Did you know that having sex can improve your skin? Neither did I. So, when I recently read an article in a beauty magazine claiming as much, I didn’t start prescribing lovemaking to my clients. Sorry, but it’s not a treatment regimen I’ll soon be suggesting.
The sex therapist that served as consultant for the piece claimed that perspiring and increased circulation could make your skin brighter, your lips fuller, your acne diminished, your wrinkles and age spots staved off, and your skin moist.
Wow, I thought. That is really off.
It’s true that sweating and increased circulation can be good for your skin. But if you’re one of the countless people struggling with acne, wrinkles, and age spots, you may also be struggling with feeling sexy. So, here’s exactly what you didn’t need: Someone telling you to improve your face by having sex. You’ll really love the study she cited, too, saying that a group of people with active sex lives looked an average of 7 to 12 years younger than their less lusty friends. You know what I thought? Maybe the people who look 7 to 12 years younger are having more sex as a result of looking younger and feeling better about their appearances!
How we feel about the way we look greatly impacts our sexuality. Particularly with women, it’s difficult to get in the mood if you don’t see yourself as attractive. That’s why an improved sex life is far more likely to be a side-effect of improved skin, not the other way around. If you’re having sex to improve the way you look, more power to you. It can’t hurt. But if you want to improve your skin in order to feel sexier, I can help with that. I may not in the business of sex therapy, but I’m certainly in the business of making people feel good in their own skin. If that isn’t sexy, I don’t know what is.