To celebrate the Hypermobility Syndrome‘s #HMSAware week, I’m posting about living with Ehlers-Dalos Syndrome, one of the hypermobility syndromes all week! I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to share some of my hypermobility syndrome beauty hacks with you, in the hope that you might find them useful, as well as giving you an insight into living with one of the hypermobility syndromes. You can also check out my EDS Symptoms Diary for more insight into living with a hereditary connective tissue disorder. If you want to find out what a week in my life with EDS is like, check out my EDS Symptoms Diary post!
Dry Shampoo
If you’re not able to shower as often as you would like, or if your shoulders are bad & cause you problems when washing your hair, dry shampoo can be a life saver! It’s quick & not too taxing to use, though you may have to get someone to help you if your fingers are problematic, as pressing on the spray could cause problems. It’s a great option if you need someone to do it for you too, as it takes less time than helping to wash your hair, so prolongs the time between washes. It’s also less personal than having someone wash your hair for you, if you aren’t comfortable with people seeing you scantily clad.
Hiding Roots
If dying your hair is problematic because of pain, fatigue or risk of injury but you have roots showing through, try applying mascara or brow gel to them to hide the greys! This is probably easiest for brown haired folk, as brown mascara is easy to come by, but there are lots of shade options out there particularly if you look in the brow gel section of the makeup stands. L’Oreal have just come out with a root retouch spray, which I will definitely be picking up!
Ergonomic Tools
There are a number of tools available with more ergonomic grips to them that will make personal care more manageable for you to do yourself. Tweezerman make Wide Grip Tweezers which are ergonomic, so much easier to hold & they distribute the pressure on your fingers more evenly when you use them. A friend bought me a couple of the ergonomic Sonia Kashuk & they’ve been so useful! Really comfortable to hold & they need less pressure when applying makeup. Although Sonia Kashuk is harder for us to get hold of in the UK, Nanshy have a range of brushes with the same design that a friend of mine with EDS loves! So I would definitely recommend checking them out. I’ll be purchasing some from the range in the future!
Avoid Squeeze Tubes
This might seem an odd one, but if you’ve got particularly bent fingers, squeezing a tube of lipgloss for example, can be uncomfortable at best & painful at worst! I tend to choose lip glosses with wand applicators for this reason. Alternatively, if your favourite product only comes in a squeezy tube, you could invest in a gadget that you wind down the product’s tube & it pushes it our for you.
Minimise Eyelid Veins
If you have thin skin characteristic of a hypermobility syndrome, chances are the veins in your eyelids will be visible. This was something I became very aware of & self conscious about before I knew the reason for it. I’ve found that this can be minimised by the use of a coloured eyeshadow primer, such as the MAC paint pot in Soft Ocre or Painterly. A less expensive option would be the Maybelline Colour Tattoos in Creme De Nude & Creme De Rose. The Benefit Stay Don’t Stray primer also works really well. These will also prolong eyeshadow & make the colours you apply more vibrant.
Curling Your Eyelashes
If curling your eyelashes is problematic, either the step itself or the extra energy it takes, why not consider a curling mascara? There are some great ones out there that work nicely to give & hold a curl without the need for eyelash curlers. My favourites are the Benefit Roller Lash mascara & the Dior Iconic Overcurl mascara. The key here is to pick something with a curved wand.
Brightening Tired Eyes
If sleep is a difficulty for you, you might want to fake that wide away look with makeup. The key to this is using light, shimmery colours on the eyelid. You could also use a light shadow or pencil in the inner corner of the eye to give a wide awake look. If your eyes aren’t too sensitive, a nude pencil like the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Liner in Nude will brighten the eyes up too.
Using Your Manicure As A Pacing Tool
This is a new concept to me that I came across this concept from this image on the Hypermobility Syndrome Association’s Instagram. I really struggle with my nails chipping & never thought that I could use the ware & tear of polish as a guide to whether I was pacing myself well or overdoing it! I’m really bad at pacing & it’s something I know I need to actively work on & improve before I have a baby. So, having given up with nail polish almost entirely, I have now re-introduced it into my routine & will be using my tip wear as a way to monitor how well I’m pacing my activities. If you’ve got any tips for getting better at pacing, or you know of a good base & top coat I NEED to try, please let me know in the comments!
I hope these tips are useful if you or someone you know has one of the hypermobility syndromes or another condition that causes pain, fatigue or other physical difficulties.
Do you have any beauty hacks that would be helpful for someone with a hypermobility syndrome or other chronic illness?
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