Got Wrinkles?
A few years ago when I turned 40 suddenly I was motivated to keep my skin as young looking as possible. Not that I'm obsessed with my appearance (because I'm so not), but I figured it's worth a little extra effort to care for my now aging skin. Being that I'm a young baby boomer, I figure I'm not alone.
One of the best ways to help prevent wrinkles is, of course, to NOT tan your skin. Being that I am the kind of person who doesn't tan but only turns different shades of pink, I figured out at a young age that sun worshiping just wasn't in my genetic code. My younger sister though got whatever melanin our family tree had left and she did tan as a teen and young adult (I have to say, I do seem to have fewer wrinkles).
I would like to think I know the basics about keeping skin young from the inside-out (avoiding sun, not smoking, keeping well hydrated, and eating a "healthy" diet...but I wondered what some of the skin experts had to say about it...
What Skin Experts Have To Say
"I think since prevention plays a big role in skin aging, the sooner you start the better," answers Dr. Mark G. Rubin, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology of the University of San Diego. "By the time you see changes you don't like in your skin, a lot of damage has already been done," he explains. Dr. Rubin believes not smoking and avoiding the sun starting in your teens will pay off later in life with improved skin quality.
If you think about it, what we are really trying to do is delay the normal aging of our skin-it ages just as all our other organs do. The best way to prevent aging of many things in the human body, on a cellular level, is to keep your body cells from oxidizing. I'm oversimplifying but generally: Oxidation = Aging
The best way to keep your body from needlessly oxidizing is to avoid smoking and to eat a diet rich in antioxidants (more on this below).
On a physical level, the best to prevent aging of the skin is to keep it well hydrated and moist with a nice layer of lipid beneath the skin to protect the internal moisture from leaving. You can do this simply by eating a healthy diet that includes some smart fats (omega-3s and monounsaturated fat) and drinking plenty of water and having a good skin care regimen that conditions the skin and minimizes skin moisture loss. Dr. Rubin agreed with my humble assessment.
Food Tips For Healthy Looking Skin
Are there any specific things we can do diet wise to encourage healthier-looking skin? You bet! "Your skin is a reflection of your underlying health, so good nutrition, getting enough sleep, reducing stress, staying hydrated, et...all play a role in creating better looking skin," says Dr. Rubin. Dr. Papadeas with the Skin Cancer and Laser Surgery Center in Aurora, Colorado, adds "no excessive drinking" to this healthy lifestyle list.
The whole foods way of eating
"The same diet that protects against heart disease and cancer is good for the skin," says Wilma Bergseld, M.D., head of clinical research in dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, who makes a point of telling her patients to eat a healthy diet of whole foods. Researchers at Monash University in Australia may have helped prove Bergseld's point in their recent study. When looking at the diets of about 450 people age 70 and older from Australia, Greece, and Sweden, they found that those who ate a more "whole foods" diet (rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, eggs, yogurt, nuts, oils rich in monounsaturated fats, multigrain bread, tea and water) had less skin wrinkling and photo aging than those who ate diets rich in whole milk, red meat (particularly processed meats), butter, potatoes and sugar products. The researchers believe this may have to do with the antioxidants, phytochemicals and monounsaturated fats contributed.
Here's to younger looking skin!
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Flirty at Thirty: Flawless Foundation, Indoor Tanning Bad, Docs Say
Technorati Tags: wrinkles, anti-aging, healthyskin, skincare, diet
One of the best ways to help prevent wrinkles is, of course, to NOT tan your skin. Being that I am the kind of person who doesn't tan but only turns different shades of pink, I figured out at a young age that sun worshiping just wasn't in my genetic code. My younger sister though got whatever melanin our family tree had left and she did tan as a teen and young adult (I have to say, I do seem to have fewer wrinkles).
I would like to think I know the basics about keeping skin young from the inside-out (avoiding sun, not smoking, keeping well hydrated, and eating a "healthy" diet...but I wondered what some of the skin experts had to say about it...
What Skin Experts Have To Say
"I think since prevention plays a big role in skin aging, the sooner you start the better," answers Dr. Mark G. Rubin, Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology of the University of San Diego. "By the time you see changes you don't like in your skin, a lot of damage has already been done," he explains. Dr. Rubin believes not smoking and avoiding the sun starting in your teens will pay off later in life with improved skin quality.
If you think about it, what we are really trying to do is delay the normal aging of our skin-it ages just as all our other organs do. The best way to prevent aging of many things in the human body, on a cellular level, is to keep your body cells from oxidizing. I'm oversimplifying but generally: Oxidation = Aging
The best way to keep your body from needlessly oxidizing is to avoid smoking and to eat a diet rich in antioxidants (more on this below).
On a physical level, the best to prevent aging of the skin is to keep it well hydrated and moist with a nice layer of lipid beneath the skin to protect the internal moisture from leaving. You can do this simply by eating a healthy diet that includes some smart fats (omega-3s and monounsaturated fat) and drinking plenty of water and having a good skin care regimen that conditions the skin and minimizes skin moisture loss. Dr. Rubin agreed with my humble assessment.
Food Tips For Healthy Looking Skin
Are there any specific things we can do diet wise to encourage healthier-looking skin? You bet! "Your skin is a reflection of your underlying health, so good nutrition, getting enough sleep, reducing stress, staying hydrated, et...all play a role in creating better looking skin," says Dr. Rubin. Dr. Papadeas with the Skin Cancer and Laser Surgery Center in Aurora, Colorado, adds "no excessive drinking" to this healthy lifestyle list.
The whole foods way of eating
"The same diet that protects against heart disease and cancer is good for the skin," says Wilma Bergseld, M.D., head of clinical research in dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, who makes a point of telling her patients to eat a healthy diet of whole foods. Researchers at Monash University in Australia may have helped prove Bergseld's point in their recent study. When looking at the diets of about 450 people age 70 and older from Australia, Greece, and Sweden, they found that those who ate a more "whole foods" diet (rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, eggs, yogurt, nuts, oils rich in monounsaturated fats, multigrain bread, tea and water) had less skin wrinkling and photo aging than those who ate diets rich in whole milk, red meat (particularly processed meats), butter, potatoes and sugar products. The researchers believe this may have to do with the antioxidants, phytochemicals and monounsaturated fats contributed.
Here's to younger looking skin!
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Flirty at Thirty: Flawless Foundation, Indoor Tanning Bad, Docs Say
Technorati Tags: wrinkles, anti-aging, healthyskin, skincare, diet
2 Comments:
03-21-06
Thank you very much. It was a timely article. I found the other articles:
Skin Conditions;
Antioxidants diets are also life saving and heart-embracing.
The info is helpful and TRUE! I started eating more vegies, fish, whole grains, and drinking tea and pomegrantie juice a few years ago and my skin looks better now than when in my 20s.
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