Beneath the Surface: How Our Skin is Telling Our Story

We tend to believe that skin is merely a surface and that skin is a layer that shields the exposure to the outside world. But suppose that the skin is something more? But suppose it is a narrator, a narrator revealing noisily how our bodies, minds, and cultures make us?

Every outburst prior to a test, every explosion in times of stress and every scar that is not passing as quickly as it is supposed to tell a tale. Our emotions are reflected on the skin, our habits are mirrored by the skin, and the dialogue between mental and physical health is invisible and reflected on the skin. It is not just biology, but identity to teens especially.

In a day that filters and looks at images to look and appear good, our skin turns into a platform of confidence, self-image, and identity. One pimple can be audible enough to be heard and a spot of eczema can be like a spotlight. However, it is not as true because healthy skin is not perfect, it is practical, living, and very personal.

Our skin is the biggest organ in the body- a living system, which bonds the brain, immune system and the environment. Cortisol is a hormone released by our brain when we are stressed and this can cause oil production and inflammation. It is the reason why we can literally see anxiety on our faces. On the other hand, rest, hydration and healthy eating can cool the mind and the skin barrier as well and it turns out that skincare is self-care in its purest form.

Throughout time, skin has been a part of culture, as it is used to define the perception of people and their identity. Social media tends to drill false ideals and make skincare a contest rather than a treatment. But education changes that. Once we learn the biology of our skin and the forces surrounding it, we take back the control of the filters and define beauty on our terms.

We are not just surrounded by skin, but our skin speaks to us. It requests equilibrium, tolerance and sympathy. Learning to listen is to be able to feel your skin change when you are stressed, when you eat, when your hormones are varying, and to not be ashamed of it but to wonder. Since taking care of your skin is not a beauty matter; it is exposedness.

Your skin is not your blemish: it is your border. It is that about you that greets the world, and it is that which should be treated in the same way that you treat your friends. By beginning to view our skin as a living mirror of our internal health (mental, emotional, and social) we will have begun the process of healing ourselves on the inside.