What is ‘boyfriend air’? How your relationship can impact your appearance

If you've noticed that your hair is frizzier, your skin is blotchier, and you feel disheveled after spending time with your boyfriend, then you're not alone.

You may be a victim of what some TikTok users are calling ‘boyfriend air.’

For years, women on social media have posited the theory that spending time around their boyfriends has a negative effect on their appearance.

The mere presence of ‘boyfriend air’ can ruin a cute hairstyle or makeup look within hours, according to some.

Don't believe it? Scroll through TikTok, where legions of women have chronicled the effects of boyfriend air in hilarious before-and-after videos.

The concept of boyfriend air has circulated for a few years, but it’s demonstrated impressive staying power on social media.

Similar concepts like ‘school air’ and ‘work air’ theorize that certain environments are mysteriously detrimental to your appearance.

In many cases, simple factors like lighting can make a huge difference in how you perceive yourself on a daily basis.

Which leads to an important question:

Is ‘boyfriend air’ real?

Can we really blame our boyfriends for making us feel less-than-stellar?

The more likely reason for the ‘boyfriend air’ phenomenon is that when you spend more time at someone else's place, you end up adjusting your self-care routine.

Even if you normally prioritize your multi-step skincare regime, you might cut down on the amount of time you spend on grooming when you share a space with your significant other.

It can be difficult to replicate your routine in another environment without access to your usual staples. Perhaps you bring fewer products to save space in your overnight bag, or opt to borrow shampoo rather than hauling your own bottle from home.

A weekend stay usually requires you to pack light, so fashionistas might feel antsy at not having access to their typical array of wardrobe options.

Additionally, changing your usual eating, sleeping, and exercise schedule can also make you feel disheveled.

Without pointing fingers, it's also worth mentioning that you and your partner may have different standards of cleanliness.

If you prioritize changing your sheets each week, while your partner tends to procrastinate on laundry, you might find yourself dealing with more breakouts than usual.

Finally, there are some parts of your routine that you simply might not want to do in front of your significant other — those “secret single behaviors,” as Carrie Bradshaw terms them in “Sex and the City.”

Hopefully you feel comfortable relaxing around your partner, but it's understandable to skip your weekly foot peel or red light mask session when you're spending time with your sweetheart.

At the end of the day, we should all feel like we can be ourselves in our relationships.

Whether you prioritize your ten-step skincare routine or decide to just wash your face and hop in bed, your partner will love you either way.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com