Premature Aging of the SuperMum

Mums often put themselves last

It’s a well-known fact that mothers often put themselves last. They take care of the needs of their families before themselves. The majority of their time is spent juggling their own job and family and running a household, whilst little time is actually spent on self-care.  "Unfortunately, mothers are socialised to ignore their needs; taking care of us as mothers is considered selfish. Worse still, asking for help is seen as somewhat weak." Read about the 4 signs that you are burnt out as a mum at the parenting site popsugar.com

Super-Mums look and feel tired

Many of these “Super-Mums” are actually running themselves into the ground. I see the aftermath a few years down the track when women come to me with the all-too-frequent comment “ why do I look so tired? I feel like I’ve aged overnight. Can you help me Dr Kylie?”

The chronic stress of multitasking

Being a mother of 2 teenage kids myself I can certainly relate to their pleas for help. It certainly took me a long time to learn the lesson of the SuperMum. The first step is to actually acknowledge that you are dealing with the stress of multitasking. This chronic level of stress wreaks havoc on our hormones and has detrimental effects on our body and mind.

And of course from an aesthetic point of view, it really shows on our faces too. We lose volume from specific fat compartments in the face resulting in the loss of youthful facial contours. Our skin loses its luster and radiance and fine lines and wrinkles begin to develop. When we are stressed our facial expressions change. We are frowning and down-turning the corners of of our mouths rather than smiling and lifting our cheeks. Activating these depressor muscles of the face lead to frown lines, heaviness of the brows and “the sad mouth” look. All these factors are a recipe for premature aging.

How to cope

So what can you do about it? Start by taking some time out for yourself. Superman doesn’t wear his cape 24/7 and nor should a SuperMum. Schedule some time for yourself each week, whether it be going for a walk, doing an exercise, yoga or meditation class, catching up with a friend or just reading a book or magazine.

Don't be too proud to ask for help. Is your partner doing their fair share of the parenting? Perhaps relatives or friends could give you a hand?

Limit your time on technology. Are you attending to work emails late at night? Are you spending too much time on Facebook and Social Media? Limit your time on devices - these things all hog your attention and drain your energy. Try turning off your devices and chill out for a while.

Make sure you are eating well. Fresh natural healthy unprocessed foods are the best.  Limit your sugar and limit your use of alcohol. Although you may think a glass of wine at night is helping you to unwind , you can easily slip into a downward spiral on relying on alcohol to escape.

Seek professional help if these simple lifestyle changes aren't helping. High levels of stress can exacerbate underlying conditions such as anxiety and depression. Consider a trip to your doctor if your symptoms aren't improving.

How to refresh your image and look less tired

And when it comes to your skin, consider some preventative strategies - perhaps a treatment that is both therapeutic and pampering such as hydrabrasion ( a combination of microdermabrasion and skin hydration) or Healite LED collagen stimulation treatment. And of course for the SuperMums who have already developed some signs of premature aging I do a free consultation to discuss your individual needs. Cosmetic injectables , V2skin booster therapy, IPL and dermal microneedling are just some of the procedures that I perform to refresh the SuperMum image.

Dr Kylie Regli
Cosmetique Solutions
07 5575 5644