How to keep your glow

Doreen Sanyu was a vibrant, beautiful woman before the first lockdown. She worked in a bank, wore the best clothes had the finest jewellery and her nails were always well manicured.

After the second lockdown has been eased she is so exhausted and her looks have taken a beating. “I used to go to a beauty centre in town every fortnight and did facials, though I did not have problematic skin. I always wanted to look my best and it paid off!” she said.

When the first lockdown was announced early last year, she lost her job but her husband was still employed.

“I did not see a problem with that,” she confesses, “because he brought home the bacon.”

But looking after her three little children was more tedious than she had imagined.

Her once spotless home turned dusty with stains everywhere. She neglected her looks because she just did not have the time to groom herself. “My husband expected me to look the same way I did before and often said it. The more he complained, the more unkempt I became. Soon we were fighting, we separated and it took counselling to get us back together,” she confesses.

According to Enid Mugarura, a counselling psychologist counsellor at Theracave counselling centre, women rely a lot on their looks and when they do not feel lovely, their esteem diminishes.

“Throughout the marriage, seasons change and you have to adapt. It can be overwhelming but you do not need to do everything at once. Start with one or two aspects of your look and work on it, then move on till you’re back where you were or even better,” she advises.

There are a few simple steps to regaining your glow:

• Remember who you were before the marriage and the children. Go to old photo albums for visual inspiration. They will give you an idea of where to start.
• Keep your friends close. Get a support group and once in a while dress up, go out with them to the movies, or for dinner or a drink to help you relax.
• Julie Mukasa, a professional beautician, advises developing a skin regimen and following it.

“Cleanse, tone and moisturise twice a day to keep your skin glowing. Also, do a facial once a month. If you don’t have time to leave home then at least scrub with an exfoliating scrub once every fortnight,” she says.

• Get a new hairstyle. Mukasa says colouring your hair or cutting it short goes a long way in boosting your image.
• Julius Kizito, a gym trainer, advises exercising at least 30 minutes daily. “You don’t have to go to the gym to exercise. Even walking around your block for 30 minutes is enough. Feel-good hormones will be released and you will glow,” he says.
• Drink at least eight glasses of water daily and incorporate lots of fruits and vegetables into your diet.
• When the season of school fees comes, be prepared. Sharon Nisha, a mother of two, says she has learnt to lower her expectations. “I have learnt that if he cannot pay the fees, it is not a reflection of me. I just pay and move on. It is very important that you have a source of income so that you’re not financially strained,” she says.
• Reward yourself. This is a tough one, but buy yourself something nice. It doesn’t have to be expensive, but that token reminds you that you’re valuable.