Let’s be honest. We are aging! Our skin shows the most obvious first signs, and there is much that goes into the complexities of skin health. This includes extrinsic (environmental damage, sun damage, and toxins), and intrinsic (cellular metabolism, and hormones) factors.
Skin health and beauty are considered the overall principle factors that represent health and well-being in humans, which makes for a very lucrative anti-aging industry. Thankfully we live in an innovative time where going under the knife is far from the only option.
There are several anti-aging approaches:
Cosmetological care: Daily skin care, sun protection
Topical: Cell regulators and antioxidants
Invasive/Minimally Invasive Procedures: Chemical peels, IPL (Intense pulsed light), RF (radiofrequency), ablative and nonablative laser photo rejuvenation, injections and fillers
Systemic agents: Hormone replacement therapy, antioxidants
Avoiding extrinsic factors, making life style changes: smoking, pollution, sun exposure, stress, physical activity, control of health
As the above suggests, there are numerous options to approaching aging and skin health. Some are more immediate and require zero down-time, while others require more extensive healing and/or time to see noticeable results.
The first, most important approach is a daily skin care routine. A daily routine is necessary in protecting against dehydration and environmental damage. In this article posted by Allure, we are reminded that our skin is our largest organ, and it must be taken care of as we would take care of the rest of our body with exercise. Topical antioxidants, which reduce inflammation, used in combination with sunscreens and retinoids help in preventing and even correcting wrinkle formation. I’ll dive more into this next week.
While aging is inevitable, the bottom line is that preventative approaches are at our fingertips. It is a personal journey, and definitely worth seeing a professional to gain the necessary knowledge and guidance that is best for your areas of concern. Most importantly, the journey should be fun and rewarding!
What are your favorite approaches? Great experiences, bad experiences? Let me know!