Finding life's balance with Ebony Dee Cheyne

Ebony Dee Cheyne grew up in Edinburgh but within days of graduating, she was transported to another world, working alongside her photography idol in Hollywood, before giving it all up to work in alternative healthcare.

Why did you step away from the dream job, photographing celebrities in Hollywood?

My early career was creatively very challenging and exciting. It felt great to be respected by my idols and mentors, but it was costing me my health and at some point, my integrity. The more celebrity work I did, the more I was being forced to alter features of people we all know and love to become CGI versions of themselves. The celebrities often had no idea as I’d be on set working on the images straight from the camera. I was frustrated with the industry and the lies and was anxious and depressed about my health. All while living the dream lifestyle.

How did your health suffer?

I was stressed, always working on impossible deadlines. I prided myself in being able to work for days and nights on end with no sleep. My eating habits were purely convenience based, my hormones were playing havoc, I was sometimes in excruciating pain, nauseous all the time and was passing out with no explanation. I kept quiet about my illness-it’s not cool to talk about chronic illness -and moved to Paris to slow down my career. Unfortunately, my illness got so bad that I was bed-ridden and had to quit the industry. I was diagnosed with dysautonomia and ended up on about 15 medications.

That must have been tough?

Having chronic health issues does nothing for your confidence; not trusting your body to be well enough to show up to appointments, bloating, nausea and pain. It makes you feel isolated.

So how did your new business, Shine from Inside, come about?

I’ve been on a journey of discovery with my illness. I learnt about real food, a balanced lifestyle and the incredible benefits of essential oils. Healthcare is evolving and do TERRA essential oils are at the forefront of this movement to use trusted plant medicine when possible. Personally, I was able to stop my medication within a day of taking the oils and that’s where the new business idea came from. I saw an opportunity to sell an extremely rewarding product based on conscious enterprise.

How did you get your confidence back?

By accepting that confidence is not about being perfect, you are just you, 100%.We can use what nature and modern science has to offer to age gracefully- I tried a couple of non-invasive treatments including the plasma facial at Face and Body; we can find confidence in our appearance, career, actions and relationships. But to me, inner, unshakable confidence is self-belief.  

Face & Body is a multi award-winning aesthetic clinic in Edinburgh specialising in pro-ageing and beautification treatments, that give natural looking results, to boost your confidence. Find them at 32 Alva St, EH2 4PY, faceandbody.co.uk