Before we get into this it’s important that everyone remembers a couple of important things. First, no one is entirely happy with the way they look. I don’t care how many times they post pictures on Instagram or take snaps and selfies. Even the most seemingly self-assured person will be partially insecure about how they appear. Psychologists will tell you most people share pictures because they have a desire to get affirmation. Does that sound like they’re confident to you?

The second fact to remember is that beauty is a matter of perspective. Sure, there’s a typical version of what society deems to be beautiful. A beauty stereotype if you will, but it’s completely ridiculous and here’s why. As human beings, we are attracted to people who have symmetrical faces. However, there’s a catch here because if a face is completely symmetrical, it looks weird. It makes people feel uncomfortable. It becomes unattractive, and that should tell you everything you need to know about beauty and perception.

Similarly, some of the things we find attractive are related to traits that have stuck around after evolution. For instance, many women find hairy men attractive, and they like thicker eyebrows. Now I’m not saying you consciously seek out men with thick eyebrows. But it could part of the reason you find certain people attractive.  Personally, I prefer men with less hair, so I break the mould on this one.

All that said, I realise that being unhappy with the way you look can be incredibly difficult. You might wake up every morning and wish you could change everything about yourself. The words “It could be worse” or “be thankful for what you’ve got” don’t help either. They really don’t help if you’re not personally happy with your appearance.

The good news is that there are ways you can change your appearance. I’ve got a few ideas that you may want to consider. Though please, do think about this carefully before you make a final decision. Remember the way you look has shaped who you are.

Cosmetic, Aesthetic Surgery 

We’ll start off with the most drastic possibility of cosmetic surgery. Hundreds, even thousands of men and women consider doing this each and every year. There is always a part of ourselves that we don’t like and now thanks to advanced technology and medicine we can fix that with a procedure. This could be a little thing like a mole on your cheek. Or, it might be a bigger issue. For instance, many people who suffer from acne as a last resort get laser skin surgery. Cameron Diaz has severe acne and regularly gets laser treatment for it. This has been widely reported, so there is no shame in thinking about this type of treatment.

To do this, you should research an aesthetic clinic. They will be able to offer a number of different procedures that might be beneficial to you. You need to think about what you want to achieve and what you’re willing to do to get it. Surgery isn’t for everyone, and there are some things that you should consider.

First, you need to realise that the surgery will probably involve a process. That means that you won’t always see instant results. This could be a case where the situation will get worse before it gets better.

Second you need to understand that you will be completely altering the way you look. It’s not uncommon for people to think they want this. Then they look in the mirror and realise that they no longer recognise the person staring back. This might be exactly what you want. But you have to understand that there are serious psychological issues that come into play with this type of life change.

Third you need to think about cost. Aesthetic treatment like the kind that I’m talking about often isn’t cheap. You need to make sure that you have the money to pay for it and that it is worth the cost. Find a reputable clinic and make sure that you know exactly what you’re paying for.

As I said, surgery is an extreme scenario and requires a lot of serious thought.

Changing Your Diet 

You might be unhappy with how dry or pasty your skin looks. It could be the bags under your eyes that are making you unhappy or the wrinkles on your skin. These aesthetic issues do not need surgery to be fixed. In some cases, they can be sorted out simply by changing your diet. You would be amazed how changing your diet could affect the way you look. For instance, eating high amounts of sugar is likely to make your skin look greasy. If you want clear skin, you should cut back the level of sugar you eat and drink more water. Drinking water washes out your skin and cleans your pores.

You may also be interested to know that other foods can affect the way you look. For instance, chewing on celery will soak up the fluid underneath your eyes. This will get rid of those heavy bags that you’ve become accustomed to having. Similarly, by eating a diet filled with the right nutrients and minerals you can make sure that your body looks great.

If you want to look fantastic, you should work on balancing your diet with the right fruit and vegetables. Try to cut out the junk food, the rubbish and I promise you will look far better than before. This isn’t about losing weight. It’s about keeping your skin fresh and your body healthy.

If you do want to lose weight or you're unhappy with your figure you’ll need an exercise routine to go with your healthy eating plan.  It’s better to make this a lifestyle choice too, rather than a fad.

Training and Fitness

That brings us to exercise and fitness. A lot of people are unhappy with their appearance due to standards of fitness and physique. You might want to put on muscle, lose weight or tone your body. Either way, it all comes down to the right exercise routine. There are few exercise routines you can try to get your body back in shape. You might want to start with some small, morning exercises like sit-ups and pushups. These will help you tone your body particularly if you work up to completing twenty-five or fifty each morning.

You don’t have to go to the gym for hours every week to get in shape. Many experts believe seven minutes of exercise is all you need as long as you are pushing yourself. Olympic athletes complete ten minutes of pure exercise with only a few ten-second breaks. This is proven to be one of the best ways to work out. It’s also likely the fastest way to lose weight and put on muscle.

You may also want to think about the part of your body that you are attempting to improve. If you’re working out your entire body, you should think about trying running. Running isn’t just about working out your legs. It will help your arms as well if you use the right technique. As well this, it will tone up your stomach.

On the other hand if you’re unhappy with solely your legs, you might like to try cycling. Cycling is one of the best ways for getting stronger legs that are more toned. You can use a machine at the gym or take the bike out at the weekend.

Remember, if you’re trying to build muscle or even tone up it’s important not to overdo it. Exercising too much and eating too little will lead to a weaker body and lower amounts of muscle.

Of course, you might be surprised to learn that the problem with the way you look could be mental, not physical.

The Effects of Stress

High levels of stress can have a negative impact on our appearance. If you are constantly stressed, you might have bags under your eyes due to lack of sleep. Or, you might find that your hair is constantly falling out. Your body could be bloated despite the fact that you eat a good diet. Your skin might look past even if you’re a healthy eater. It’s true that you can live a completely healthy lifestyle and stress could still be your downfall.

The first thing that you need to think about is getting a good night’s rest. It’s so important for your body that you do get to sleep at night. You need to make sure that your body has time to rest and rejuvenate. If you struggle to sleep at night, don’t immediately resort to sleeping pills. Start by turning off the electrical devices in your room. There is some evidence to suggest that electrical devices do affect people’s sleeping patterns.

Then, you should consider some activities that will help you reduce the stress in your life. This might be breathing exercises. Little things like this could help you cope with a build-up of stress in your life.

I hope you found this information useful and remember that looks aren’t everything.  But if you are truly unhappy with your appearance and it’s affecting your day to day happiness and wellbeing, you do have a wide variety of options, just consider them really carefully.

 

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