Skin Care Begins Early
Are you trying to erase those wrinkles from your face? Keep this in mind: skin care must begin early in life.
Skin is the largest organ of the body and the most visible. Our skin reflects the effects of aging that are going on throughout the body. To a large degree skin is a barometer of your overall state of health.
So what changes can you expect to see in your skin as you become more mature (nice way of saying getting older)? Before we answer that it’s vital to know that what you eat goes a long way in determining what your skin looks like. Diets high in sugar and trans fats are not good for your body including skin. Also, an inactive lifestyle is not healty for your skin. Exercise improves blood flow and that improves delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the skin.
Skin care must begin early in life, but most of us don’t realize this until its too late (me included).
Skin Care in Your 20s
The seeds of skin damage are planted in the 20s but usually won’t be evidence until the 30s. Much of this early damage is related to the sun and exposure to other toxins including smoking. Sun exposure is good – it’s how we make vitamin D which has numerous health benefits. But you need to be smart with the amount of sun exposure you receive. This includes limiting your time in the sun, using sunscreen, wearing sunglasses, and even use of a hat to shield the sun from the face. Sun along with toxins and poor nutrition damages the two main structural proteins of skin; collagen and elastin. The effects of the damage may not show up for years later in the form of wrinkles and sagging skin.
Keeping skin hydrated by drinking plenty of water and use of moisturizers is important during this phase of life.
Skin Care in Your 30s
It’s in our 30s that signs of skin damage become evident. Skin loses its ability to repair itself and needs help. The effects of the sun and toxins on the skin continue to cause harm out pacing the body’s natural ability to repair it. Fine wrinkles begin to appear. To enhance skin appearance use of exfoliants that remove dead skin (serums and facials) and products that stimulate collagen production are useful like Renova/retin-A. Most men and women finally notice that they are in fact getting older during this period and become more motivated to take better care of their skin.
Skin Care in Your 40s and Beyond
Wrinkles of various depths become more noticeable. Changes in skin pigmentation occur as well. Skin becomes rougher with little bumps and blemishes. Hormonal changes kick in contributing to unhealthy looking skin.With decreased production of hormones like testosterone and DHEA skin becomes dryer, and the loss of estrogen and progesterone affect collagen and elastin and blood flow to skin. Skin becomes thinner (most noticeable in the hands and arms of women) as levels of these hormones drop making it easier for skin to become injured or damaged.
Skin rejuvenation techniques many time become “necessary” to recapture the look of yesteryear. This includes the use of collagen fillers, hyaluronic acid injections, and laser and radiofrequency treatments.
The take home message for skin care: what you do today affects what your skin will look like tomorrow.
