Self-conscious Scots spend an hour a day worrying about their looks

A new study has found almost 1 in 5 of Scots spend up to one hour per day feeling self-conscious about their looks - which equates to 15 days a year!
By Gordon Holmes
Published 21st Feb 2020, 16:02 BST

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And the biggest bugbear among those insecure with their appearance is their teeth, with 36% admitting to worrying about them.

The research, commissioned by SmileDirectClub noted that nationwide, Gen Z spends a staggering 36 minutes per day (8.4 days per year) worrying about their looks, which is 44% higher than the national average (25 minutes).

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Meanwhile, baby boomers (55+) feel the most confident above any generation, with 60% of boomers rating their self-esteem as six or higher on a scale of one to ten, but 63% of respondents under the age of 55 are not so self-assured, rating their confidence as six or lower on the same scale.

As well as teeth, other features people in Scotland feel most self-conscious about are their smiles and hair (22%), as well as facial hair and eyebrows (15%), while well over half (61%) admit they tackle their insecurity by smiling with their mouth closed.

Top Things Scots feel self-conscious about:

1. Teeth (36%)

2. Smile/Hair (22%)

3. Facial hair/Eyebrows (15%)

4. Nose (14%)

5. Eyes/Chin (10%)

Kay Oswald, President of International at SSmileDirectClub the industry pioneer and first direct-to-consumer medtech platform for transforming smiles, said: “It’s disheartening to learn how many people are struggling with their confidence and self-image on a day-to-day basis.

“Overcoming negative perceptions of ourselves is a vital step to transforming our lives and positively impacting our place in the world. SmileDirectClub is honoured to help people rediscover their confidence through affordable and convenient access to a straighter, brighter smile.”

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Interestingly, the study revealed that 48% said that smiling has the power to instantly make them feel better. Perhaps this is why half (51%) of Scots say they would smile back at a stranger, no matter how out of the ordinary or awkward the situation.

Scots also voted Julia Roberts and Cheryl Cole’s smiles as their favourite (24%), followed by Michelle Keegan (23%), Kylie Minogue (19%) and Holly Willoughby (14%).

However, with a smile, must come a frown; according to the survey, being told to smile more was highlighted as the number one thing to make somebody in Scotland scowl (28%), closely followed by looking at finances (26%), receiving the wrong takeaway (24%), their football team losing a game (19%), and the Monday morning commute to work (16%).

Related topics:Scotland