Keep Your Skin Young, at Your Own Risk

It is said by some that "Youth is wasted on the young." For all of you who are eligible to make this statement there are a host of medical procedures such as lifts, tucks, injections (fillers, Botulinum toxin type A), liposuction, chemical peels, IPL pulsed light, laser hair removal, microdermal abrasion, and others for your maintaining the appearance of skin youth. However, these primarily move the skin around, and remove a few superficial layers, with some procedures being very expensive.

The following have more permanent effects.

1. Do not start smoking. Otherwise, stop it.

2. Avoid overexposure to the UV light.

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

*Use a sunscreen lotion with an SPF of at least 15, although no more than SPF 30 is needed. Choose a sunscreen that is water-resistant and contains zinc or titanium oxide.

*No use of UV light tanning beds.

3. Soft massage of underlying muscles enhances facial muscle tone.

4. Presuming normal kidney function, drink plenty of water daily for hydration of the body including the skin.

5. Topical moisturizers are more cosmetic than anything inasmuch as they are acting upon superficial layers of skin that are no longer living. However, if they contain sunscreen and natural anti-inflammatory agents they are more acceptable. Among product ingredients, if there are numerous elements with unfamiliar names, particularly names that you cannot even pronounce, beware. If there are no ingredient labels or they are very proprietary and secret, beware.

6. Fruits and vegetables abounding with 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 bars are sufficient cleansing agents and non-drying. Glycerin is actually hygroscopic, and may thereby absorb some airborne moisture into your skin.

*Use exfoliating bars, such as fine to medium grade pumice stones, in combination with soap to address blackheads, entrapped sebaceous glands and dirt-embedded hair follicles. Exfoliating bars may also help release hairs that curl back upon their own roots or into nearby sebaceous glands causing local inflammation.

9. Exfoliation - Aside from that referred to above, many wrongfully believe that it is necessary to vigorously, mechanically or chemically peel facial skin to attain a beautiful complexion. However, the skin (epidermis) and hair above the skin surface are dead tissues. By removing superficial layers you are primarily thinning or enhancing dead surfaces. Skin is there to protect you, to keep that which is outside, out. Avoid overtly damaging your external protection by particularly aggressive chemical or mechanical intervention.

10. Pillows, cases and hair care - When your hair and your face are dirty, if you lie on your pillow without cleaning your face or hair, you deposit dirt onto your pillow and/or case. So, your dirty pillows and pillow cases can become irritants to your complexion.

Skin is not all the same. Some people have very dry skin, others sebaceous glands are very active (yielding oily skin). For some, their skin naturally changed with age and per the effects of the geographic region in which they predominantly live. However, even for people with more oily skin, cleansing more frequently with a mild soap is preferable to use of more astringent products.

People would not need, nor desire to do as much of that which is offered as skin care if they really cared for their skin. Most non-invasive skin beauty products are cleansers, colorants, texturizers, daily application superficial fillers, cause temporary, superficial swelling (thereby local fullness) and are otherwise not scientifically proven to perform per claims. Many substances included in topical agents have not been studied for efficacy or safety. Others have not been determined to perform the same functions when applied to the skin as they allegedly perform when taken internally.

In a society where presenting for even a few hours per day in an enhanced state of appearance may have pronounced social and financial benefits, who am I to suggest that people should not invest in whatever regimens they can afford, actually work for them personally, and are not associated with unwarranted health risks. But, the latter may be difficult to assess when you have no idea how the product is made, and present law favors manufacturers and service providers. So, keep your skin young, at your own risk.