Looking Your Best with Lupus

It's difficult to be confident when you're self-conscious about the way you look. Many people with lupus experience changes in appearance due to the medications they take or the lupus itself, everything from weight gain to hair loss. The following suggestions are not intended to make you feel more self-conscious about yourself; they're just ideas to make you more comfortable with your appearance and boost your self esteem when lupus is wearing you down physically.

It's a Skin Thing

Malar (butterfly) rashes or stretch marks can make you feel pretty self-conscious. The malar rash, which appears in a lot of lupus patients, spreads across the cheeks and the bridge of the nose like a rosy butterfly. There are products out there that you can use to minimize the appearance of this rash. More than just makeup (and a little more pricey than most drugstore brands, too), the products are specifically designed to cover hard-to-hide skin problems. Look for Dermablend or ask a cosmetician to recommend some products. As for stretch marks, you can use these products on those too, but if you have too many to cover, stick to concealing clothes instead. There are anti-stretch creams on the market and eventually those red and purple marks will fade into a paler shade of white. If you're having trouble getting the makeup just right, book yourself a makeover – it might even be fun!

Rapunzel No More

Your hair's falling out! While this can be awful, there are ways to deal with it. First of all, be nicer to the hair you do have. Avoid any products that irritate your scalp or any products that may make you lose more hair, e.g., stick to coated elastic, not rubber, bands. . . on second thought, pony tails can be stressful to your hair. While brushing, be gentle. To cover up thinner hair, experiment with hats or scarves. If hair loss is severe, you can find great synthetic or real hair wigs and they're easy to take care of.

Wait, Now I'm Growing Hair in Other Places!

Strange, isn't it? The hair on your head falls out while hair elsewhere - say, your upper lip – grows like a weed. This is a side effect of certain medications. To get rid of the fuzzy stuff, get your hands on some hair removal products like creams, waxes, natural sugar or honey, bleach, electrolysis – all dedicated to making you fuzz free. If you're not a do-it-yourselfer, visit a salon; they're pros at this kind of thing.

Indulge Yourself

Don't forget the most important part of yourself to cultivate; your inner beauty, of course! All the makeup in the world won't help you if you don't believe in your inner beauty. Don't let lupus (or anything else) make you think otherwise.

Edited for clarity; reprinted from Work Out, the employment newsletter for people living with lupus and other chronic illnesses.

=========================================================== This information is for"informational purposes" and is not meant to be used for medical diagnosis. Always consult your physician on matters such as this.