Dubbed the largest organ in your body, your skin regulates your temperature while keeping your body safe from harmful substances. However, there are a host of factors that can impact your skin health, most of which are controllable. Skin conditions affect people in different age groups, so understanding their triggers will help you counteract the risks. Here are thirteen factors that can harm your skin that you may not be aware of.
Harsh winter weather
Extremely low temperatures can trigger skin dryness for many. You may start experiencing flaky and itchy skin alongside chapped lips as winter rolls in with its harsh cold. This is because biting wind can drain moisture away from your skin. This situation can ever cause worsening skin conditions for people with psoriasis. Therefore, it's important to cover your skin well when outdoors on a chilly and windy day. Also, ensure you drink enough fluids to hydrate and keep your skin supple.
Feel free to invest in a moisturizer for your body and face, and consider consulting a dermatologist for further assistance if you have signs of a skin health problem. Apart from that, try to avoid the tendency to soak yourself in a hot shower since that causes dryness and skin irritation; use warm water to shower instead.
Low-quality diet
Eating poor diets isn't healthy for your skin. Consider consuming nutritious foods, including fruits and veggies, as they contain antioxidants that help slow aging. You may want to limit your intake of carbohydrates and too many sweets; these may play a role in causing acne.
Additionally, excess caffeine and sodium in your diet are linked with higher risks of breakouts, so you want to consume these moderately. You can also include zinc-rich nuts and berries in your diet to help in inflammation reduction.
UV rays
Exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation can harm your skin, causing you to age faster than usual. Moreover, UV rays can make you vulnerable to skin cancer. As a safety measure, consider wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 30 or greater to protect your skin against UVA and UVB rays. Don't forget to use lipstick/lip balm with sun protection features.
Dust and pollutants
Your skin may appear dull due to dust and pollutants clogging its pores. Fortunately, you can use an air purifier in your home to prevent airborne irritants from settling on your skin. Likewise, a good skincare routine protects your skin against dust and pollutants. As a tip, apply a gentle cleanser with warm water to eliminate dirt and oil - adding a moisturizer that's perfect for your skin will make it even better.
Too much stress
Excessive stress can worsen the symptoms of some skin diseases, making treatment ineffective. There is a well-known connection between your mental and physical well-being. When stress consumes you greatly, your body (including your skin) will respond somehow. More often than not, stress sparks hormonal changes, which can lead to acne breakouts. Things may worsen when you sweat profusely or over-consume dehydrators like alcohol and coffee. Therefore, getting sufficient sleep and minimizing stress for healthy skin is important.
Makeup
It’s no news that makeup can improve your looks. However, excessive use of these beauty products can accelerate acne, allergies, skin discoloration, and aging. Whether you apply makeup occasionally or regularly, taking precautions is necessary to avoid harming your skin. Ensure your brushes are hygienic, understand your skin type, and avoid harmful ingredients.
Drinking and smoking
Your lifestyle has an impact on your skin health. As explained before, alcohol dehydrates your skin. Therefore, regulating your alcohol consumption is essential. Smoking, too, can cause significant damage to your beautiful skin. This lifestyle has been linked with wrinkling, dehydration, skin cancer, premature death, and aging. Therefore consider giving up your smoking habits. While this can seem challenging, you can seek help from professionals. Alternatively, replacing cigarettes with nicotine gums can be helpful, so consider this.
Skin type
Your skin type can make you prone to certain dermatologic conditions, so keep this in mind. Changing environmental conditions and seasons can affect different skin types in several ways. For example, people with dry skin are more likely to experience frequent itching, flakiness, wrinkling, and cracking, particularly in winter. If you have skin dryness issues, you can take the necessary steps to manage it. For instance, you can read this informative article on dry hands: causes, treatment, and prevention if you consistently experience this issue.
Dry hands are a known symptom of xerosis or xeroderma, so keep this in mind. On the other hand, people with oily skin types are often vulnerable to acne, and they may have issues with hyperpigmentation and enlarged pores.
Sleep quality
Sleep deprivation can make your skin look dull and vulnerable to acne flare-ups. It can also cause your system to produce significant cortisol levels, making you susceptible to inflammation. You may notice black circles develop under your eyes after sleep deprivation. The appearance of these dark spots can be explained by the dilation of blood vessels that happens when you don't enjoy a good night's rest. Consider doing your skin a favor by sleeping well.
Lack of exercise
Surprisingly, exercise can also impact your skin health. Physical activities boost blood circulation, giving your facial skin a healthy glow. Moreover, sweating removes toxic materials and dead skin cells from your body, allowing new cells to form. On the other hand, some studies suggest not exercising regularly can lead to age spots. Therefore, keep visiting the gym to improve your skin health with exercise routines.
Dirty pillowcases and bed sheets
Not washing or changing your pillowcases regularly can harm your skin. With time, pillowcases collect dead skin cells that peel off as you sleep, in addition to sweat and grease. It's important to wash and change your pillowcases and bed sheets to avoid skin infections. Consider changing your face towel daily and washing it at high temperatures.
dehydration
Water is one vital compound that can boost your skin health, so overlooking its essence is a big mistake. Your body consists of 60% water, and there are good reasons why nature makes it so. You lose a lot of water daily through urination, sweating, and defecation. That said, your skin may suffer if you don't adequately replenish your lost fluids, so keep this in mind. Drinking enough water (about 8 glasses daily) will reduce your need for certain skincare products. If you stay hydrated, you will have fewer wrinkles, less acne, and healthier skin., so feel free to consider this. Eating water-rich foods like watermelon is also beneficial.
Your natural skin tone
You may wonder why some beachgoers get sunburns while others experience suntans. Well, this depends on your natural skin tone. Darker skin tones have a lot of melanin to protect you from sun damage, causing your skin to tan. This explains why dark-skinned individuals usually become even darker after spending some time basking in the sun.
On the other hand, lighter skin tones have lower levels of melanin, turning you red after walking in the sun. Never mind your natural skin tone; you are always good to go if you use good sunscreen, so keep this in mind.
Keeping your skin healthy calls for proactiveness in your skincare routines. Therefore, understand the above factors and take good care of your skin through healthy eating, sleeping well, effective hydration, and the like. Replacing toxic products with natural options can also be beneficial, so feel free to consider this.
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