What Can Cause Skin Problems And How To Avoid Them
Nothing in this world is perfect, and that applies to our skin as well. Whether you have skin problems or just want to avoid them, these tips will definitely help.
Few, if any of us, are able to go through life with carefree skin that glows with health at all times.
Conditions over which none of us have any control, such as the passage of time, will affect even the best-cared-for skin.
But there are ways that everyone can keep our skin healthier and younger looking longer.
The Main Causes Of Your Skin Problems
While it’s undoubtedly true that very few of us actually engage in activities to deliberately harm our skin, it is also true that many of us do things that will result in exactly that.
Whether we respond to advertising on media or peer pressure from friends, a lot of us unintentionally cause skin problems, damage that can be irreversible.
1. Sunburns
All life on earth depends upon the sun, but as far as our skin goes, the sun is our greatest enemy.
For decades, tanning products, tanning beds, and societal pressures have urged us to go out during the summer (or visit a tanning studio) to par-broil our skins.
Tans have been presented as being healthy, but they are actually anything but.
When you expose your unprotected skin to the sun, it affects both the epidermis and the dermis.
UVB rays sizzle up the epidermis, and cause sunburn, while the UVA rays penetrate through the epidermis to help destroy the elastin and collagen in the dermis.
2. Smoking
Smoked meats are usually dry and leathery in appearance, and this is precisely what smoking will do to your facial skin.
Smoking causes the blood vessels and capillaries to constrict, which means that less blood will be available to support and nourish your skin cells.
Because elastin and collagen in the dermis are partially destroyed by smoking, wrinkles will form, and then deepen.
3. Stress
Stress is often overlooked as having a negative effect on the skin, but it actually does.
It’s no secret that our hectic life produces great amounts of stress, which washes over into nearly every aspect of our lives.
When we are stressed, our adrenal gland produces an extra dose of cortisol, which might be termed our “fight or flight” cocktail.
Ordinarily, once the threat was over, one way or the other, cortisol levels would drop back to normal.
However, most of us are under stress constantly, which means we have elevated cortisol levels at nearly constantly.
Stress pulls blood from the extremities to the more vital organs such as the heart and lungs, meaning that our skin is now deprived of normal circulation.
Starved cells are damaged cells, and this applies to the cells in your skin. And, because cortisol dampens down your immune system, it makes it easier for bacteria to form pimples and acne.
4. Wrong Food
Are you eating adequately? This doesn’t refer to the number of calories being consumed, but rather the quality of your food choices.
If you are relying on junk food and greasy fast food for a good part of your nourishment, your body will not have adequate means to grow healthy cells, and this will include your skin cells.
If you’ve ever seen the pasty, greyish complexion of a fast food addict, you will know exactly how important a good diet is.
How To Avoid Any Skin Problems
While the aging process will go on regardless of your wishes, it is not inevitable that you will have to wind up looking like a granny apple, either.
Keeping your skin looking its best throughout your life is not impossible, as long as you apply a dose of common sense and follow a good skin care regimen.
1. Avoid Direct Sun Rays
Avoiding exposure to the sun is probably the most important way to keep your skin healthy.
No one is suggesting you live a nocturnal existence, but when you will be outside, you should take measures to protect your skin.
A hat with a nice wide brim will help to shield your face, but you should also apply sunscreen for added protection.
The winter sun can take a toll, too, for even though the sun may be lower in the sky, snow will reflect radiation up onto your face.
2. Clean Your Face
Dealing with acne and other skin blemishes is important to prevent scarring that can be difficult to remove.
The first step will be cleaning your face properly, and the right face cleanser for acne can remove dead cells, dirt, and excess oil without damaging the skin.
Be sure not to wash your face, regardless of your skin type, more than twice a day, and never go to sleep wearing makeup.
3. Apply A Moisturizer
Use a moisturizer designed for your skin type to keep your skin softer, moister, and less likely to wrinkle.
Those with oily skin usually do better with a water based lotion.
And those with dry or sensitive skin should look for a moisturizer that contains oil, or even petroleum jelly for very dry skin.
Heavy wrinkling is not inevitable, and following a few simple rules can help you avoid skin problems and keep your skin looking years younger, regardless of your age.