Manifestations of age-related changes in the skin largely depend on our lifestyle. It is difficult to count on the beauty and youthfulness of the skin, the splendor of the hair and the strength of the nails, if you have to constantly lack sleep, often get nervous, deny yourself proper rest, neglect regular nutrition and adherence to the drinking regimen. Ben Mones, art director of Vistudio professional, told estet-portal.com readers about what else can be good for the skin and what measures should be taken to slow down the signs of skin aging.
Age-related changes in skin, nails and hair: preventive measures
Skin changes with age. It becomes more sensitive, thinner and drier. Wrinkles and age spots appear, and wounds take longer to heal. These skin aging factors are accelerated by overexposure to the sun, environmental influences, harsh detergents, tobacco smoke, alcohol and stress. It is necessary to protect the skin as much as possible from these factors6 in order to prevent age-related changes.
In healthy skin, the fat cells just below the skin are supported by elastic connective tissue, resulting in a smooth, hard layer. Weak connective tissue, however, cannot more effectively perform this function, which leads to the formation of seals, and then visible as bulges and dimples in the skin – signs of cellulite. In addition to being unaesthetic, cellulite impairs the circulation of fluid between cells, resulting in the accumulation of fluid leading to further swelling.
Because the amount of subcutaneous fat has an impact on the development of cellulite, most therapeutic approaches focus on fat reduction through appropriate exercise and healthy, tissue-stimulating foods.
Nails require additional support with age. They are made up of superimposed layers of horny cells and thus protect the sensitive tips of the fingers and toes. Since they are mainly composed of keratin, a horny substance, a sulfur-containing protein, a healthy diet is recommended to maintain strong nails.
Nails grow at an average of one millimeter per week, and their deterioration, brittleness, and softness are caused, for example, by contact with chemicals (in nail polish removers, nail hardeners), cleaners, and water. Therefore, you should protect your nails during prolonged wet work by wearing waterproof gloves.
Hair, like nails, is made up primarily of the protein keratin. The inside of the hair is made up of protein fibers, while the outermost layer is made up of flat, overlapping cells. The hair root surrounds the gland, which provides the supply of protective fat. This fat protects the hair from dehydration and breakage. Drying out of the hair can occur due to excessive sunlight, hot air, as a result of exposure to chemicals (for example, when dyeing hair).
Every day we lose about 50-100 hairs. However, if the ratio between young and falling hair is disturbed, then more than 100 hairs fall out, which can lead to significant hair thinning and even baldness.
Shedding can be accelerated, for example, due to poor microcirculation in the scalp, acute stress or illness, radiation, unfavorable environment, toxins and nutritional deficiencies.
Having had an allergic reaction to a cosmetic hair treatment. Since most dyes contain chemicals that can lead to changes in the structure of the hair and inflammatory reactions on the scalp, those with sensitive hair need to be careful. To do this, after washing with a mild shampoo, the hair should not be roughly wiped with a towel, but only lightly wrapped in a towel. Also avoid hot air drying, it is better to let your hair air dry.
Necessary hydration: we provide drinking mode
Fluid is critical to the health of our body because the human body is made up of about 60% water. Water is used as a solution for transporting the necessary substances into the body, it introduces nutrients into cells and removes degradation products from the body. Every day, the body loses about 1.5-2 liters of fluid, which must be constantly replenished. For this reason, it is recommended to drink 2 to 3 liters of fluid during the day so that the cells can be renewed and premature wrinkle formation is prevented.
In particular, during sports activities, high temperatures in summer, and in diseases with increased fluid loss through sweating, vomiting or diarrhea, care must be taken to return sufficient fluid to the body. But which drinks are suitable and what should be avoided? In general, in case of increased fluid loss, the following should be avoided:
- sugary drinks, such as Cola,
- energy and soda drinks.
It is better to prefer pure drinking water, mineral water, diluted fruit juices, herbal and fruit teas. Due to their high sugar content, fruit juices should be diluted with water at a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2.
Alcoholic beverages should only be consumed occasionally, as they contain hardly any other substances besides alcohol and sugar, and are unlikely to be good for the skin.
No objection to a cup of coffee or black tea. It is widely believed that coffee draws water from the body and therefore a glass of water should be drunk for every cup. The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) already clarified the error in 2005. Although the caffeine in coffee leads to an increase in the excretion of water through the kidneys, this effect is only temporary because the fluid balance is restored through compensation mechanisms. Due to its stimulating effect on the cardiovascular system, the DGE advises against drinking coffee to quench your thirst. However, there is no objection to daily consumption of up to 4 cups of coffee.
To a certain extent, we can also cover our liquid needs with food. Vegetables and fresh fruits often have a high water content of 70-98%. Such watery varieties of fruits and vegetables include watermelons, apples, oranges, plums, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, among others.
Older people often drink too little liquid. Since both the body's water content and water retention capacity decrease with age, it is all the more important to drink regularly. People who consume too little fluid may suffer from:
- dry mouth,
- constipation,
- dry mucous membranes,
- sagging skin,
- circulatory disorders,
- confusion.
- impaired kidney function.
Empty glasses should always be refilled, and the less you eat, the more you should drink, because with an insufficient diet, our body lacks the water that it could get from food.
What is good for our skin: adjusting our lifestyle
Above all, we need a healthy, varied diet and sufficient fluids for beautiful skin. The body loses about 1.5 to 2 liters of fluid per day. This amount must also be returned to him in order to renew the cells and thus promote healthy skin.
In addition to nutrition, general well-being, internal balance also play a role. As we have noted, stress damages the body. For this reason, you should always make sure that you have enough time to rest. Another way to relieve stress and keep your body energetic is through exercise. Thanks to sports, the skin is more intensively saturated with oxygen. However, care must be taken to ensure that there is no overload or one-sided loading.
Saunas also improve the condition of our skin. Sweating followed by cold baths will result in a gentle, thorough cleansing. The heat warms the body so that dead skin cells are more easily shed from the skin. The thermal effect followed by a cooling phase also means vascular training for our body, as the blood vessels first expand with heat and blood flow increases, and then the vessels contract with cold water.
Blood flow stimulating effects can be maintained with light massages. Cleansing the skin after massage also promotes cell regeneration.
After showering or sunbathing, it is important to give your skin extra care in the form of body lotions or creams. In general, the skin should be gently cleansed in the morning and evening to remove external deposits such as oil, makeup and dirt and open the pores. For normal to oily skin, it is recommended to use lukewarm water in combination with an acidic, unscented soap. In order to maintain the acidic protective coating of the body, facial water is also very good. Then, after a thorough gentle cleansing of the face, neck and décolleté, these areas should be massaged with a moisturizer. For the body, and therefore for our skin, adequate sleep is very important. After all, our skin regenerates overnight.
Thus, age-related changes in the skin can be largely slowed down by proper care, adherence to the drinking regime and lifestyle correction.
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