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Essentials of Timeless Skin
by Dr. Robert Goldman and Dr. Ronald Klatz
The majority of skin care problems can be
grouped into seven categories, which we
nickname as “The Seven Sins of the Skin.”
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Skin is the body’s largest organ and is responsible for maintaining
water and salt balance within the body, cushioning delicate
internal organs, and serving as the first-line of defense against
germs attempting to invade the body. This last purpose is perhaps
the most important reason to maintain healthy skin as we
age—healthy skin is better able to perform immunoprotective
functions such as serving as our #1 germ barrier. For all these
reasons, we can consider skin as our “Anti-Aging Survival Suit.”
The majority of skin care problems can be grouped into seven
categories, which we nickname as “The Seven Sins of the Skin.”
Fortunately, redemption from these sins is simple, if you adopt
an anti-aging lifestyle that retards the onset or reduces the
severity of these problems.
General Anti-Aging Skin Care Tips
Redemption from the Seven Sins of
the Skin is possible, and these tips
will help you to achieve timeless skin:
Stay out of the sun as much as possible; exposure to
UV light is extremely damaging to the skin. Get into the
habit of always using a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or
higher whenever outdoors—even on overcast days.
Drink 1 8-ounce glass of distilled water, with a pinch of salt (for electrolytes), every 1–2 hours that you are awake. By flushing toxins from the body with liquid that is free of deleterious metals and bacteria, you permit your skin to remain balanced, well-hydrated, and able to perform its immunoprotective functions.
Exercise regularly. Exercise improves the circulation, helping the body produce new cells and eliminate impurities and toxins. Radiant and healthy skin are rewards of a regular exercise regimen.
Remove yourself from a fast-food, on-the-go diet. Convenience foods are often nutrient-poor and high in fat, both of which may contribute to skin problems.
Make sure you eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in order to obtain adequate amounts of vitamins that are needed for healthy skin. Many experts agree that it is much more beneficial to obtain vitamins and nutrients from the diet than from dietary supplements.
Stop smoking, or do not start. Chemicals in cigarette smoke constrict blood vessels, thus reducing blood supply to the skin and therefore starving it of oxygen and other essential nutrients. Furthermore, researchers have determined that smoking “switches on” those genes that are responsible for the production of an enzyme that breaks down collagen, thus leading to premature skin aging. Smoking has also been found to almost double the risk of developing certain types of skin cancer.
If the weather is hot, stay in doors as much as possible, and drink plenty of fluids.
On cold or windy days protect the face with clothing, and, if possible, limit the amount of time spent outdoors.
Get plenty of sleep—the body carries out repair work during sleep, so adequate sleep will speed the healing process. Furthermore, people who manage to get eight hours sleep each night are less likely to suffer from stress, which is known to aggravate both acne and rosacea.
Avoid tanning beds. Tanning beds use UVA rays, and a Journal of the National Cancer Institute study of 1,500 people ages 25 to 74 found that those who used a tanning lamp or sun bed, even decades earlier, were 2.5 times as likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma, and 1.5 times as likely to have basal cell carcinoma (the most common type of skin cancer) as those who never were exposed to the light from these devices.
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Skin Sin #1 Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Humans express feelings and, as such, these emotions become
the fine lines seen with aging. Squinting leads to crow’s feet
(lines radiating from the corners of the eyes), frowning causes
frown lines (furrows between the eyebrows), and laughing leads
to laugh lines (arc-shapes around the mouth). In addition, any
other habits that cause small muscle contractions will produce
additional places for fine lines and wrinkles to take hold. Wrinkles
are a result of age-related weakening of the skin’s collagen and
elastin, the fibers that keep the skin firm in youth.
Skin Sin #2 Skin Discolorations
Blotches in which small patches of skin appear to have a different
color than the main skin area become common as we
age. It is important for you and your dermatologist to watch your
skin discolorations carefully. Most skin discolorations will likely
be harmless—warts and liver spots (also known as age spots)
and others will be temporary—such as melasma, caused by hormonal
fluctuations during pregnancy or menopause, or seen in
women taking birth control pills. But, some skin discolorations
can be harmful: a small flat brown spot can become cancerous,
especially if its shape changes or it starts to itch—early signs
that signal melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer.
With age, however, a circulatory condition called “varicosity”
becomes an issue. Most of us have heard of varicose veins,
which are enlarged leg veins that appear blue and bulging, and
sometimes are twisted and swollen. A faulty valve that returns
blood to the heart is usually the cause. Varicose veins that appear
on the face are called spider veins, the size and nature of which
are typically smaller than non-facial varicosities. Both varicose
and spider veins are seldom dangerous, but some individuals
experiencing them consider them unsightly.
Skin Sin #3 Thinning Skin
The skin of older people becomes papery thin. Specifically, as the
stratum corneum thickens, the epidermis and dermis thin and
suffer a decrease in oil gland activity. This is largely a function
of hormonal decline.
Skin Sin #4 Dry Skin
As we age, skin becomes drier. Actually, xerosis, the medical
name for dry skin, affects only the very outermost layer of the epidermis—the stratum corneum—causing the skin to become
flaky, itchy, or tight. Discomfort is often the prevailing complaint.
Genetics, disease, lifestyle, and the environment can all cause
the skin to become dry, leading to dull skin (see Skin Sin #6). It
is important to seek medical advice if no obvious cause of dry
skin can be identified, since the complaint may be caused by
an underlying medical problem. Dry skin may arise as a direct
result of another dermatological problem (for example, dermatitis,
eczema, or psoriasis) however, it can also be a sign of
hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid gland). Diabetics should
always consult their doctor if they develop signs and symptoms of
dry skin (or any other skin complaint), since diabetes can cause
serious skin conditions.
Skin Sin #5 Rough Skin
Rough skin is commonly caused by the accumulation of dead
skin cells on the skin’s surface. These dead cells are usually
discarded by the body via a natural process called exfoliation,
in which newer cells push older skin cells to the surface and
the uppermost layer of dead cells flake off to reveal the newer
cells underneath. However, for some reason exfoliation does not
always happen. The resulting build-up of dead skin cells causes
the skin surface to appear bumpy and rough in texture, and the
complexion often looks dull (see Skin Sin #6).
Skin Sin #6 Dull Skin
Up to the age of 14, the skin on the face exfoliates naturally every
14 days. This quick rate of renewal leaves the youngster with a
healthy-looking glowing complexion. However, as we get older
the rate of natural exfoliation slows down. By the age of 25 and
over the skin will exfoliate every 28 days or so. The resulting buildup
of dead skin cells can leave the skin looking dull or grey.
Skin Sin #7 Acne and Pores
Acne, America’s #1 skin disease, is caused by a disorder of the
sebaceous glands (glands in the skin that produce oil) that blocks
pores, thus producing an outbreak of skin lesions we’ve nicknamed
as zits, pimples, and other unflattering names. Pores are
tiny openings in the skin that provide a way for oils secreted
by the sebaceous glands to reach the skin’s surface. Despite
popular thinking, the size of our pores is determined genetically,
and we are born, live, and die with the same number of pores for
our entire life (barring injury or surgery to the skin). Pore size,
however, is variable: genetically, some people have small pores
(generally those with fairer skin) and others have larger pores
(those with darker skin). Pores can become more prominent due
to the cumulative exposure to sun: sun damaged skin looks more
bumpy because the pores become more prominent.
Dr. Robert Goldman and Dr. Ronald Klatz are the physician co-founders
of the anti-aging medical movement and of the American Academy
of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M; Chicago, IL USA; www.worldhealth.net),
a non-profit medical organization dedicated to the advancement of
technology to detect, prevent, and treat aging related disease and to
promote research into methods to retard and optimize the human
aging process. For more tips on anti-aging skin care, read The New
Anti-Aging Revolution, by Drs. Klatz and Goldman, available from A4M.
To order, call 773.528.4333 or visit The World Health Network Bookstore,
at www.worldhealth.net.
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