Keep Your Skin Young

 

Some say that "youth is wasted on the young." For all of you who are eligible to make this statement, there are a number of medical procedures such as lifts, tucks, injections (fillers, botulinum toxin type A), liposuction, chemical peels, IPL pulsed light, laser hair removal, micro dermal abrasion, and more for maintaining the youthful appearance of the skin. However, these primarily move the skin and remove several surface layers, while some procedures are very expensive.

The following have more permanent effects.

1. Don't start smoking. Otherwise, stop.

2. Avoid excessive UV exposure.

*Clothing offering optimal coverage, hats, neck scarves and sunglasses are protective in appropriate settings.

*Use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, although no higher than SPF 30 is needed. Choose a sunscreen that is waterproof and contains zinc or titanium oxide.

*Do not use sunbeds with UV radiation.

3. A gentle massage of the lower muscles increases the tone of the facial muscles.

4. Assuming normal kidney function, drink enough water daily to hydrate the body, including the skin.

5. Topical moisturizers are more cosmetic than anything else because they work on the surface layers of skin that are no longer alive. However, if they contain sunscreen and natural anti-inflammatory agents, they are more acceptable. If there are many elements with unfamiliar names among the product components, especially names that you can't even pronounce, beware. If there are no ingredient labels or they are very proprietary and secret, beware.

6. Fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins A, C and E are great for your skin.

7. Supplements such as beta-carotene, omega-3 fatty acids, lycopene, magnesium and selenium are important for strong, healthy skin development and maintenance.

8. Soaps

*Glycerin sticks are sufficient cleaning agents and do not dry out. Glycerin is actually hygroscopic, so it can absorb some atmospheric moisture into your skin.

*Use exfoliating bars, such as fine to medium pumice, in combination with soap to address blackheads, clogged sebaceous glands, and clogged hair follicles. Exfoliating sticks can also help loosen hairs that curl back onto their own roots or into nearby oil glands, causing local inflammation.

9. Exfoliation – In addition to what was mentioned above, many people mistakenly believe that to achieve beautiful skin, it is necessary to vigorously, mechanically or chemically exfoliate the facial skin. However, the skin (epidermis) and hair above the surface of the skin are dead tissue. By removing surface layers, you are primarily thinning or improving dead surfaces. Skin is there to protect you, to keep what's out, out. Avoid obvious damage to your external protection by particularly aggressive chemical or mechanical interventions.

10. Pillows, Cases and Hair Care - When you have dirty hair and face, you lay on your pillow without cleaning your face or hair, you deposit dirt on your pillow and/or case. So your dirty pillows and pillowcases can irritate your skin.

Not all skin is the same. Some people have very dry skin, others have very active sebaceous glands (they produce oily skin). For some, their skin has naturally changed with age and according to the influences of the geographical area in which they mainly live. Even for people with oilier skin, however, more frequent cleaning with a mild soap is preferable before using more astringent products.

People wouldn't need or want to do so much of what is marketed as skin care if they really cared about their skin. Most non-invasive skin beauty products are cleansers, dyes, texturizers, everyday fillers, cause temporary, superficial swelling (and thus local fullness), and are otherwise not scientifically proven to work as claimed. Many substances in topical preparations have not been studied for efficacy or safety. Others have not been found to perform the same functions when applied to the skin as they are claimed to perform when taken internally.

In a society where presenting even just a few hours a day in better condition can have significant social and financial benefits, who am I to suggest that people don't invest in whatever regimens they can afford that actually work for them personally and aren't associated with unwarranted health risks. However, this can be difficult to judge when you have no idea how the product is made, and the current law favors manufacturers and service providers. Keep your skin young at your own peril.