Like most people, I was really awkward when I was younger. Tall, lanky, and didn't quite know how to dress in a way that suited me. Little did I know, there are very simple ways to improve someone's appearance, that a lot of people overlook. If only I had known them in high school.
Here are a few tips that I wish I had known. Reddit user Bestangela asked:
“What is an underrated way of improving your appearance?"
It’s the little things we need to be aware of as we go about our day. Minor fixes can help so much.
Stand up straight, the right way.
“Standing up straight, or at the very least with some sort of upright gait.”
-[deleted]
“This but doing it by strengthening the right muscles. Forcing yourself into a straight standing position can cause just as many postural issues and living hunched over. Source, I was a PTA for a while and now I'm a functional personal trainer.”
Nothing like a good pair of glasses.
Glasses Diamondsday GIF by Elton JohnGiphy“Glasses frames that actually fit your face structure.”
“Or just glasses that are more stylish. Lot of fashion-challenged dudes wear the same style of glasses they've worn since middle school even if they've updated the prescription.”
Like a bonsai tree.
“A lot of guys with beards don't trim them. I cringe at old pictures of myself before I knew how. Treat your beard like a bonsai tree.”
“I have long hair and a mustache at 27y/o, we're talking 1970's called and they're sending a cease and desist hidden in an LP cover of Yes to make sure he actually reads it.
I get noticed a lot because I actually take care of my hair. Oils and regular cleaning for the facial hair, beard brushes, mustache combs are cheap. Oils and balms can be crazy expensive but Google is your friend, just keep a close eye on the fragrances as they can be off putting to others especially if they're super close and quite pretty. Trim once a week is a good guideline, too often and you'll mess it up or thin it out, too long and you'll be back at square one.
For hair, it's not mentioned near enough DO RESEARCH ON THE BEST PRODUCT FOR YOU. How it reacts to the elements, the finish, the feel, there are so many pros and cons to each product. You can style a comb over perfectly and it'll feel horrible to the fingers because the product is unnecessarily stiff for your hair. As well oil-based can and will cause serious acne breakouts if you're prone to sweating, great product for the Fall but not when it's warm or you're active. Sea salt is definitely my favourite for my style as it has almost zero hold and naturally curls my hair for some surfer-bro points. It's all about giving a f***.”
Best Excuses For Late Assignments That Were Actually True | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Keep trying!
“Getting a healthy quantity of sleep.”
“Currently reading this at 2:30am thinking I'll try again tomorrow.”
Stay hydrated, and don’t do drugs.
gina carano water GIFGiphy“Drink water. Dehydration can have you looking raggedy af."
“Substance abuse in general takes on a look. Working in the prison system, you can nearly pinpoint those brought in on drug offenses versus the violence offenses merely by how a person's body looks after years of substance abuse."
Bad hair parting = criminal scum.
“The way you part your hair can be a huge game-changer.”
“I remember seeing an old video on this. Some pseudo psychology about how parting it could affect a kid growing into a good citizen vs potential criminal scum. My take away was that I'm gonna be criminal scum just cause I'm left handed.”
When I think of ways to fix my appearance, the first thing I think of is fashion sense. What works best for your body type?
Accessorizing helps.
“Putting even just a bit more thought into your daily outfits.
Wearing different things that are mostly flattering, even if it was just adding a bandanna, bracelet, and wearing colors that look good together, can improve self confidence and make you stand out just a smidge more. It gives a more put together look and people will be more willing and likely to notice you. Self expression is attractive.”
You know what they say, “clothes can make the man”.
Elliana Walmsley Shopping GIF by Brat TVGiphy“Buying clothes that fit properly instead of buying the smallest size you can squeeze into.”
“Came here to say this. I am and have pretty much always been fat and always made the common mistake of wearing bigger clothes not realizing it made me look even bigger. At some point, I read somewhere that you should get proper fitting clothes so I tried it (apprehensively) but I was surprised to find I liked how I looked. Works wonders.”
It’s all in the eyes.
“Not gonna lie, a lot of my coworkers started looking a lot better at the start of this pandemic by covering the bottom of their faces. Myself included.”
“Bruh stop. With my mouth, chin, jaw covered I Iook like a goddamn supermodel and some look at me with those hungry eyes. But when I take it off, people are like "Oh..." Swear, couple of month ago I had a coworker that saw me without my mask and she just said "So, that's how you look like! I N T E R E S T I N G!
Reminds me of Bane's ‘No one cared who I was till I put on the mask.’”
It’ll be more comfortable, too.
“Wearing a properly fitted bra. Go for a proper fitting. A lot of women are wearing the wrong size bra.”
“As a long time bra fitter, 90% of the people are wearing a band size at least 2 sizes too big and a cup size 3 or 4 sizes too small.”
I recently was struggling with feeling awkward every time I looked in the mirror. Then I got bangs. And let me tell you, a good haircut frames your face so much better. You just have to find the one that's right for you.
Try implementing these shifts into your life- they'll work wonders.
Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
