HEALTHY SKIN AT ANY AGE, PART ONE – YOUR TEENAGE YEARS

For those who believe they have naturally “healthy” skin, it still requires a bit of work. What’s also true is that “unhealthy” skin may not require a lot more work than healthy skin.

Your skin cells are on a regular reproduction cycle that happens every 28-32 days.  During the teens and twenties, your skin cells are reproducing at their optimum rate. Teenagers, in particular, are vulnerable to skin problems because they are also experiencing many hormonal changes in their bodies during these years.  For this age group, if you can develop good habits at an early age, you may be able to avoid serious issues with acne and other troubling skin conditions.

For my own teens as well as others, I suggest the following basic skin care rules to follow:

1. TRY TO STAY CONSISTENT!  One of the most important things to remember as a teenager is to stay consistent with your skin care routine.  Even if you are only able (or willing) to cleanse your face once a day (yes, to remove makeup, because you don’t want to sleep with your makeup on), stick to it.  It helps to have a very simple routine: Cleanser, toner or treatment product, sunscreen (AM daily); or cleanser, toner or treatment product, barrier repairing product (PM daily).  If someone is trying to talk you into any more than three steps, consider what is realistically easiest for you to do on a daily basis.  And stop switching products every couple of weeks if you think something isn’t working.  Sometimes it takes time for your skin to adjust to a new product or routine, so give it at least six to eight weeks.  Talk to your skin care professional if you are having troubles with products he or she has recommended for you so that adjustments can be made, if necessary.
2. DON’T PICK!  We may have all heard this from our parents, but I am repeating it here: Keep your hands off your face.  And for moms out there like my mom was with me: Keep your hands off your kid’s face.  Nothing spreads acne and other nasty bacteria more than touching your face with your germ-laden hands.  Picking will drive bacteria further into the follicle and could create more irritation and inflammation.  Picking may also lead to permanent scarring.  It can happen subconsciously, without even thinking about it – but try your best to stay aware of what you are doing. Try this next time you get the urge to pick or pop something on your face (or neck, chest or back): grab an ice-cube and a paper towel.  Press the ice-cube against the area that is bothering you, and the paper towel will absorb the water as it melts.  This will keep your hands busy, and reduce inflammation (swelling and redness) at the same time.
3. MORE IS NOT BETTER!  BE NICE TO YOUR SKIN!  Along the lines of a consistent routine, you need to keep it simple.  Slamming your face with a benzoyl-peroxide (BPO) cleanser, a BPO toner, and a BPO treatment product is a lot of BPO.  BPO can trigger inflammation and free radical action in the skin, which could actually cause more damage in the long run.  Instead, if you are using a BPO toner or treatment product, use a gentle foaming or gel cleanser and skin barrier-repairing product.  In addition, you don’t need to use a lot of muscle to properly cleanse your face.  Throw out harsh scrubbing products, which could cause micro-tears in your skin (leading to more inflammation and irritation, and spreading of bacteria).  Washcloths and cleansing scrubbers or sponges also harbor a lot of bacteria, especially when they are not changed on a regular basis.  It’s better to just use your hands to cleanse and rinse your face, and gently pat—don’t rub—your face dry.  If you feel you need regular exfoliation treatments, talk to a skin care professional.
4. STAY AWAY FROM TANNING BEDS! I cannot emphasize this point enough. In fact, I hope you never see the inside of a tanning bed.  Just one time in a tanning bed increases your chances of melanoma skin cancer (the deadliest form) by 50%.  UV rays age us more than any other environmental factor out there, with smoking coming in at a close second place. Get used to the idea that pale skin is the “new tan,” or the real look of healthy skin.  Have you seen any lifelong sun worshipers’ skin lately?  It looks leathery, wrinkled, spotty, and generally appears a lot older than it really is.  Wearing makeup with sunscreen isn’t enough protection because makeup application gives inconsistent coverage.  Include SPF 30 sunscreen with broad-spectrum ingredients (Zinc Oxide or Avobenzone if you are prone to break-outs) in your daily routine, applied just before your makeup in the morning. 
5. DON’T SMOKE! Unless you want to look old and ugly.  Smoking is not cool, no matter what age you are.  Not only is smoking bad for your overall health, it decreases oxygen levels in your skin and causes skin congestion.  Nicotine addiction is one of the hardest habits to break – don’t even get started.

Finally, know when to consult a professional when your skin is bothering you.  If you are suffering from acne as a teen, you need to see a licensed esthetician or a physician if your skin is very inflamed (red) with more than 25 open and closed comedones (blackheads and whiteheads), and papules, pustules or cysts (the ones you want to squeeze).

Caring for your skin should become an easy habit, like brushing your teeth twice a day.  The earlier you begin your skin care routine, the easier it will be for you to maintain your healthy skin.

HEALTHY SKIN AND INFLAMMATION

Inflammation describes the process by which our body heals itself.  Today, I’m going to discuss two different types of inflammation: Acute and Chronic.  And I’m going to define the role that inflammation plays in influencing the health of our body’s largest organ, the skin.

 

When your body is injured, an entire network of inner response “teams” is immediately triggered to help fix the injury, which is why you will notice swelling, tenderness and redness around the injury site.  This is the process known as Acute inflammation.  Acute inflammation is necessary to help the body heal its injury and protect against infection.  The pain response of acute inflammation is your body’s signal to stop what you are doing, to avoid further damage.

 

Then there is the process known as Chronic inflammation.  When constant injury or insult to our body is allowed to occur on a regular basis, our bodies are in an ongoing battle to combat the acute inflammatory process, which then becomes a chronic condition.  Chronic inflammation can be triggered by stress, being overweight, sun exposure, diet, exposure to pollution, smoking, hormones and disease, among other things.  Over time, excessive chronic inflammation also significantly increases your risk of several life-threatening or degenerative diseases such as arthritis, allergies, asthma, heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s (source: Reinagel, Monica. The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan, 2006. McGraw-Hill).

 

So what effect does inflammation have on the health of your skin?

 

We learned the importance of a healthy skin barrier (those outer protective layers of your skin) in my last blog.  Having a healthy skin barrier helps protect you from environmental elements that trigger the inflammatory response in the skin.  However, if left untreated an ongoing inflammatory response will break down a healthy skin barrier. Chronic inflammation in the skin manifests itself with visible skin aging and skin diseases.

 

Acute inflammation happens in the form of sunburn when your skin is exposed to excessive sun without any protection (your skin turns red, feels tender and swells slightly).  But chronic inflammation actually occurs on a daily basis from sun exposure – even if you are not in the sun long enough to sunburn.

 

Applying some topical products, like harsh prescriptions or facial scrubs, can trigger inflammation in the skin as well.  Microdermabrasion and chemical peels will also trigger an acute response in the skin.

 

Keep in mind that not all inflammation in the skin is a bad thing.  Microdermabrasion or chemical peel treatments help remove the superficial outer layers of stratum corneum (the skin barrier), and help move fresh cells to the skin surface.  At the same time, collagen and elastin are stimulated in the dermis, to help plump and support the skin.  But you couldn’t microderm or peel your skin every day, or you could be left with one very damaged skin barrier!  It’s also important to protect your skin after one of these types of treatments, since leaving your skin unprotected invites harmful exposure to environmental elements (sun, microbes and bacteria).

 

People who choose to exfoliate on a daily basis (men exfoliate every time they shave their faces) should consider taking steps to repair and fortify their skin barrier after exfoliation, when freshly exposed skin is most vulnerable to damage or bacteria. 

 

Choose skin care products that are fortified with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients that strengthen and protect your skin barrier, to help slow the chronic inflammatory process in the skin.  Make it a habit to wear sunscreen every day; preferably a sunscreen that provides at least SPF 30, and is fortified with antioxidants to help fight free radical damage (remember sun exposure is the number ONE element that causes inflammation and visible aging in our skin).

 

To sum up, some acute inflammation may be helpful to trigger cell turnover and stimulate collagen and elastin, which can help keep our skin looking good – but too much extended and prolonged inflammation creates a damaging chronic process, which contributes to visible skin aging and skin disease.