Silent Screams

This past Sunday, March 1st was National Self-Injury Awareness Day. Studies have found that approximately 4% of the general population admitted having self-injured. Self-injury has a very high stigma attached to it therefore many never come forward in fear of how other people may view them.

Self-injury is a copping mechanism not a conscious attempt at suicide; most people who cope this way are looking for a way out of their pain. It’s the act of attempting to alter a mood state to deliberately cause harm to one’s own body. Here are some ways people self-injure: cutting, burning objects into their flesh, hitting or beating on ones self, extreme hair pulling and nail biting are just a few of the more popular ways to self-abuse.

This copping mechanism is running ramped within our youth, but it is not just with our teens, there are plenty of adult men and women who self-abuse as well. They come from all walks of life and all economic brackets and ages ranging from early teens to early sixties, maybe younger and older. In fact, the incidence of self-injury is about the same as that of eating disorders but because it’s so highly stigmatized, most people hide their scars.

Most people who self-injure are unable to handle intense feelings and unable to express their emotions verbally. We aren’t born knowing how to express and cope with our emotions, we learn from the people around us. One factor common to most people who self-injure is invalidation! They were taught at an early age that their interpretations of and feelings about the things around them were bad and/or wrong and they had no good role models for coping. How could you learn to cook if you’d never seen anyone work in a kitchen?

Self-injury has been around for centuries and is growing rapidly as a way to cope. Many people are likely to know someone who does this and probably goes to great lengths to hide it. Some may say that we all have struggles that we face from time to time, but when a person lacks healthy coping skills and relationships, he or she may resort to destructive behavior as self-injury seeing it as the only way to cope.

This topic is close to my heart because I personally have used self-injury as a copping mechanism. I have learned there are defiantly healthier ways to cope with life’s struggles. There is a way out of this cycle! If you self-injure and need someone to talk with feel free to contact me. And if you know someone who self-injures and you need to understand this copping mechanism better and are looking for more detailed information, please contact me and I will be more than happy to share more with you.

Check out our local Daily Republic Newspaper this coming Sunday, March 8th for a special article on self-injury.

March Special: March 8th through March 21st to recognize National Self-injury Awareness we are offering…

1 hour facial $40.00 (normally $85.00)
1 hour massage $40.00 (normally $65.00)
$5.00 from each service will go towards Mercy Ministries to help other young women learn healthy coping skills.

Don’t forget to grab an orange ribbon to bring awareness to self-injury when you come in for your service.

We are by appointment only, so give us a call to book your appointment: 707-425-6511

A Helping Hand

“Focus on the Community” is going to be a new link on our website, do out in another week or so. Skin Indulgence has always worked behind the scenes with community outreaches of all kinds helping when and where we can. In todays economic lows, it is more important than ever that we all band together and help where needed; that is what focus on the community is all about! Look for fundraiser events and specials, to keep our community strong... coming soon.

Community Appreciation Awareness; our newest addition to focus on the community! We are excited to bring this extension to you, but we need your help. We are looking for “community angels” that go beyond the call of duty to help less fortunate people and work hard at bettering our community that go unnoticed. We would truly be honored to reward their hard work with a mini day of relaxation designed just for them! If you know someone deserving of this special reward please forward their story as to whom they are and what they do and our panel of judges will review your suggestions. We look forward to honoring these special community angels through our community appreciation awareness program. You may mail your entrees to: Skin Indulgence 550 Webster St. Fairfield, Ca. 94533 or email us directly at: skinindulgence@castles.com. We will announce each winner with their story right here on our face 2 face blog, as names are chosen. Thanks for your help, we couldn’t do this with out you!

Have a great day ~

WELCOME

Welcome to our first posting on our new blog! Face 2 Face with Beauty is our new way to keep in touch and keep you informed. These posts will be filled with new hot topics on issues in the beauty industry, fresh ideas, the latest skin and body treatments, ingredient information (the good, the bad and the ugly), helpful tips on healthy ways to keep stress at a minimum as well as beauty tips and ideas not only for outer beauty but inner beauty as well. We will also post on community activities that can put an impact on not only you but the people that make up our community.

New postings will be published every other Tuesday. We have lots of fun new things coming in this new year of 2009, which you won’t want to miss out on. This blog is designed for you and we invite you to leave comments, questions or ideas anytime. You don’t need to be a member to leave a comment and is as easy as 1,2,3.

We’re excited about our new blog and are thrilled that you have come aboard with us on this journey. Stay tuned for some phenomenal specials coming your way… don’t forget to bookmark our blog, you won’t want to miss a thing!!!