Why Are Young Women's Bodies Falling Apart?
Cosmopolitan UK|March 2019

Hair falling out. Skin flaring up. How did the most beauty-obsessed generation wind up feeling anything but beautiful?

Ingeborg Van Lotringen
Why Are Young Women's Bodies Falling Apart?

Sarah* sits in the magnolia-walled office of a Harley Street dermatologist’s office. Angry red bumps line her chin, climbing all the way up to her cheek on the right-hand side of her face. She twirls her chestnut-brown hair anxiously. There used to be a lot more of it there. Now, there is dry flaking scalp where baby hair used to sprout.

Someone at the front desk calls her name. A woman in a white coat with a clipboard says that the psychodermatologist will see her now.

As you probably already know, there’s something strange going on with Britain’s Bright Young Things – those twenty- and thirtysomethings speed-walking alongside me through the city streets and bustling down the hallways of my glossy office building. Hair loss, breakouts, cystic acne, dermatitis or eczematic eruptions on their bodies or even faces have gone from unlucky fluke to uncomfortable norm in just a few short years. And not only can we barely keep up with the raft of new products supposedly designed to help stem the problem (that’s those grown-up spot serums, redness-soothing cleansers and follicle-stimulating scalp scrubs) – but a growing number of private and NHS clinics are adding psychodermatologists to their roster of experts. Specialising in treating the psychological causes (and effects) of skin and scalp disorders alongside the physical ones, they take a 360° approach to what are clearly mushrooming problems.

But why on earth is it that a generation credited with being the most clued-up cosmetic consumers and skin-tellectuals that ever existed has its beauty goals so blighted by breakouts, angry rashes and follicular issues? And, more importantly, what can really be done to tackle it?

Insta-dysmorphia

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM COSMOPOLITAN UKView all
‘Is Three Relationships Too Many?'
Cosmopolitan UK

‘Is Three Relationships Too Many?'

With his girlfriend out of town, Jack’s* wife suggests he finds a third partner

time-read
3 mins  |
January 2019
Brave New Beauty
Cosmopolitan UK

Brave New Beauty

Is tech about to revolutionise your skincare regime and transport you into a whole new universe of beautification? Joanna Taylor isn’t always convinced…

time-read
6 mins  |
January 2019
How The Gig Economy Is Killing Millennials…
Cosmopolitan UK

How The Gig Economy Is Killing Millennials…

I put in 18-hour days. I work in the same room I sleep in. I never know when or if I’ll be paid. I go days without speaking to anyone.

time-read
10+ mins  |
April 2019
Could Your #AvoOnToast Get You Headhunted?
Cosmopolitan UK

Could Your #AvoOnToast Get You Headhunted?

Quite possibly. But you’ll have to catch the eye of a new breed of talent scout first. Here’s how…

time-read
5 mins  |
April 2019
The Robot Wars
Cosmopolitan UK

The Robot Wars

For decades, mankind has feared the day technology becomes cleverer than us. Now it’s here, and we were too busy trying to sync our Sonos to notice. Welcome to The Big Techover...

time-read
5 mins  |
April 2019
Hot-Air Health Myths... Exploded
Cosmopolitan UK

Hot-Air Health Myths... Exploded

Think you’re up to date with the basic rules of staying in shape? Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you probably aren’t…

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2019
The Darkside Of BodyBuilding
Cosmopolitan UK

The Darkside Of BodyBuilding

Amateur fitness competitions have gone mainstream – but do they provide a “healthy” cover for those hiding deadly eating disorders? Former competitor Rebecca Barnes, 22, certainly thinks so.

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2019
The Stacy Dooley Effect
Cosmopolitan UK

The Stacy Dooley Effect

From the frontline to the dancefloor, Stacey Dooley defied all the odds to become TV’s golden girl. But it could have worked out very differently

time-read
8 mins  |
May 2019
Kings Of The Night
Cosmopolitan UK

Kings Of The Night

Sex, champagne and parties on tap… what could possibly go wrong? BOBBY PALMER spends the night with the most successful club promoter in London

time-read
9 mins  |
May 2019
Is Beauty A Tickıng Timebomb?
Cosmopolitan UK

Is Beauty A Tickıng Timebomb?

With their legions of fans, beauty-brand founders have exploded onto the scene – sometimes becoming celebrities in their own right. But what happens when their behaviour eclipses their products? Laura Capon investigates

time-read
10 mins  |
May 2019