Applying Makeup for Depression

People wear makeup for a lot of reasons, and in the past there was a time when it was associated with negativity, like being fake and not being true to yourself and not being contented with what God has given you etc.

Since I started being more active in this blog, I get comments from my readers, especially from those who knew me.  I get comments such as "Aba, dalaga ka na, nagmmakeup ka na.", "the blog is full of makeup posts and so little about related to medicine", "Buti nalang kikay ka even if you're surrounded by males in surgery" etc etc.

I think I started wearing makeup around high school, I can remember my first palette was a nichido palette then eventually I bought my first kbeauty from Skinfood.  Then it stopped around college, I only do makeups when I have that "feeling" during halloween where I want to wear something different. When I entered med school, that was when I forgot about it and eventually until residency.

I started with makeup again I think only last year when I underwent surgery and I had to go on leave while I recover from surgery.  During this time of recovering, I also went into depression.  When you're depressed, you feel you're so alone and you couldn't ask for help because you wouldn't want to bother the other people of your extreme negativity.  

At first, my relationship with makeup can be described as that it helped me hide my very obvious face of someone who just recently cried.  Although some may still notice the puffy eyes and just not comment on it, but for me it gave me something to hold on to.  I felt that I can still face my patients even if I just cried hours ago if I'm wearing makeup.

Eventually, as I was rising from depression the need for hiding my "just recently cried" face slowly disappeared.  But I didn't stop applying makeup because I felt that this "routine" of applying makeup in the morning made me feel better.   So after the "hiding" reason faded, I now had a new reason "applying makeup just makes me a little happy."  When you're trying to overcome depression, I think you'll do whatever it take to feel happy even if it's just so little and irrelevant as applying makeup.  

It's not just because it makes you feel pretty, but the mere routine of applying is the thing that makes you feel happier.  It's like painting on a canvas and your canvas is your face.  It's art!  There's just something in it that uplifts your spirit.

And the best part of makeup? Your makeup products love you for whoever you are! They will not judge you and they will be there for you in your times of need.  They will be there to support you and accompany especially when you are crying alone in your room afraid to let anyone see you're crying.

I'm no expert, and I can't guarantee that this will work with anyone.  But for someone out there, battling depression, you may want to consider makeup as a tool to feel happy, even just a little bit.  It worked for me, it may work for you too.