How the Trauma of the Mind Shows Up on the Face

Makeup free, expression neutral, lighting stark, the block of iPhone selfies that I'd taken as part of a skincare product trial laid bare all the drama of my life so far. 
Anyone who's stood in front of a mirror, gua sha tool in hand, knows the ritual of trying to undo the activations etched into her face. My own routine hones in on the 11's between my eyebrows, pushes against the marionette lines around my mouth, and frets along the jawline.