There are certain things in life that just don’t feel fair.
Some people will go through their life without ever really knowing what it feels like to have acne; others will suffer with the problem through every year of their life.
Some people will never have to worry about losing their hair either through pattern baldness or health conditions like an underactive thyroid. For others, life will be one long misery of hair loss and the despair over the limpness of the hair that is there.
Some guys will never know what it’s like to live with the unpleasantly-nicknamed man boobs. Other men will spend their days on the beach with their T-shirt on for fear that they will embarrass themselves if they expose their upper torso.
Remember the attitude you had when you were a teenager? Everyone goes through it; a phase where we feel like we are being personally persecuted. When we’re young, it’s easy to feel like the odds are stacked against us because we’ve yet to develop a sense of perspective and understanding.
This is meant to be something that we shrug off as we get older; as we’re able to understand that, sure, we have our problems, but other people have them much worse. We’re meant to be able to understand, as adults, that bad things sometimes happen to good people. That’s meant to be a sign of maturity.
But if you suffer from a genetic disposition or health condition which damages your looks? Well, then the occasional dip into self-pity might be justified because… well… it’s just not fair. These things – baldness, man boobs, acne – just do happen to some people. It’s never their fault. They can have the best cleansing regime for their face, eat all the right foods and limit their body fat, and follow all the right hair care tips… and it’s still going to happen. It’s in their genes; not much they can do about that…
… right?
How Do You Cope With Genetic Issues?
If you suffer from one of the conditions above – or any similar, genetic issue – then it can be tempting to just wash your hands of the whole thing. There’s nothing you can do about it. It’s in your body; your blood; it’s the very fabric of who you are… so all you can do is learn to handle it. Maybe work around it a bit, make yourself feel better. But ultimately, surrender to it – because what else can you do? The genes in your body are one of the few things it’s not possible to fight.
That’s not necessarily the correct attitude though. You can’t ever fix your genes; that’s something that’s far from the reaches of modern science (and it might never be possible at all). But you can work around the problem and find a way to feel comfortable in yourself.
STEP ONE: Dismiss Fears Of Vanity
If your looks are being damaged, then it’s okay to be concerned about the problem – even if it’s something you have relatively little control over. It’s okay to say you find the issue upsetting or that it dominates your mind. It’s not vanity; it’s the natural concern over how others are going to see us, and the self-image we have for ourselves.
So if at any point a voice in your mind whispers that you’re being stupid and vain, tell it to be quiet.
STEP TWO: Identify The Issue
Some of the conditions you can experience as a result of a genetic link can be dealt with through medication. “Man boobs” for example are not caused by excess fat or poor exercise, but by high levels of estrogen. This can be a symptom of a hormonal imbalance, so talk to your doctor for testing to rule out any underlying causes. There might not be an underlying cause – it could just be plain old bad luck – but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth checking out.
STEP THREE: Look For Solutions
Don’t just abandon all hope of overcoming the issue that’s bothering you. There is always a solution to be found that can at least lessen the burden of coping, if not entirely remove the problem altogether.
The first place – and arguably the only place – that you should look is at your overall health, primarily in terms of fitness and nutrition. Getting your nutrition right is the first step, as your body is never going to be at its best if it’s not getting the vitamins and minerals that it requires.
A full blood test is a good place to begin, which can help identify vitamin deficiencies that might be contributing to any issues. Baldness, for example, can be made worse by deficiencies in the B vitamins, particularly B12. This might not be the cause of your issue – that’s pattern baldness – but it sure won’t be helping the situation.
When you are sure you have all the nutrients that your body needs, then you can move onto fitness. Fitness can be beneficial not only for internal health, but for your physical looks as well. For example, little is going to change the fact you have an excess of oestrogen in your blood to cause “man boobs”, but there are plenty of exercises that can help improve the tone of your body. The stronger the muscles supporting the chest are, the better the appearance.
It’s not just in terms of the look of your body that fitness can help. Regular cardio fitness tends to induce sweating, which is one of the bodies natural ways of detoxifying. Providing you take the right steps, this could even help with conditions like acne – providing you clean your face correctly afterwards.
STEP FOUR: Don’t Stop Trying
If you try an exercise or an eating plan that doesn’t work, don’t let that be the end of the story. Yes, you’re battling genetics, but the key word there is that it’s a battle. That means that the overall war is still up for grabs; keep trying different things, experimenting, and fighting on. Eventually, you’ll find something that works despite your genetic code, and you’ll have a victory in the bag.
