I have bad skin- what should I do?
Summary
Your skin is a critical part of your body. It is your largest organ, your immune system’s first line of defense, a prevalent source of confidence and esteem, and so much more. When acne, blemishes, wrinkles, signs of aging, or various skin conditions appear on your skin, they are capable of causing you both physical and emotional distress. The most critical first step is to consult a dermatologist to uncover the root of your facial concern; researching the internet for answers can provide unclear and vague results that may not pertain to your specific issue. Next, you should reexamine your habits to determine if you can change any aspect to improve your skin. Nutrition is an often overlooked key factor in regards to skin health. Specific foods may increase the chances of acquiring a skin condition, while some may help lessen the chances. However, regardless of whether your concern pertains to certain food sensitivities, having a good diet is an important first step. Western diets often have a high glycemic load (which means the foods raise your blood sugar quickly) and can contain large amounts of cholesterol, trans fats, sugar, and salt― which are unhealthy if not consumed in moderation. Avoiding overly fatty foods or dishes with a lot of sugar will help prevent an overload in blood glucose. However, not eating enough or excluding variety from your diet can also be harmful. Therefore, we recommend eating foods in moderation and having a colorful plate with the recommended serving sizes to help attain a balanced diet. You should also stay hydrated; water is the most important nutrient as we cannot live without it. Benefits include the ability to filter out toxins and impurities while maintaining your skin's elasticity and slowing down wrinkle formation. Also, sleep is a crucial aspect of skin health; sleep deprivation can cause deepening wrinkles, negative changes in skin texture, decreased elasticity of the skin, and dark circles under the eyes to form.
The Details
For decades, a possible connection between nutrition and skin health was thought to be untrue; however, recently, new studies have shown that food choices may actually positively or negatively affect the appearance and health of your skin. While there may be other possible contributing factors, such as genetics and hygiene, paying close attention to your diet by keeping it balanced in portions and nutritive value can be beneficial in keeping your skin healthy and avoiding preventable skin conditions. Diet can affect skin conditions, such as acne, the development of various skin cancers, the rate of aging skin, and other skin issues. Different skin concerns may have different causes and dietary “treatments,” but overall, maintaining healthy eating habits is often helpful in overcoming or managing those concerns. Eating healthy will not only help you feel more energized, improve other areas of your body, and improve your metabolism, but your skin will also thank you for it!
A common skin disease that affects over 3 million people in the United States every year is acne. Whether it comes in painful cysts, blackheads, or small white bumps, it is uncomfortable and can greatly affect most people’s confidence levels and esteem. Seeking help from a dermatologist is a critical first step to finding the source of your acne. Regardless of the reason why, avoiding specific foods may help lessen the prevalence of acne. Studies have shown that the Western part of the world, which has diets that typically have higher glycemic loads than other areas, also has a higher prevalence of acne in its population. A glycemic load is defined as the rise in blood glucose or sugar after the consumption of a particular food, primarily regarding carbohydrates. Examples of commonly consumed products with a higher glycemic index include sugar, white bread, and white rice; they are rapidly absorbed and lead to increased insulin and serum glucose levels. Insulin has shown to have a direct correlation with sebum, or oil, production. The more insulin you have in your body, the more oils you produce from your sebaceous glands, which are in your skin. If you are acne-prone, you probably have noticed your face gets oily relatively often; your sebaceous glands are secreting sebum. To combat these elevated insulin levels, opt for alternative bread or grains with a lower glycemic index, such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, quinoa, or multigrain bread. Consume foods with less sugar, and instead of eating processed sweets or baked goods, choose ripe fruit instead as your source of sweetness for the day! Insulin is not the only contributing factor to acne, however. Another study involved studying the components of milk and their effects on acne development. Milk naturally contains growth hormones, such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and anabolic steroids. Milk also contains carbohydrates, or sugars, and dairy cows can be treated with bovine growth hormone, which also increases levels of IGF-1. Skim milk also showed a higher correlation with acne than alternative forms of dairy. Similar to insulin, IGF-1 also increases sebum production in the sebaceous glands. Oil can easily congest the hair follicles in the face by mixing with dead skin cells to cause acne. To reduce sebum production, consider reducing your consumption of milk and milk products and opting for dairy alternatives. Doing this, you must ensure you get your vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin B12 and calcium, elsewhere. Nevertheless, the consumption of milk, sugar, white bread, and white rice does not need to be completely avoided; these food items are good to eat in moderation. It is unnecessary to permanently remove these ingredients from your diet unless you have a food sensitivity.
Aging is inevitable and normal; at one point in our lives, we will begin to show signs of aging. Aging often comes in the form of graying hair, achy joints, and wrinkles on our skin. While growing older may mean one is growing wiser, most people would prefer to appear more youthful if possible. One main difference between younger skin and older skin involves the fibers your skin consists of. Younger skin springs back when pressed, and when this does not occur with older adults, that is due to a loss of elasticity in the skin. The deterioration of collagen and elastic fibers is responsible for sagging and inelastic skin. While this process is natural as you get older, a diet with high consumption of sugar accelerates this process. Hyperglycemia, which is the condition of having high blood sugar levels, promotes the cross-linking of collagen fibers in the skin. Simply put, sugar prevents these fibers from being able to stretch and recoil by tightening the fibers with new bonds. This process results in the process of advanced glycation end products (AGEs); increased levels of AGEs change the structure of the face to be stiffer and less elastic. These cross-links are permanent and are impossible to repair; it is crucial to be aware, now, of how sugar in your diet can negatively affect your skin in the long run. While there are available collagen supplements to purchase and consume, you can instead eat foods that promote collagen development and help delay the aging process. Dietary prevention is the key to keeping your youthful look for years to come. Berries, garlic, citrus fruit, egg whites, fish, and chicken are dietary methods in which you can gain the necessary amino acids to encourage the development of the collagen fibers. Furthermore, to prevent the accumulation of AGEs in your body, reduce your time grilling, frying, and roasting food as they have higher chances of leading to the formation of cross-links in the collagen fibers. Baking and air-frying, an alternative to normal frying that uses less oil and results in less residual fat, are great options to use while cooking. Similar to acne, reducing your sugar intake will also slow cross-link formation. Choose vegetables that have lipoic acid, which inhibits AGE production; examples include broccoli, spinach, potatoes, and tomatoes. Also, season your food with spices and herbs, such as oregano, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and garlic, which have been shown to reduce AGE production, too. The incorporation of antioxidants into your diet helps neutralize free radicals, which are unstable atoms that can cause aging and illness; great sources of antioxidants are berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, goji berries), red cabbage, kale, pecans, and beans!
Skin conditions are not limited to acne and aging; there are countless skin conditions people may endure. While they may not all be related to nutrition, your diet can greatly impact the outcome, severity, or acquisition of these conditions. Consider including these general tips to keep your skin healthy and happy:
Keep a balanced diet: A balanced diet not only includes eating the “right” foods, but it also includes portion control, eating enough to sustain your body, moderation of foods high in sugar and fats, and having variety in your food consumption. Unless you are consuming a product that is heavily loaded with sugar or fat (think of a dish you would look at and not even find appetizing due to its dripping grease or enormous amount of sugar), there is no black-and-white ruling of what is considered right or wrong. People’s metabolism, preferences, weight and body goals, and sensitivities affect their food choices and what might be considered right for them. It is necessary to make informed and conscious decisions based on your body when choosing what to put into your body. Most foods are acceptable to eat in moderation and reasonable portions. For example, you should not eat tubs of ice cream for every meal every day, but you can have a bowl of ice cream as the occasional dessert after a balanced meal. Additionally, portion control also involves ensuring you consume the recommended serving sizes of your proteins, vegetables, fruits, grains, and dairy. If your plate is mostly grains with little to no protein, you will miss out on the nutritional content that would have been in the protein. Also, different products contain different nutrients and differing amounts of those nutrients. Mixing up what you eat now and then will not only keep you interested in the foods you eat, but it will expose you to more of the nutrients you may be missing, too.
Stay hydrated: We may get so caught up in our day that we forget to drink enough water! It is our most vital nutrient; without it, we could not sustain life. We function much more smoothly when we are hydrated, and water provides us with so many benefits. It helps maintain the elasticity of our skin and helps prevent wrinkles. Water helps to preserve our pH at a neutral pH of 7, and it also flushes toxins and impurities from our body that may cause skin conditions, like acne. Water also moisturizes our skin. Depending on your age and sex, the range of how many milliliters of water you should drink varies. Websites online may also tell you different recommendations; consult your primary physician for a more accurate answer. An easy way to determine if you are hydrated is to check the color of your urine; if it is a pale yellow color, you drank enough water! Darker yellow means dehydration, so drink water!
Utilize vitamin serums: A vitamin serum, which has a lot of a specific vitamin, can be incorporated into your skincare regimen; consider it a topical vitamin supplement for your skin. The most popular vitamin serum is vitamin C, which boasts of brightening and hydrating abilities, the ability to reduce redness and hyperpigmentation, increasing collagen production to prevent skin sagging, and protection against sun damage. Other vitamin serums also include vitamin A and vitamin B, which have varying benefits. There are numerous skincare brands to buy serums from, so find a highly rated product that fits your budget online or at your local drugstore or beauty supply store!
Get those zzzs: Most people do not get enough sleep per night due to their busy schedules, stress, or having difficulty falling and staying asleep. Sleep deprivation can be detrimental to skin health and appearance. According to a study conducted on Korean women in their 40s, even one day of sleep deprivation impacted their skin. The more sleep-deprived these women were, the worse their skin became over time. Sleep deprivation dehydrated their skin, aggravated their skin texture and elasticity, and deepened their wrinkles. To combat this, it is crucial to get an appropriate amount of sleep based on your age and wellbeing. If you find it hard to fall and stay asleep due to insomnia or other sleeping issues, consider taking melatonin supplements to induce sleep; a night mask can also help keep you asleep if the sun often wakes you up. Decaffeinated teas, especially chamomile, can be calming and induce sleepiness.
Pay a visit to your dermatologist: Dermatologists are expert skin doctors! If you find that adjusting your diet or adding loads and loads of skincare products into your regimen is not making any difference, perhaps going the clinical route is for you. They may prescribe medication to combat your skin concerns or give you tips you may not have read or heard. It is sometimes difficult to pinpoint what your skin concern is or why you have it; dermatologists have the expertise to guide you through the process of healing your skin so that it is healthy and brings you confidence!
Sources
Jang SI;Lee M;Han J;Kim J;Kim AR;An JS;Park JO;Kim BJ;Kim E; (2020, March). A study of skin characteristics with long-term sleep restriction in Korean women in their 40s. Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI). Retrieved November 14, 2021, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31692145/.
Katta, R., & Desai, S. P. (2014, July). Diet and dermatology: The role of dietary intervention in skin disease. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology. Retrieved November 14, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4106357/.