Total Skin Solutions

What do broccoli, carrots and milk have in common? They are all an important part of nature’s arsenal to protect your skin from the effects of aging and the environment. The common element in these foods is that they are all good sources of Vitamin A, which act as an anti-aging agent.

Many people equate only eyes and vision with Vitamin A. But the health of our epithelial tissue — skin and the lining of passageways that open to the outside of the body, such as the throat and sinuses — is directly dependent on the amount of Vitamin A in our diet. Vitamin A acts as an antioxidant to neutralize harmful elements in our skin, helping to prevent wrinkles, resist infection and keep our skin youthful.

You probably know that excessive exposure to the sun is dangerous for skin — or at least, you should! UV light causes environmental damage, fine lines, wrinkles, dryness and spots. Knowing this, you might be surprised to learn that a certain light therapy can actually be good for skin! Read on for more about LED therapy and how it works as an anti-aging method.

LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, use near-infrared light which penetrates and is absorbed by skin. While lasers produce heat, LEDs only produce light, which the skin turns into energy. This light energy then affects the mitochondria, responsible for powering cells. Plus, light allows cells to carry out chemical activities more quickly.

LED uses red and blue light to provide different benefits. Red light raises circulation, boosts collagen formation and promotes healing. Blue light destroys bacteria.

Skin problems that LED treats

• Few of us can honestly say that we are completely satisfied with our skin and no matter whom you ask, chances are they suffer some skin woe. The good news? LED treatments can improve many skin ailments:

• Collagen produced by red LED light plumps up wrinkles and fills out lines. It also firms and tones skin.

• Can you play connect-the-dots with your age spots? LED light may help lighten them.

• Irritated, dry, flaky skin will be eased with red LED light.

• Precancerous damage can be taken away using red light, says Dr. David Goldberg, who directs the Skin Laser and Surgery Specialists of New York and New Jersey.

• If breakouts and blemishes are your concern, blue light is proving to be an effective way to treat acne.

Vitamin C is typically recommended to fend off colds and sickness, but it’s also great for your skin.  Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that not only stimulates collagen production but contains the skin damaging activities of free radicals.

Consequently, citric acid can actually improve the health of skin cells which in turn promotes healing and the ability of the skin to protect itself against harmful environmental factors.  Vitamin C is an active ingredient in AHA, which is present in several anti-aging products.

Using an anti-aging Argireline product on acne scars will help enormously.  Argireline is proven to be useful with day-to-day wrinkles and many of the same principles will apply.  Though the ingredient won’t completely remove an acne scar by itself (as diet and general care would also dictate the health of your skin), it will make it less noticeable over time.

One of the best anti-aging tips I can give is, if you’re a smoker, stop smoking.

Daily moisturizing and using premium natural skin care products can do wonders for those wrinkles, but your efforts will all be for naught if you can’t give up the nicotine habit.

Smoking expedites the aging process and contributes to wrinkles by narrowing the blood vessels in your skin, which robs said skin of oxygen and nutrients.

There are numerous ways to quit smoking such as nicotine patches and substituting cigarettes for chewing gum, that is, if you suffer from an oral fixation.  The important thing is that if your goal is to have healthy skin, the best you can do, outside of a skin regiment, is to drop that cigarette.

One of the most noticeable effects of aging are the dark circles that appear around your eyes.  Despite its popular myth, dark circles aren’t always caused by lack of sleep; they are also caused by a poor diet and a constant rubbing of the eyes.  If you already find that you have a regiment that includes an anti-aging crème for under your eyes, you may want to consider having a balanced diet.  Vitamins from certain vegetables and fruits will help rejuvenate youthful looks, in addition to having a healthy body.

In addition to impeccable skin care, another anti-aging recommendation is to eat a diet low in fat and high in complex carbohydrates and to exercise on a regular basis.  A simple change in your diet (such as eating brown rice instead of white rice and reducing the amount of dairy and meat) will help preserve a youthful appearance, as well as allow your body to continue operating as a healthy unit.  Similarly, a 20-minute jog, three times a week, will also keep your body running well.  Consistent exercise will prevent muscle and bone atrophy and will work on the negative aging effects that crèmes and other skin products cannot stop.

More anti-aging strategies from Total Skin Solutions

Aging Gracefully?

By: Laura M. Cummins

Imagine how life would be if Ponce de Leon really discovered “The Fountain of Youth” or if there were some type of miracle cream that would completely eradicate all signs of aging. Wouldn’t life be sweet?

Unfortunately, age sneaks up on us unexpectedly, and there is no escaping the fact that we are all growing one year older every three hundred and sixty-five days. However, if we take preventive measures now, we can reduce the chances of unnecessary damage to our complexions in the future.

Our largest organ, the skin, goes through many different phases as we age. Women tend to age faster then men, due to the various hormonal changes they experience starting with puberty, then through pregnancy, and ending with menopause. Once menopause sets in, many women start to notice numerous changes with their complexions, such as, a decrease in sebum (oil) production, loss of elasticity, and a reduction in the rejuvenation process. How fast and to what extent the skin ages depend on three factors: your age, genetics, and lifestyle.

Forget about aging gracefully, in a sense that is giving in. Fight it all the way. You are never too young or too old to combat the signs of aging. By living and maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout your years, you increase your chances of overall balance —- especially when it comes to your skin. All of us will have aging skin at some point in our lives, but with proper care, anyone can have a vibrant complexion and look beautiful at any age.

Read the rest of this entry »