinics en masse to get rid of the so-called bitchy face. According to The Mirror, referring to the experience of New York plastic surgeons, Botox and fillers have become the main weapon against this syndrome. Russian cosmetologists, as it turned out, also often hear requests from patients to “remove their dissatisfied face”, although sometimes there are more original requests.
“ Requests to remove a certain facial expression have been received from patients for the last ten years ,” says cosmetologist Alexei Edemsky. – Some men (usually in leadership positions) seek to "block" themselves with expressions of surprise and compassion - the so-called "house eyebrows". In their opinion, too friendly, touching appearance interferes with their work and business communication. Girls, on the contrary, ask to raise the corners of their lips, because their faces seem too mournful and sad to them. The same goes for the "spiteful", tired look."
According to the expert, attention to the fact that botox therapy can get rid of angry and hostile facial expressions is caused, on the one hand, by marketing tasks. Botox injections have become a fairly familiar and familiar procedure, which means that more and more advertising ideas and slogans are needed to attract attention. On the other hand, the rhythm of life only accelerates every year, which means that the need to constantly control oneself, constantly being “in good shape” also increases. This is what often forms a tense "mask" - a frozen expression on the face - and causes the need to give it liveliness, the beautician believes.
First of all, it is worth understanding what is hidden behind an angry facial expression. Perhaps it's just age-related changes. According to cosmetologist Alexei Edemsky, there is a certain type of aging that falls under the concept of “tired face”: the corners of the mouth and the outer corners of the eye drop, the cheeks “swim”. Such a face with "tired" features, of course, does not look very friendly. An "evil" expression can also be a reflection of negative emotions and inner feelings. And then the doctor advises, first of all, to start inner work, to eliminate irritants and main triggers that interfere with a peaceful life. Otherwise, cosmetic corrections will be ineffective.
« If we talk about specific procedures that help overcome "malice", then, first of all, this is the use of botulinum toxin , - says the expert. – The treatment relaxes tense muscles and generally redistributes tension across the face, making the expression more pleasant. But if the patient continues to experience internal stress, then external adjustments can cause a feeling of heaviness, "burden", a feeling of "brick" in those places where botulinum toxin was injected. In some cases, even a headache may appear. If there are personal unresolved problems, then it is better to work on yourself, on your inner state, and not on your face. On the other hand, a change in appearance for the better has a positive effect on that very inner state."
According to Edemsky, fillers can also be used to lift the corners of the lips and the “tails” of the eyebrows. Just be careful: if a person abuses fillers, this can adversely affect his appearance.
"Fillers based on hyaluronic acid can cause edema in the tissues of the face, and if large volumes are injected, and the person himself is prone to edema, then ptosis - the descent of soft tissues on the face - cannot be avoided. The descended tissues pull the corners down with them lips, corners of the eye, eyebrows... That is, the positive effect after the procedure after a few years will not only be reduced to zero, but will become worse than if the patient did nothing. those who have a tendency to edema, to the formation of hernial and painting sacs"
The work of getting rid of the "evil face" must be complex. This requires contacting not only cosmetologists, but also psychologists and even face-building trainers.
" massages or the same facebuilding , which has gained popularity in recent years, can help with an unpleasant facial expression. , - says the beautician. - Manual therapy can also help, in particular cranial therapy . This technique involves working with the skull, working out the muscles, as well as the bone base of the skull.
Start small now! Face fitness trainer and founder of the self-massage school, Evgenia Tseplyaeva, shows the shortest (and most enjoyable!) exercise against the lowered corners of the lips.
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Speaking of the "evil" facial expression, one cannot but touch upon the dental part of the problem. A smile is the hallmark of our kindness and beauty.
« If a person is ashamed of his smile due to the poor condition of his teeth and tries to avoid it, then the muscle around the mouth will atrophy , - says dentist, candidate of medical sciences Dmitry Smirnov. - A person loses the ability to smile naturally, and in a relaxed state, an unpleasant facial expression may appear. "
According to Dmitry Smirnov, anger lives in the lower jaw. Tension of the dentoalveolar system is primarily associated with experiences. No wonder they say: endure with clenched teeth. At that moment, when a person clenched his teeth, the large chewing muscle (musculus masseter) works. The more often we are in stressful situations, the more angry we are, the stronger this muscle develops in us, pumping up like an athlete’s biceps. In the common people, they say about this process "to roll the jaws." It is they who emphasize the cheekbones and jaw angles, which, on the one hand, speak of brutality and strength of personality, and, on the other hand, give out a frequent manifestation of anger and anger and can even visually add several years. Constant stress provokes active physical growth of the masticatory muscle, leads to disturbances in the work of the temporomandibular joint, and any imbalance in the system increases the load on the teeth, which ultimately destroys them. So, without the ability to control yourself, in order to maintain a beautiful smile, you should contact a specialist in functional dentistry.
Psychologist Daria Milay believes that women go to change their unpleasant facial expressions in order to increase self-esteem and achieve harmony with the world.
"Our face is an instrument of our interaction with the outside world. The emotions that are reflected on the face are how a person communicates with others, what he broadcasts to the world. When the goals in life are one, and the face broadcasts something different, women and decide on such operations. You need to understand that if a woman does not develop her emotional intelligence, everything will return to normal very quickly. No one has canceled muscle compensation, so you should monitor your emotional awareness. "
According to the expert, many unresolved psychological difficulties can be reflected on our face. Problems with the skin (for example, acne) and facial muscles can arise due to rejection of oneself, one's body, rejection of one's gender, and so on.
« There is such a thing as a "facial block": all our repressed emotions and stresses settle into a muscle block. We have painful sensations, all kinds of distortions , - says Daria Milay. - You need to watch whether you know how to say "no", whether you are honest in your reactions to what is happening, otherwise all attempts to hide true feelings will still be reflected on your face. It is important to be aware of your real desires and needs, separating them from the imposed ideas from those around you. Accept yourself as a whole, forgive yourself for everything if there are any mistakes and mistakes, love yourself, respecting others, and refuse comparisons. The latter are very parasitic on the life of a woman, especially now - in the age of social networks. It's hard not to compare your life with someone else's, not to try to fulfill the imposed goals... Nevertheless, try to live your own life, not someone else's, and change what you don't like about it by building boundaries. I bet it will boost your self esteem. And when you change everything in your life that doesn’t suit you, muscle blocks can go away on their own.”
Of course, working on yourself takes a lot of time, and I would like to get the result as soon as possible. And here you just can’t do without the ability to relax properly. Here are some tips from Daria Milay on how to do it.
Text: Victoria Melnikova
Photo: Getty Images, social networks
February 13, 2021 Life
A very real diagnosis that can seriously spoil your life.
In 2013, a two-minute video of Bitchy Resting Face appeared on YouTube. The video instantly became popular, scored almost eight million views and three thousand comments. The heroines of the video raise the problem of the “bitchy face” and tell how it ruins their lives. “I don’t want to hit you,” says one of the victims of the syndrome. “It’s just my face.”
This problem existed before, but after the video they started talking about it seriously. The essence of the syndrome is that the face of its owner in a relaxed state looks angry and unfriendly, although the person does not actually experience these emotions. Due to certain features of appearance, facial expressions can express both discontent, contempt and anger, as well as ridicule, irritation or sadness.
People with bitchy face syndrome come across as a snob, a serial killer, or an evil high school math student.
As a result, strangers often prematurely conclude that it is better not to approach this person, and friends repeatedly pester with the question: “Are you okay?” The most famous victims of the syndrome are Anna Kendrick, Kristen Stewart, Victoria Beckham, Queen Elizabeth and Kanye West.
Neuroscientists conducted an experiment during which they scanned more than 10,000 images of human faces using a special program. And we came to the conclusion that a person is never 100% neutral. Normal score - 97% neutral and 3% other emotes. However, “bitchy” individuals have a lower level of neutrality: it is only 94%. And the percentage of emotions, respectively, is higher - as much as 6%. And the predominant among them is contempt.
The expression of negative emotions in a calm state is a consequence of the peculiarities of the facial muscles. Here are the main ones:
Features of the face | What emotions can express |
Downturned corners of the mouth head of the online school of natural rejuvenation "The result is obvious" Spasmodic facial muscles and slowing down of blood and lymph flow are most often to blame. Another reason is a violation of posture, in which the entire muscular sheet of the face is displaced. The clarity of the oval is lost, ptosis, swelling appear, the corners of the lips creep down, and the nasolabial folds become deeper. In addition, the outward signs of angry face syndrome can also be a consequence of poor vision: a person squints all the time, straining his facial muscles, and over time this becomes a habit. Why women are the main victims of the syndromeResearch has shown that bitchy face syndrome is typical for both men and women. This is a general problem not related to gender differences. Any person, regardless of gender, can have lowered corners of the mouth, furrowed eyebrows and an insufficiently open look, but the paradox is that men do not suffer from the bitchy face syndrome. Scientists explain this by the fact that the phenomenon is connected not with physiology, but with social norms. For men, a serious, stern or even angry face is in the order of things. In the mass consciousness, it is associated with strength, intelligence, determination and sexuality.
Women with a serious or stern face are often accused of arrogance. And it's all about gender stereotypes. There is a social construct in society: "A woman should be gentle." It developed in previous centuries, when a girl in society was assigned the role of a housewife and a “good wife”. She did not have financial independence and equality with men, and the smile on her face was a manifestation of humility. Much has changed since then, but the social attitude has remained. Women with insufficiently affable appearance still suffer from gender stereotypes. They can easily be called bitches because of an unfriendly expression on their faces, they can be denied employment or dismiss a lot of gossip behind their backs. Art project by American artist Tatyana Fazlalizade Stop telling women to smile, edition.cnn.comHow Syndrome Ruins LifePeople judge others by their appearance. And no matter how hard we try to change it, the first impression is formed in one tenth of a second - faster than a person has time to realize something. At the same time, the brain has stable reactions to certain facial features:
Based on all of this, a person with bitchy face syndrome will almost always make a bad first impression. Others may think that he is an arrogant snob and despises everyone, although in reality everything is not at all like that. This can be a hindrance at a party, as well as when applying for a job or at a business meeting. It has been proven that people with an attractive appearance are more successful and earn 10-12% more. How to recognize the syndrome in yourselfCheck your appearance using the FaceReader program. In the picture, the face should be full face and in a relaxed, calm state. The higher the quality of the photo, the more accurate the result. A significant disadvantage of the program is that it does not give the ratio of emotions as a percentage, so it is impossible to say for sure whether you have a syndrome. But if contempt (contempt) is present or prevails among emotions, then there is a possibility that you still have it. Here are the results of Lifehacker employees: 1 / 0 The face of Lifehacker host Irina Rogava is neutral, but expresses surprise, fear, disgust and contempt 2 / 0 The face of our videographer Olesya Shishko is neutral, but the predominant emotion is happiness 3 / 0 The face of the author Liza Platonova in a calm state expresses surprise, anger and contempt. How to live with bitchy face syndromeDo a facial massageIt is not able to remove wrinkles and rejuvenate. But the effect is still there: the procedure helps to tighten the oval, cope with tight muscles and relax them. In addition, the face after the massage looks fresher and rested. Massage can be done by a beautician or by yourself. To do this, there are many special devices that greatly simplify the process. Important: to get the result, massage must be done regularly. Work on facial expressionsYou can be yourself in the company of friends and relatives, but if you want to make a good impression in public, you have to control your emotions. For example, you want to look more friendly during communication: try to smile slightly, slightly straining and lifting your cheeks. The corners of the lips will automatically rise. Such a half-smile looks natural and does not cause rejection among others. Sometimes a contemptuous expression arises from an insufficiently open look: it seems that a person looks at everyone arrogantly. In such a situation, you need to try to open your eyes a little wider: the look will become more open and not so depressed. Refine your face with make-up
Consult a beauticianBitch face syndrome manifestations can be removed with the help of cosmetics: mimic wrinkles on the forehead and bridge of the nose can be smoothed out with Botox, the corners of the lips can be lifted with it, and nasolabial folds can be filled with a filler based on hyaluronic acid. But this is an extreme measure. Perhaps, for a start, it is worth working on self-esteem, and not injecting. Don't take the problem too seriouslyThe syndrome was first talked about in the West, where a smile is a sign of politeness and an integral part of etiquette. People look welcoming and friendly, because it is customary: this is a way to show your disposition to the interlocutor. And if a person does not smile, he violates social norms. And the arrogance and contempt on the face and does raise questions. In Russia, things are different: we don't usually smile for the sake of politeness, and the insincere smile of a stranger is alarming. |