If, as a woman, you struggle to feel confident in your appearance, you are far from alone.
In fact, a recent study found that “3 in 10 women are uncomfortable with their appearance by 16 years old,” and it’s easy to see why. Long-outdated societal expectations and a bombardment of influencers and celebrity posts on social media often mean that we find it hard to live up to the standards we set for ourselves, and our confidence suffers as a result of this.
Photo by Vinicius Wiesehofer on Unsplash
That being said, there are plenty of ways in which you can turn this around. Read on to discover five expert ways in which you can increase your confidence in your appearance!
Make that dentist appointment. There are many reasons why you may avoid going to the dentist. However, regular appointments at your local dentistry office can help to bring your confidence to new levels. This is because they will help you to tackle issues such as discoloration, plaque build-up and more, all of which can change how you feel about your appearance for the better. As such, now is the time to make that appointment you’ve been putting off!
Express yourself through your clothing. Finding ways to add a little flair to your style can also work wonders when it comes to restoring your confidence in your appearance. This is because you’ll feel as though the clothes you are wearing are more representative of who you are, meaning that you’ll carry yourself with more confidence moving forward. Conversely, you are much more likely to feel uncomfortable or self-conscious in clothes you wear simply because everyone else is wearing them.
You can also regain lost confidence through learning to dress in a way that flatters your body type. For example, if you have a pear-shaped figure, you should try wearing plunging necklines and aline styled pants and skirts.
Embark upon a fitness journey. Embarking on a fitness journey can also elevate your self-confidence, as doing so will help you to work on your relationship with your body. While this can be a great way to lose weight, exercise will help you to appreciate your body no matter what size you are. This is because you become more aware of just how strong and powerful you are, which is always something to celebrate.
Develop a new skincare routine. There are many signs that it’s time to up your skincare routine. For example, not only are you less likely to feel confident in your skin during this time, but you may also notice an increase in issues such as acne, redness and changes to the texture of your skin. In any case, implementing a new skincare routine will help turn things around.
If you’ve struggled with your skin in the past, you may want to consult a dermatologist before tyring out new products. This way, you can make sure that you are choosing products that will work with you, not against you. After all, the last thing you want to do in this situation is make things worse. You should also make sure you remove your makeup before getting into bed, no matter how tired you may be.
Spend less time on social media. While there can be value in spending time on social media, it’s not known for its positive influence on our self-esteem. For example, you may find that you spend hours scrolling through your feed, comparing yourself to others. Alternatively, you may obsess over the number of likes or comments your posts receive. In these cases, spending less time on social media can help to increase confidence in your appearance moving forward.
This does not mean that you have to delete your accounts permanently, especially as they are often our primary means of staying in touch with those we love and care about. Instead, try to spend no more than an hour on social media each day. If the temptation to scroll becomes too much, add a timer to the app itself that logs you out automatically.
Final thoughts. If you’ve struggled with your confidence for quite some time, then you may feel as though it is something that is out of your reach entirely. However, this is not the case; you simply need to find a way to silence the voice in your head that tells you that you are not good enough.
Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can achieve that goal, from taking good care of your teeth to reducing the amount of time you spend on social media.