“The road to self-love has always been more difficult for women because of the many difficult hormonal stages we face in life,” says Joha-Nel van Zyl, Operations Manager at Eximia Belle, an aesthetic boutique clinic.

“The hormonal roller coaster women face starts early in life with puberty, followed by menstruation, possible teenage acne flareups, and is later intensified by contraceptives, the journey to falling pregnant, childbirth, post-pregnancy hormones, dietary challenges, and all the way through to menopause. These are just some of the hormonal changes that women will go through and with each stage comes life-altering body changes. Often, we find ourselves standing in front of the mirror and not loving what we see,” says van Zyl.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, a negative body image increases the risk of engaging in unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, such as dieting or restrictive eating, over-exercising, and other eating or weight control behaviours or disorders. Body image can also affect a woman’s relationship with physical activity. Feeling self-conscious or uncomfortable with appearance, body size or shape can lead to women avoiding certain lifestyle activities all together.

A negative body image can also cause an array of psychosomatic and social conditions such as anxiety, low self-esteem, social isolation, and even depression.

“Body image refers to what we think of our body, how we think, feel and speak about ourselves, and how we act towards our physique. While Eximia Belle will always advocate that women need to cultivate a healthy relationship with their body by exercising, eating healthy, and improving their mental wellbeing, aesthetic treatments have become an integral part of selfcare for men and women.

“No one should ever feel inferior because of their body type, size or skin concerns. The beauty industry offers an array of solutions for people looking to take back control of their identities and how they or the world perceives them,” continues van Zyl.

Eximia Belle offers a wide variety of skincare treatments using specialised care and world-class technology to deal with body concerns.

“We not only offer an intervention to someone who may feel helpless or even embarrassed about a specific condition, but the treatment will also help boost their self-esteem, and positively change their body image and outlook. Whether you are looking for assistance with acne treatment, pigmentation improvement, non-invasive body contouring or hair removal, our private atmosphere and welcoming professional staff will make you feel right at home. We help men and women to enhance their natural beauty,” concludes van Zyl.

Skincare is key to confidence.