Our skin for the most part is probably the most vital aspect of our bodies we care about cosmetically.
Just like everything else in the world, skin ages with time. Your skin naturally goes through periods of change in your lifetime. These changes can be a result of natural processes, and also incurred effects over time that you have control over.
Today, I wanted to break down and make sure you were aware of the natural and incurred effects that affect your skin, and how you can combat ageing by being more aware!
Let’s dive right in!
Natural Ageing
The infamous skin ageing problem…
Why does our skin age?
Ageing skin is an evolution of shape due to volume loss. What I mean by this is as you lose ‘volume’ and health in your skin, you will start to lose that clean and perfect shape, commonly referred to as ‘Baby Face’. Wrinkles, fine lines, and droops come in. Volume is created by fat and muscle helping shape the skin and with age the strength and health of these change. This is where treatments like Morpheus8 RF Micro-Needling or Filler come in handy.
So, how can you combat Father Time? With the right cosmetic treatment programme! A trained Medical Aesthetic specialist can help you find the best natural solutions for you to help reverse the natural ageing process. If you are mindful of your lifestyle habits you may actually watch the hands of time rewind on your skin.
Your Lifestyle Habits
You might not believe it, but your lifestyle plays a big part in your skin’s health! A wide variety of lifestyle habits can have a massive effect on the condition of your skin. Let’s review some of the most common factors:
Skin Hygiene:
While the ageing process of our skin naturally occurs, the process can happen faster for those who are not taking care of their skin with regular hygiene routines. Skin care regimes and using antioxidant products, such as retinol and vitamin’s C and E, are like ‘oxygen’ for your skin. They are essential for good skin health.
Stress:
We all know stress causes a lot of problems in our life. It is natural to have stress, and really there is no way to completely avoid it. However we should be mindful of the effects this has on the body and skin. When you get stressed out, the pituitary gland secretes insulin, growth hormones, and cortisol, all which inhibit the production of two key proteins that are building blocks of your skin: collagen and elastin. These build to make your skin firmer, smoother, and more radiant. Reducing stress will allow more of these proteins to work and develop your skin, improving the overall condition. Next time you start to stress about something ask yourself, “Is it worth the wrinkle?”
Lack of Sleep:
We all probably know this, but a good night’s rest goes a long way. Lack of sleep causes your body to release more of that stress hormone cortisol we talked about before, which can break down collagen. Sleep also gives your skin and body time to recover any damages to it.
Use of Alcohol and Drugs:
Smoking and drinking can actually hurt your skin health more than you already know. It reduces oxygen to the skin cells, which causes them not to function at their full capacity. This reduces cell rejuvenation and also induces those pesky stress hormones and ageing affects mentioned above in the last two sections. Smoking also increases something called ‘free radicals’ which increases risk factor for skin cancer.
Nutrition:
You are what you eat! We will cover this in detail in another blog post (stay tuned), but nutrition has a huge importance to the health of our skin. Your skin is basically a reflection of your inner health. Foods that can be considered nutritious and good for your skin must contain vitamins, antioxidants, and amino acids; these are the building blocks for optimal skin health.
Sun Damage:
We all love the summertime & sunshine, but the harsh rays can affect your skin! Overexposure to the sun’s UltraViolet (UV) rays will cause inflammatory response to your skin which can cause direct DNA damage and can create stress on the cells, burning, and ultimately end in cell death. This damage can lead to age spots and vascular lesions, putting you at risk for skin cancer. Enjoying some sun is fine, but always make sure you are protected with a minimum SPF 30 BroadSpectrum Sunscreen!
Talking with a medical professional about your lifestyle and Skin Rejuvenation Goals is important to re-establish healthy and radiant skin. I am available to meet with you 1 on 1, and find the treatment programme that is most suitable for your facial and body rejuvenation! Book a consultation to discuss your goals and needs further.
