Mid Brain reports:
Scientists from the Ohio State University are reporting that using make-up to cover severe facial marks may not actually make women with severe facial blemishes feel better about themselves. In a paper published in the most recent issue of the International Journal of Dermatology women with these blemishes reported a lower quality of life than women with similar blemishes who did not wear concealing make-up.
Now, it could be that the women who didn’t use the concealing make-up were just naturally more self-confident. But it is surprising that these expensive make-ups were not doing the job they were intended for. It sounds like this is a real opportunity for a creative cosmetic chemist. We just have to figure out why people are dissatisfied with these products.
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I guess it comes down to whether the concealer -sers would have an even lower quality of life if they weren’t using the product. As you say, it’s kind of a self-selecting bias dilema…
Good point, Glitter. But be careful about self-selecting. They say it causes blindness.
Right Brain
Dear Right Brain,
You owe me: 1 cup of coffee, $12 for drycleaning my shirt, and a new keyboard.
Much Love,
~G
1 cup of coffee at Starbucks:
$3.85
Drycleaning bill for shirt:
$4.50
New Blue Tooth keyboard
$35.00
Making Glitterati laugh so hard she
spills coffee: Priceless
I get the feeling that the author of the post has never had severe facial blemishes.
I agree with glitter, particularly given the correlation-nature of the data. It wouldn’t matter if the make-up were somehow miraculously perfect, or even if it eliminated the blemish magically. There’s still a disturbing need to hide tied up with the use of such make-ups. I also wonder if men would show a similar effect, or if this is somehow gender-driven.
“A disturbing need to hide”? Jess, what is it you mean by that?
Also, I’m puzzled by your idea that it wouldn’t matter if the makeup eliminated the blemish magically, or were miraculously perfect. I’m not sure how hypotheticals advance the discussion here.
It seems to me that women (and maybe some men) feel the need to hide their blemishes in order to be accepted/loved/within the fold in lieu of falling into the above categories on their own accord. Whether or not the perceptions are accurate (i.e., if a study were to show the people with severe blemishes do suffer greater discrimination than those who don’t) the fact that people are not feeling comfortable with themselves is disturbing.
Furthermore, just because a drug or paste can make a symptom go away doesn’t erase the initial problem. Medication can often carry stigma in and of itself (see most of psychopharmacology), even if the disorder in question is being well managed by it. That the concealer was able to eliminate the thing to be concealed doesn’t eliminate the past need of concealment.
I guess what I was inaccurately trying to get at was a disturbing sense that some people feel they or are being treated differently in a negative sense on account of blemishes. This further guides to the question of whether or not the genders feel different pressures with regard to hide their blemishes for fear of rejection: men or women? Traditionally it has been thought that women feel social pressures more keenly, but what the advent of the metrosexual sensibility and the advancement of specifically masculine gender-directed personal care products (I’m thinking of Axe commericals in particular which seem to link sexual prowess with external appearance) I wonder if men are beginning to feel a similar push to focus on the external as a measure of self-worth.
As to whether or not “hypotheticals” will make or break an internet discussion is really beyond me. Given the science-inquiry nature of the blog, I figured conjecture and hypotheses would be acceptable posting fodder.
*And my inaccurate I do mean inarticulate.
Maybe it’s because so few corrective cosmetics actually conceal blemishes and scarring–usually they make the imperfections more noticeable. This has been my experience anyway.
Unless you can put transdermal valium in the product, I highly doubt that this is a problem for cosmetic chemists to solve, honesty. It’s out of your jurisdiction pretty solidly. You hit it with your first comment — women who feel they have to hide are women who feel they have to hide, and feeling like you have to hide about ANYTHING will crush your spirit over time.
It’s also important to remember that “having facial scars” is not a personality type. Some women with them will use cosmetics and like them, some will use cosmetics and feel ashamed, some won’t and will feel both ways, too.
Some women may have them surgically dealt with and feel much better, some women will feel worse. People are pretty varied.
I don’t have severe scarring, but I do have acne and some acne scars, plus scars from ingrown facial hairs. Though I put on makeup every day, I definantly do not always feel confident that my flaws are hidden. Sometimes I think the makeup makes them MORE noticable.
However, I think a lot of that has to do with the fact I’m not well trained in putting on makeup. Oh, I know some tricks from stage makeup classes – but that means I tend to put on makeup too thick. Perparing myself for a spotlight more then everyday wear.
My mom didn’t wear makeup as a kid and I had no older sisters nor any female friends who would teach me. Not knowing the proper way to do makeup has left me very insecure. And no, going to a makeup counter doesn’t help. They’re only interested in selling you the product, not showing you the proper way to put it on. (Plus I always seem to get the girl with the rancid breath. Please, when you work that close to a person’s nose, chew some Altoids!)
I often wish I could find an old fashion charm school where I’d learn things like putting on makeup correctly, styling my hair, etc.
Anyway, my own experiences makes me wonder if the women who are less confident with corrective makeup are so because they don’t know how to put it on properly, not a problem with the makeup itself.