Why Competitors Notice Skin Changes During Prep & How to Support It Along the Way
Competition prep is such an incredible journey.
The discipline, consistency, and commitment it takes to transform your body is something very few people truly understand. There is something empowering about watching yourself become stronger physically and mentally throughout the process. But while competitors spend months carefully sculpting their physique, one thing that often gets overlooked during prep is the skin’s health.
I remember the excitement I felt preparing for my very first competition. I had trained for an entire year for that moment. Not only had I seen amazing changes in my body, but I had re-discovered something in myself too. That fire inside of me that life had slowly extinguished was back. I felt alive again – Strong, confident, and unstoppable.
But while I felt incredible internally, my face seemed to be telling a different story.
I was constantly being asked if I was okay, if I was tired, or if I had lost too much weight. You know… all the little things we absolutely love hearing about our appearance while in prep.
Then my first show came, and it was incredible. The feeling of accomplishment and pride I had in myself is honestly hard to even put into words. All I knew was that I was hooked. But now the excitement shifted from “Can I do this?” to “How can I make this even better?”
My coach and I sat down and reviewed all of the judges’ feedback. We had a plan to improve my physique for the next season. But my body was not the only thing on my agenda to improve. I wanted to understand how I could better support my skin so that the way my face looked matched the beautiful transformation happening in my body.
So why does the face change during prep?
As body fat decreases during prep, the face naturally becomes leaner too. This can create a beautiful sculpted look, but it can also make competitors feel like they suddenly look more tired, less glowy, or not quite as “fresh” as they normally do.
At the same time, prep places a lot of demands on the body. Between intense training, cardio, lower calories, dehydration, disrupted sleep, stress, hormonal shifts, and the overall physical demands of prep – the skin is experiencing all this right alongside the body.
That doesn’t mean prep is bad for your skin. It simply means your skin needs support just like the rest of your body does.
The skin reflects what the body is experiencing internally.
When the body feels depleted, stressed, inflamed, or under-recovered, the skin often shows those changes first. But when the body is supported properly, the skin can absolutely remain healthy, radiant, and vibrant throughout prep.
As a holistic esthetician, one of the biggest things I have learned over the years is just how connected the body and skin truly are. The skin is constantly communicating what is happening internally.
During prep, when the body is under increased physical and emotional stress, the skin often needs additional support and recovery as well.
This is why I believe competitor skincare should go beyond simply using good products at home. Supporting the skin during prep should be approached the same way competitors approach training and nutrition — intentionally and strategically.
One of the first things I recommend to competitors is focusing on supporting the skin internally through proper hydration, mineral balance, healthy fats, recovery, and stress management.
When the body feels nourished and supported, the skin almost always responds in a healthier way. I also recommend incorporating treatments that help improve circulation, calm inflammation, support the nervous system, and encourage healthy movement within the tissues.
One treatment I especially love for competitors is our Pure Glow original Buccal Sculpting Facelift™. Unlike any other treatment, this technique works as a high intensity workout for all 43 muscles of the face while combining Buccal massage, lymphatic drainage, and fascia-focused facial sculpting techniques to create immediate visible results.
During prep, many competitors unknowingly hold stress and tension within the jawline, neck, and facial muscles. Over time this can affect circulation, fluid movement, facial tension, and even the overall appearance of the skin. The Buccal Sculpting Facelift™ works with the lymphatic system to help reduce puffiness, stagnation, and inflammation while encouraging healthy circulation and detoxification throughout the tissues.
At the same time, the treatment works deeply with the fascia of the face.
Fascia is the connective tissue system that surrounds and supports the muscles and structures of the face. When fascia becomes tight or restricted from stress and tension, the face can begin to look heavier, puffy, or more fatigued. Working with the fascia helps release restriction within the tissues, improve movement and circulation, and support a naturally lifted, sculpted appearance.
The intraoral Buccal portion of the treatment works from inside the mouth to release deeper muscular tension often associated with TMJ, jaw clenching, and stress patterns held within the face. This not only helps the face feel more relaxed, but also supports the overall structure, contour, and positioning of the face itself.
Acne can also become a common frustration during prep due to increased stress, hormonal fluctuations, sweating, inflammation, and changes within the body. This is where targeted acne treatments, professional exfoliation, LED therapy, and barrier-supportive skincare can make a huge difference.
The goal is not to aggressively strip the skin, but to calm inflammation while keeping the skin healthy and balanced throughout prep. Professional skincare is an important key during prep.
80% of the results you see are what you do at home and 20% is what happens in the treatment room. So the products you use or tools to help with lymphatic drainage or facial massage are going to be critical with supporting the skin.
Ingredients such as vitamin C, peptides, antioxidants, growth factors, and hyaluronic acid and tools like lymph dry brushing and facial cupping can help support hydration, collagen health, barrier repair, and overall skin resilience while the body is under increased demands.
Martha-Marie’s Top Skincare Products for Competitors’ During Prep - SHOP HERE
The goal is not perfection. The goal is supporting the skin in the same intentional way competitors support the rest of their body. The most beautiful transformations happen when competitors support their body as a whole — internally and externally.
When prep is approached thoughtfully, competitors can absolutely maintain healthy, radiant, youthful-looking skin while still pursuing an elite physique. Because true beauty in this sport is not just about being lean on stage. It’s about strength, confidence, vitality, longevity, and feeling incredible in your own skin both on and off stage.
Your skin is part of that journey too.
If you want a consultation to discover what specific needs your skin might have, you can book it with our Official Skincare Partner at Pure Glow Refinery, Martha-Marie Edwards, via the link below.
You can also read more about skincare & products she recommends on her website HERE
-Written by Martha-Marie Edwards, Pure Glow Refinery
