Your state of health may be evident in the condition of your skin. Just as you "look" sick when you're out of sorts, you look better when you feel good. If you seek beauty, then, concentrate first on health. Put your body in shape with a good diet and sufficient exercise, and protect your skin from the elements. Then regular skin care and beauty treatments are all you'll need to achieve and maintain healthy skin.
Significance
Caring for skin minimizes the visible signs of aging, including wrinkles, sagging skin and age spots. Your skin care routine does more than protect your appearance; it protects you from diseases, such as skin cancer and psoriasis, and keeps skin as supple and healthy as possible while you age.
Misconceptions
The need for skin and beauty treatments does not suddenly arise when you are in your thirties, forties or fifties. Skin aging actually begins in your twenties, when the rate of skin cell growth declines rather than accelerates. Skin care may be most crucial for children and adolescents, however. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the majority of lifetime sun exposure and sun damage take place before age 20. Starting early with sunscreen is recommended. Don't discount your risk for skin cancer, saying, "It won't happen to me." Statistically, one in five Americans is affected by the disease.
Features
The AAD recommends twice daily facial cleansing and moisturizing to maintain healthy skin, and a daytime application of SPF 30 or higher sunscreen. People with dry or aging skin may need help exfoliating dead cells from the skin surface. A weekly exfoliating scrub and occasional microdermabrasion beauty treatment should keep the pores clear. For those who wear makeup, cosmetics removal with a specially formulated product provides additional help in that area.
Function
Beauty does depend, to some extent, on healthy skin, especially on the face. Regular cleansing on this always-exposed area removes external dirt and oil produced by the skin's sebaceous glands. This necessary process disturbs the skin's hydration level, which you can correct with a moisturizing lotion, applied while skin is still damp from cleansing, Exfoliation encourages new skin cell growth, and daily use of sunscreen reduces the effects of photo aging. Normal, everyday skin care may be your most effective beauty treatment.
Effects
Providing the right nutrients and sun protection will result in healthy skin. Dermatologists at the AAD say that science supports the effectiveness of moisturizer and sunscreen, plus certain anti-aging compounds, such as retinoids and alpha hydroxy acids. The results may be temporary, but with regular care your skin will as soft, supple and wrinkle free as the rest of your overall health will allow.
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