Skin care concerns & solutions

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Skin care concerns & solutions


Our skin is the first thing people notice about us. Good skin speaks volumes about us - do we put priority on grooming? Are we eating healthy? How about our self confidence? We cannot take enough care of our skin. Believe me.
"I regret taking care of my skin" - said no one ever!

Lets get down to skin basics


Skin has 3 layers - the epidermis, dermis and the fatty layer. The epidermis is the skin manufacturer - it creates baby skin cells and they huff and puff their way to the top - and fall down dead!!! Yes! you heard it right - our skin is pretty much full of dead cells.
The dermis is the main room - you have the blood vessels, nerve endings, sweat glands and oil glands all here. Interesting fact - you remember the time you got poked with a pin? You felt that because your nerve endings in the dermis were working properly.
The last layer is the cushioning layer - full of subcutaneous fat keeping you all warm. This also has the hair follicles which go all the way to the top layer.

Lets start with getting to know the skin concerns!

1. Dehydration


Dehydration is lack of water in your skin. This can be a temporary condition or a chronic skin condition. Many people confuse this with a dry skin - dry skin is a skin type whereas dehydration is a sign that your skin needs water! This can be brought on by a number of factors - were you sitting in AC the whole day? Did you binge out in a drinking party? Or were you so busy throughout the day that you just forgot to drink your 8 glasses of water? Come on - everyone knows you got to drink 8 glasses. Well the reason could be any number of things, but the result is you are parched like the Sahara desert.

2. Dry / Oily skin

This is a skin type - either your sebaceous glands (those small cute things in the dermis) are producing way too much oil to make your face all oily or they just shut down the factory and have your face all dry! With the right skin care products, taking care of this condition will be a breeze.

3. Acne

Now we come to the bane of all oily skin people - you are all eagerly waiting to go to your family wedding and woe of all woes - you got a pimple on the D-day. Acne prone skin needs a lot of pampering. You just cant ignore your skin for days and expect it to be all shiny for you when you need it. Acne is an inflammatory condition of the skin. The hair follicles in the skin gets blocked - because you forgot to clean them! They get all clogged up with dead cells, sebum and other gross things...so no wonder it explodes into a pimple! Another reason could be hormonal issues.
The most important step to taking care of acne is keeping your skin clear of oil and that means using a gentle yet effective cleanser to clear out the pores and remove the oil. 
Prevention is better than cure as the age old saying goes and its very true when it comes to acne.

4. Pigmentation 

Our skin gets its colour from melanin which is produced by the melanocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis. The melanin protects our skin from the UV damage, but sometimes the UV damage is too much or for too long a time, (did you even bother to use a sunscreen anytime?) that the melanocytes go into overtime and keep cranking out melanin. This causes brown spots, pigmentation, freckles and all the other discolourations in our pretty face. Our hormones play a huge role in pigmentation. The way to take care of this is to get those melanocytes in order and reduce the melanin pigment. Of course, you need to protect yourselves from the sun after that - did you apply sunscreen today?

5. Ageing 

Ageing is inevitable, but looking your age can be taken care of. With the right skin routines, you can age gracefully. 
The ageing process starts right from the teens when the skin starts to get the brunt of all those sports days in the sun! 
Yes thats right, Sun is the major culprit when it comes to ageing. Skin starts to get tanned and dull.
By the 30s, fine lines start to appear. Skin regeneration starts to slow down. Products to remove dead cells and pigmentation are the order of the day. Time to unleash the anti ageing products also if you want to delay ageing for as long as possible. You also need to exercise to bring down the fat to take years off. 
There is significant dullness in the 40s and photo ageing causes spots. The dermis which has the elastin and collagen fibres looks like a battleground with the fibres broken and skin starts to lose its tautness. Skin sensitivity occurs as the skin starts to become thin.
Post 50, there is only so much prevention you can do as more visible signs of ageing occur like sagging, deep wrinkles and rough skin. Skin becomes dry as the epidermis starts to lose the ability to retain moisture. It needs a lot of attention now and treatment with potent ingredients is definitely advisable.

SOLUTIONS

1. GUT HEALTH

"It doesn't matter what you look on the outside, its whats on the inside that counts."
Our gut is filled with bacteria which influences our digestive system, our immune system and of course our skin. But when we make eating sugary treats, consuming alcohol, smoking, drinking soda and eating refined carbs a regular habit, our body throws down its hands and it reflects on our skin.

2. REGULAR AM-PM ROUTINES

Skin is like our significant other - we have to woo them constantly or they start acting out. Just like how brushing needs to be done twice, we need to take care of our skin twice - once in the morning and once at night. Cleanse, Treat, Repair and Protect. More on this topic in my coming posts.

3. GOOD NUTRITION

Good nutrition is needed for the skin too, not just for your stomach. Make skin super foods like probiotics, dark greens leafy veggies, apple cider vinegar, dark chocolate and colourful fruits and vegetables part of your daily intake and your skin will thank you.

4. EXCELLENT PRODUCTS

When its a matter of your skin, you cant afford to compromise on the quality. Use products from well tested brands which will give the benefit as advertised and which are safe. Make sure the products contain potent ingredients like acerola-cherry, red caviar, micro X6 peptides, jojoba which come from natural sources.

Comments

  1. Vinay R9 May 2020 at 01:56

    Very well written article. For most of us skin care is all about external care (skin care products), this article talks about inside out approach.

    ReplyDelete

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