“Today brown, tomorrow blonde. Or straight hair during the day and curly at night – I always feel like changing my hairstyle”
Congratulations on so much creativity ! “Hair is an exciting experimental field for changing. You can also deal with them rougher than with the skin , where we tend to fear irreparable damage,” says psychologist Kirsten Juchem from the Cologne market research institute rheingold salon. Nevertheless: It doesn’t always have to be a radical color change or constant styling with a curling iron or straightening iron.
“Chemical substances and heat attack the hair structure. Hair cannot regenerate itself,” says Dr. Claudia Pettke-Rank , dermatologist at the Cutaris Center for Skin and Laser Medicine in Munich, should be considered. She recommends softer colorationswithout ammoniac.
Highlights or washable tints are also gentler. Super important for frequent coloring and heat attacks: restorative repair care that keeps the hair supple and styling products with heat protection. But even small variants, e.g. Things like wearing bangs, changing the parting, and various updos can create quick transformations so we don’t look the same at the conference table in the morning as we do in the bar at night
“I want to smell good and I perfume myself extensively. But my husband is getting fed up”
A frequent phenomenon: the nose hides its own smell after a few minutes. “People get used to their perfume quickly, others perceive it much more intensely,” confirms dermatologist Dr. Pettke Rank. That’s why some unintentionally fog the entire office floor with their own scent brand.
If spraying becomes compulsive, it is a case of ” neutralization rage “: someone tries everything to cover up their own body odor. “We strive to emulate the ideal of a body that shows as little as possible any signs of exertion or age, and that under no circumstances should smell of sweat,” says psychologist Kirsten Juchem.
The dermatologist recommends: change the scent regularly– that trains your own sense of smell. Rely on more discreetly dosed body sprays or the lotion of your favorite perfume.
“I never leave the house without lipstick – even if I just want to go to the rubbish bin or the bakery around the corner”
Movie stars do the same. But the big difference to the Hollywood beauties: no paparazzi will ambush us “normal people” to photograph us without make-up. The lipstick “addicts” can not only be concerned with the external appearance – especially not those who even wear lipstick when they are alone at home.
The psychologist Kirsten Juchem suspects a longing for authenticity as the background. The sense of self does not arise the moment we look in the mirror in the morning without make-up, but only “as soon as we have concealed pallor and dark circles and are wearing subtle make-up”. Is this how we trick our self-image? “Absolutely. Nothing is more difficult than looking natural, because naturalness doesn’t mean no make-up.” We only feel comfortable with our soft-focus version. And color on the lips beautifies the fastest. So a harmless tick.
The dermatologist Dr. As Pettke-Rank puts it: “There is nothing wrong with a beautifully made-up mouth. Especially since opaque lipsticks also protect against UV rays.”
Regular exfoliation
“If I don’t see any effect from my anti-aging cream after two weeks, I immediately buy another one”
High-quality creams also require a bit of patience : “An anti-aging effect that works not only on the surface but in the deeper layers of the skin can be expected after three to six months at the earliest,” explains dermatologist Dr. Pettke Rank. So it’s worth holding out until the end of the crucible. But we would like to believe in the immediate miracle effect of a magic cream. Why actually?
The statement of the psychoanalyst and doctor Margarete Mitscherlich (now 94) became a dictum: “I love expensive creams and buy expensive cosmetics. That’s the magic of the enlightened woman.” Even owning an anti-aging cream can represent a form of self-esteem, loosely based on the motto: I spoil myself, therefore I am. Psychologist Kirsten Juchem says: “Women constantly vacillate between accepting old age and being creative in order to optimize their appearance.
Of course, each of them eventually reaches the limits of feasibility.” No cream really makes us look younger. But sometimes the smooth feeling on the skin helpsthat we at least feel younger. And in fact, well-groomed and protected skin has the best chance of aging more slowly. If you want an immediate effect, you will find many tricks in our topic of the month to turn back the clock a little “optically”.
“I can’t leave a perfumery without buying at least three products. I’m either seduced by the low set price or by the appearance of the jars, which then beautify my bathroom”
A full bathroom does not automatically look nicer than a clean one. When purchasing beauty products purely for decorative purposes, the question of purpose naturally arises. Psychologist Kirsten Juchem sees it this way: “The bathroom is a cocooning room. Here women can retreat, pamper themselves and build up their self-confidence – beautiful pots are definitely an enrichment. If they are colour-coordinated, they also satisfy the need for harmony”.
If it’s really just about visual effects: Fine candles and scented stones can also set aesthetic accents in the bathroom, last longer and cost less. When it comes to beauty sets, it’s worth grabbing – with tried-and-tested favorite products. In general, the inhibition threshold when buying cosmetics is low: “In contrast to clothing, lipstick, creams or make-up (almost) always fit and are cheaper than new pumps,” explains Kirsten Juchem. That looks tempting. It would make all the more sense to ask ourselves what we really need before entering the perfumery, instead of following spontaneous buying impulses.
“Natural cosmetics or high-tech: I can’t decide. That’s why I mix everything up – whether cleaning, skin and hair care or make-up”
Skin stress seems programmed – after all, every beautician preaches that systematic care is the be-all and end-all. Claudia Pettke-Rank sees it differently: “It doesn’t matter whether the products come from a series, as long as the user feels comfortable. If it tolerates everything well, there is nothing wrong with a mix.” The only difference is the feeling when it is applied: natural cosmetics are absorbed just as quickly as high-tech creams, but since they contain no silicone, the skin does not feel it immediately, only afterward soft after prolonged use.
“In general, women want both: to become more beautiful with selected high-tech fabrics and to look natural and authentic with the help of organic cosmetics. The result should not correspond to any stereotype, but rather emphasize one’s own individuality. So there is no contradiction between using a high-tech face cream and pampering your body with natural cosmetics,” says psychologist Kirsten Juchem.
“I love my facial scrub twice a week. The skin feels so smooth afterwards”
One peeling application per week is completely sufficient for almost all skin types. However: “Pathological keratinization disorders can make more frequent peeling necessary,” explains dermatologist Dr. Claudia Pettke-Rank. As long as the healthy skin tolerates it, no problem – if you consider two things: “If the skin’s own horny calluses are constantly being thinned out as a natural sun protection, the complexion becomes more sensitive.”
As a countermeasure, Dr. Pettke-Rank: “Consistently apply a high level of sun protection to prevent UV-related wrinkles.” From a psychological point of view, the longing for fine-pored skin can be explained by the need to get rid of everyday dirt. In this case, too, psychologist Kirsten Juchem cites the “anger of neutralization”: “We want clear and innocent skin that should show as few signs of aging as possible.” Instead of mechanical exertion, simple things also make things more beautiful: fresh air and oxygen stimulate blood circulation . And the easiest trick in the world is this: scoop cold water in your face with both hands for 30 seconds. In the cold, the pores contract, swellings disappear, the complexion glows rosy – without magic!
“My lips feel dry all the time. That’s why I very often run my tongue or a care stick over my mouth. This makes them even more brittle”
Typical case of a habit that eventually becomes difficult to break, and also an unconscious ritual of protection. The astonishing explanation of the psychologist Kirsten Juchem: “Similar to hand cream, the frequent greasing offers protection from the stranger , from too many external influences. When you’re stressed, you unconsciously draw a line.” The familiar habit gives you security: “On train journeys with a lot of noise in the compartment, a care stick can be extremely calming. I use it and I feel like I’m still me, no matter what happens.” Quite a few women even stubbornly claim that they are “addicted” to a certain care stick – clearly a myth! It is correct: If you use lip care all the time, after a while you will have higher demands on suppleness.
As soon as the lips feel normal again, this is perceived as brittle. In any case, it is important to avoid the following effect, says dermatologist Dr. Pettke-Rank: “Anyone who applies cream and then constantly runs their tongue over it loosens the last layer of fat, so that the lips feel more and more brittle.” She recommends trying honey or Vaseline as an alternative.
