It’s easy enough to recite the old cliche: beauty is more than skin deep. But how many Americans really believe it?
You may have the heart and lung capacity of a 35-year-old, but if you have age-mottled skin, you will be perceived as “old.” Most Americans are aware of that fact and spend a great deal of money on skin care products.
While many of these products can be quite effective, young, healthy skin needs more than cosmetics. The skin is the body’s largest organ and protecting it involves many of the same lifestyle choices important to overall good health.
DON’T SMOKE! The damage that smoking does to skin can be seen even in young persons who have been smoking for 10 years or less. According to one study, a person smoking 20 cigarettes a day can count on about 10 years of premature aging.
Smoking constricts blood vessels in the outer layers of the skin, making it difficult for the skin to get oxygen and essential nutrients such as vitamin A. The resulting deficiency damages the elastin fibers and collagen that give the skin its structure.
In a more direct way, the act of smoking forces your face into all kinds of distortions–pursing your lips to inhale and exhale, squinting to keep smoke out of your eyes. These are generally less attractive than the smile lines that non-smokers exhibit with aging.
LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE TO ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION. The other major danger to your skin is excessive exposure to the ultraviolet (UV) rays of sunlight.
A sunburn represents acute damage to cells and blood vessels, manifested by pain, redness and swelling. If there’s blistering, that means that a substantial number of cells have been killed.
Tanning is another kind of damage response designed to protect the DNA of skin cells. When exposed chronically to UV rays, pigment cells release the dark brown melanin to form a cap over the nucleus of surrounding skin cells, where DNA is stored.
The most common (but least serious) skin cancers develop as a result of long-term exposure to ultraviolet rays. Melanoma, the most serious, is believed to occur because of one or more severe sunburns in youth.
UV rays also cause premature aging of skin, damaging elastin and collagen cells in much the same way that smoking does and causing deep wrinkles.
Working or exercising outside helps build muscles and a strong cardiovascular system, but it is possible to continue these activities without damaging your skin–by using sunscreen and wearing protective clothing.
EAT WELL. What you put into your body through diet may be at least as important to skin health as what you apply to the outside surface.
Many popular skin products contain some form of vitamin A, a nutrient that increases skin turnover–a natural process that otherwise tends to slow with age. Eating foods rich in vitamin A–such as carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe and red peppers–will also help regulate cell turnover, although the effect is perhaps not as dramatic as that produced by a prescription vitamin A cream.
Because it faces so many assaults from the environment, the skin benefits as much as any organ from antioxidants, found in fruits and vegetables and most notably those containing intense flavors and colors such as blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and plums.
Tea, and especially green tea, is high in polyphenols that have been shown to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Green tea, applied to the skin or consumed as a beverage, is believed to reduce the risk of skin damage from UV rays.
Because they are responsible for maintaining healthy cell membranes, omega-3 fatty acids, found in salmon, walnuts, canola oil and flax seed, are important to the health of the skin. With good, strong cell membranes, skin is better able to hold moisture and maintain its plump, youthful appearance.
Far too often overlooked is water. Even more than other organs, the skin responds negatively to lack of water. One way to tell if you’re mildly dehydrated is to pinch the skin on the back of your hand. If it doesn’t bounce back quickly, you need to replenish fluids.
It may be too simplistic to say, “Take care of the body, and the skin will take care of itself.” But if you treat your body right with a balanced diet and regular exercise, your skin is likely to project your overall good health.
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