If asked to name the largest organ on your body, what would you say? Your answer probably wasn’t the skin. While the skin is our largest organ, it is also the most exposed. We all know the damage sun wreaks on our skin, but there are other things we do that don’t make our skin happy.
At Romeo & Juliette Laser Hair Removal, getting rid of unwanted hair is our focus, but we also want to help our patients look their best. Skin care is a big part of that. So, here are a few things you may be doing that don’t help your skin.
Not Enough Sleep
We all know we need more sleep, but we continually seem to get less. A lack of sleep ages your skin prematurely. This shows itself in the obvious way with dark circles and a dull complexion. But there is more going on. During the day our skin cells are battling with various stressors, from UV rays to pollution. When we sleep, the skin can relax and stress hormone levels drop. This gives the cells time to repair and rejuvenate. But if you’re not sleeping enough, there isn’t enough repair time.
Going Zit by Zit
Our less-than-wonderful hormone roller coaster after women have their 40th birthday is fun. NOT! And who asked to return to high school and have acne showing up? Because it’s not the wholesale acne wasteland of our youth, it’s tempting to simply treat the spot with the pimple. Problem is that dries out the skin in that area, leaving it raw and irritated. It’s better to treat your entire face with an acne-fighting cleanser or moisturizer once a day. This will address the breakout and help prevent future breakouts.
Sleeping in our Makeup
Sometimes you’re just beat, or maybe you went a little too hard at tonight’s dinner party. You just drop into bed, barely brushing your teeth. Your makeup can wait until the morning. So what’s the bid deal? You can always wash your pillowcase. But skipping the nighttime cleanser can lead to breakouts down the road. By not cleaning before bed, you’re allowing environmental toxins like dirt and pollution to build up on the skin and in your pores. Cleaning your skin before bed keeps these invaders at bay.
Going Without Sunscreen
We don’t sit out on the roof slathered with baby oil any longer, but there are still plenty of times we go out with minimal SPF protection, or none at all. It’s easy to forget, but sun damage is the #1 skin ager. So, when you skip wearing sunscreen you’re not doing your skin any favors. UV rays penetrate clouds, snow, even the windows in your office. You should wear sunscreen every day. Antioxidant-enriched formulas are a good idea. They’ll contain ingredients such as resveratrol, vitamin C, idebenone, and coffee berry.
Trying the Latest Product All the Time
Patience is a virtue. This is true of your skin, along with your disposition. You must give skin care products the time they need to show their effects instead of bouncing from product to product. The skin cycle takes 30 days — the length of time it takes for new skin cells to reach the top layer of your skin. So, when judging a product line, you really won’t notice a difference in less than four weeks. Anti-aging products take even a couple weeks longer, as they need new collagen and elastin to be produced.
Now that you know some of the bad things you’re doing to your skin, getting rid of unwanted hair is the next thing. If you’re ready to say goodbye to your razor, give us a call at Romeo & Juliette Laser Hair Removal, (212) 750-2000.