Rock Both Braces and Glasses

You may be sick of being called "four eyes" or "brace face," and you may not think that wearing glasses or braces is much fun. But it's all in the attitude! These days, glasses and anything that may lead you to be labeled a "geek" can actually make you cooler because we're living in a nerd culture. If you want to rock both braces and glasses, then you have to know how cool you really are, and to look and act accordingly. If you want to be on your way to loving how your face looks, see Step 1 to get started.

Steps

Getting the Attitude

  1. Don't think that your braces and glasses make you a nerd. Though in recent times, the terms "nerd" and "geek" have been reclaimed as pretty cool, if people still use these words negatively in your school, then you need to realize that your glasses and braces don't have anything to do with who you are as a person. If you don't want to be labeled a geek, then you have to think that you aren't a geek (unless you are, of course -- and that's cool, too!).
    • People may have an image of what it means to wear braces and glasses -- it's up to you to prove them wrong!
    • If you act like you're cool, then other people are sure to follow. But if you act weak or scared, then you'll leave an opening for people to call you a nerd or a geek.
  2. Stay true to your personality. Stick to your real personality and be confident. No matter what people say to you, you're still the person you always were underneath. If you don't change who you are, how you feel, or how you act, then people won't think twice about your glasses and braces. Wear what you usually wear and keep being your smiling, happy self. If people notice a change in how you act, then they'll know that your glasses and braces are to blame.
    • If you're normally outgoing, don't let your glasses or braces hold you back!
  3. Don't take yourself so seriously. Learn to laugh at yourself. If you want to poke fun at yourself for having four eyes or a face full of metal, go for it. Why not beat other people to the punch? If people know that you're comfortable with your quirks, then they'll back off. If you act like you're constantly worried about what people will say about your braces and your glasses, then they'll be more likely to make fun of you.
    • Be approachable and friendly. If you have a great personality, less and less people are going to notice your mouth of metal. Remember Ugly Betty, who does this successfully.
  4. Remember that glasses are in now. Wearing glasses, whether they are thick black glasses or of the thinner variety, is decidedly in now. Celebrities such as Ryan Gosling, Anne Hathaway, Katy Perry, and Justin Bieber have been seen sporting this trendy accessory. It's cool to wear glasses, and though glasses make some people think of computers and "being nerdy," guess what? Computers, the tech world, and programming are all the rage in this world, so even if that doesn't describe you, wearing glasses will make you more cool, not less cool, by association.
  5. Know that braces aren't forever. Even in the most extreme situations, you won't be wearing your braces for the entirety of your elementary school, middle school, or high school years. We're talking about a year or two of unpleasantness in exchange for a straight pair of pearly whites. You shouldn't have a countdown until the minute your braces come off, but you should remember that soon, your teeth won't be sporting extra metal swag.
  6. Tell yourself that everyone is self-conscious about something. No matter what age you are, but especially if you're a preteen or a teenager, you will be spending most of your time around people who are really just little balls of stress and insecurity. Everyone at that age has something they don't like about themselves, from their acne to their height, so you can just be happy that all you have to worry about are braces and glasses, and learn to love these aspects of yourself.
  7. Know that people will get used to your new look pretty fast. It'll only take a week or so of wearing glasses for you to take them off for a minute and have people say, "Wow, you look so weird without them!" People will quickly adapt to your new look and will forget that you ever looked any other way. And that includes you. Once you get settled in, you won't even wish you didn't have glasses or braces because you'll be used to the new you.
  8. Keep up your confidence. Remember what an amazing person you are -- glasses, braces and all. Don't be afraid to go to parties because you don't like the way you look. Don't fear approaching your crush because you think you can never kiss with braces anyway. Go about your daily life while remembering how amazing you are, and the rest will be as easy as pie.
    • Remember that you love who you are, what you do, and all of the people in your life. If you've always had lower self-confidence, work on addressing your flaws and finding something you're passionate about. If you're happy with yourself, then you'll be happy with your appearance.

Getting the Look

  1. Find the part of you that you want people to see. Whether it be your cool fashion sense, athleticism, singing or dancing talent, whatever! Find the part of you that makes you most unique. Let this be the thing that people will notice, not your glasses. Show off your favorite personality trait or skill (without being too arrogant), and you'll see that this is what people really focus on.
    • If you like singing karaoke, don't be afraid to get up on stage and belt your favorite tune!
  2. Go wild and get a makeover. Have you been sick of the same old haircut? Think you've been styling your hair the wrong way? Feel like you've been doing your makeup all wrong? Well, this may be the perfect time to treat yourself to an appearance upgrade. If you're happy with your looks already, of course, then you need not apply!
    • It can be fun to get a new hairstyle while you get braces and glasses. Just don't try to style your hair to cover up more of your face, though, or people will be on to you!
  3. Don't hide your smile. Don't be one of those people who is afraid to smile for three years because of braces. Not smiling a lot externally will make you a less happy person on the inside. So, continue to flash your smile, to be a happy person, and to let people see your teeth. Don't let your appearance keep you from having a great time with your friends. You'll be a little self-conscious about smiling with your new braces, at first, but after a little practice, you and everyone around you will forget that you have them on.
  4. Choose glasses and braces that fit your personality. There are various color and shape options available for glasses. There is also the option of contacts. Some patients can wear Invisalign instead of braces, but even the rubber bands in braces can be customized for those who want colorful teeth or made white/clear for those who want to be subtle.
    • Don't think that having glasses or braces means you have to look unattractive for a little while. You'll have to wear them for a while, so you might as well make the most of them.
    • It depends on the look you're going for. Some people get their favorite colors in their braces to add some flair to their look, while others opt for the clear braces instead. It's all about what makes you feel comfortable.
  5. Maintain your appearance. Don't stop caring about your clothes and your looks just because you're wearing glasses and braces. If you normally like to dress up, then keep doing that. Don't go into sweatpants mode just because you feel down about your appearance. In fact, you can even dress up a bit more if you think that will cheer you up and make you feel special.
    • If you normally wear makeup, keep wearing it. Don't think that you want to take attention away from your beautiful face!
  6. Take care of yourself. Keep clean and groom yourself nicely. Wear a little mascara, blush, and lip gloss, and a little perfume if you are a girl. And if you are a guy, let smelling good be your top priority, not only will this attract girls, it will boost your confidence. Bathing regularly, and wearing deodorant is just enough, though wearing nice cologne is always nice.
    • Making an effort to maintain your appearance will make you feel better about your looks and your personality.

Tips

  • Remember that you won't have braces for the rest of your life. After a while, you will get them taken off and then you will have beautiful teeth.
  • Buy a pair of glasses that look great on you. If you have to wear glasses, you might as well make the best of it!
  • Get good framed glasses that suit your face shape.
  • As having braces becomes more affordable and common, more and more people are in your situation. You aren’t alone.
  • Embrace it! If you're worried about looking like a "Geek" or "nerd", make it your thing! Claim it as your look!
  • There are many tutorials on how to do makeup with glasses. Search on YouTube for some.
  • Get cool colored braces to help you look good.
  • Consider getting contacts, but only if you want to.
  • Nice clothes and hair cut always help. Again, for a cool hair cut, cut out a picture of your favorite celebrity's hair cut, and give it to your hairdresser.
  • Read the book " How to Rock Braces and Glasses". It's a good book. You can learn from it.
  • If you feel self conscious about braces you can ask your orthodontist for clear brackets or even invisible braces which are like hard retainers.
  • Honestly if people are really making fun of you for braces, remember that two years later you will have that awesome smile that everyone will be envious of.
  • There are many disadvantages to having certain features (braces, glasses, big ears, etc.). There are also some advantages, though: a beautiful smile, being positive and so on. People look at you and choose to notice combinations of "bad" characteristics that they haven't got to be happy. But they never notice the beautiful parts of your braces, glasses, etc., unless you are confident enough to not let them phase you!

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Rock_Both_Braces_and_Glasses&oldid=320732"