Your 6 Secrets To Beautiful Skin
Have you ever dreamed of holding the secrets to beautiful skin? Do you wonder how celebrities like Christie Brinkley and Halle Berry continue to have beautiful skin as they age? Do you think they are just blessed with great genetics and that beautiful skin is not attainable for you? They certainly hit the jackpot but they also work at it. You need to know that you, too, can have beautiful skin.
A celebrity’s livelihood is dependent on his or her appearance. It is an unfortunate reality that we are judged daily based on how we look. While we all know that inner health and beauty are important, the reality of living in today’s world is that looking great opens doors and improves our confidence levels.
Celebrities know that you must treat your skin like it is a garden. To keep a garden beautiful you must nourish it, weed it and maintain it. This is also true for the skin. You must nourish it, repair damage and invest in maintenance. You need to develop a comprehensive approach that you use on a daily basis. I am going to share 6 Secrets to beautiful skin for all ages.
If you are under the age of 40, keep reading because these principles apply to you because being proactive with your skin care can keep you looking great for many years. You are in the prime position to take steps to prevent accelerated aging and maintain your youthful appearance.
The skin is a dynamic organ. It is the largest organ of your body. It performs important functions. Without it, we would not survive. Our skin protects our internal organs and maintains our body temperature. It is a protective barrier and helps us to retain water.
There are different layers to the skin. The outer layer called the epidermis functions is a protective barrier. This barrier function is important but active ingredients in skin care products may have difficult penetrating this layer. This can cause the product to be less effective.
The dermis is the layer below the epidermis. It is a very important layer to target for skin rejuvenation. The dermis contains blood vessels, hair follicles, sebaceous glands and the proteins- collagen and elastin. Blood vessels in the dermis are important for delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the epidermis and dermis.
Collagen in the dermis forms a structural mesh of support for the skin. Elastin in this layer allows skin to snap back if it is stretched. Collagen and elastin are embedded in a gel matrix composed of molecules of hyaluronic acid, which is important for hydrating the skin. A healthy dermis is very important for beautiful skin. With aging, collagen and elastin production decreases and the dermis becomes thinner and leaves the skin more prone to form wrinkles.
Skin care and Anti-aging medicine have advanced. There are now delivery methods to help active ingredients get to the dermis. There are a number of nonsurgical procedures, which can enhance your skin. There are options to even out discoloration in the skin, restore lost volume, soften wrinkles and improve tone and texture of the skin. The purpose of this report is to focus on the skin, which is considered the canvas. If you have a skin tightening procedure or fillers put in to restore volume but have dark spots or rough texture, the benefit of the procedure will not be appreciated because the background canvas of your skin has not been addressed.
6 Steps
1.Cleanse and Exfoliate your skin. You want to use a cleansing regimen that removes makeup, dirt and toxins effectively. You do not want your cleanser to be harsh but it needs to clean your skin well. It is hypothesized that particulate matter from pollution may accelerate the aging process. It is important for your cleanser to be ph balanced. The skin is healthy when it is slightly acidic. In young skin, the cells in the outer layer of the skin are renewed every 28 days. New cells arise from the bottom of the epidermis close to the dermis. As we age, it takes longer to renew the outer layer of the skin. Exfoliating your skin mechanically with scrubs or brushes can freshen your skin. Also, there are chemical exfoliants that help speed up skin turnover. You can traumatize the skin if overly aggressive, resulting in inflammation and cell damage, two of the processes, which accelerate aging. The use of chemical exfoliants like glycolic acid (an alpha hydroxy acid) and salicylic acid (a beta hydroxy acid) can also speed up skin turnover. Another acid called Mandelic acid (an alpha hydroxy acid) is very helpful in pigmented skin. Salicylic acid is great for acne prone skin as well as exfoliation in more mature skin. Glycolic acid and Mandelic acid help with pigmentation and gently exfoliate the skin.
Using a skin cleanser that contains these ingredients can help your skin to appear brighter and fresher. There are in-office procedures like chemical peels and microneedling, which exfoliate the skin and rejuvenate the appearance of the skin. Having one of these procedures performed every 3-4 weeks can be an effective foundation for your skin care maintenance program. These procedures can be individualized for you depending on your skin and if you do not want downtime.
- Use Antioxidants. Our bodies form free radicals from normal cellular processes. Free radicals are unstable compounds, which are associated with cell damage and inflammation. They can damage internal organs as well as our skin. You can think of free radical damage as internal and external rusting. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals preventing damage. Antioxidants can be found in foods, taken as supplements or applied topically. Vitamin C is one of the most well known antioxidants. Vitamin C can support collagen production which helps our bones and skin to remain healthy. Topical antioxidants are beneficial to the skin. Topical Vitamin C has been shown to improve hyperpigmentation and reduce fine lines and wrinkles. Many other topical antioxidants such as COQ 10, Resveratrol, green tea and white tea are being included in skin care products to decrease cell damage from free radicals. Vitamin A is an anti-oxidant that is very powerful in skin rejuvenation.
- Stimulate Collagen
Collagen is an important protein found in the dermis. It forms a structural mesh that is embedded in a gel matrix composed of hyaluronic acid and other molecules called glycosaminoglycans(GAGS). Collagen keeps the skin resilient to wrinkles. GAGS like hyaluronic acid keep the skin hydrated. Sun exposure, cigarette smoking, toxins and the natural aging process can result in degradation of collagen.
With aging, the fibroblasts, which are the cells that produce collagen, become less active. COLLAGEN STIMULATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME. From age 35 on, we lose about 1% of our collagen. As you see from the diagram above, healthy skin has strong basal cells in the epidermis and a well-organized web of collagen and elastin. Unhealthy skin, which suffers from wrinkles and dryness, has loose basal cells in the epidermis and a broken less organized web of collagen and elastin.
The products that you use daily can promote collagen production Growth factors, peptides, Vitamin C, tretinoin or retinol have all been shown to stimulate collagen. Office procedures like Vivace RF Microneedling, Exilis Skin Tightening, Microneedling, PRP injections and Chemical Peels can stimulate collagen.
4.Use Sun protection and Sun avoidance. It is hard to believe that not that long ago people covered themselves with Vaseline and used reflecting mirrors to speed up the tanning process. During those times, we did not know that sun exposure is one of the main culprits causing wrinkles. Tan skin is injured skin. Exposure to the sun can initiate an inflammatory cascade that breaks down collage and stimulates the cells that make melanin to become more active resulting in sunspots and hyperpigmentation. You must use sunscreen daily and reapply sunscreen every 2-3 hours. You also should avoid the sun from 10-4 when the sun is at its most intense. Sunscreens contain various ingredients. They can be composed of chemical sunscreens or physical sunscreen. Choose a sunscreen that provides protection from UVA and UVB rays. I highly recommend the use of sunscreens that contain physical blocks like zinc or titanium.
5.Partner with your Skin Care experts. You want to coordinate and plan your skin beauty program with a licensed professional. This could be an Aesthetician Nurse or a Physician. Find someone you trust who will help you individualize your program. Not all products or procedures work for everyone. Your practitioner must be comfortable referring you to another licensed professional in order for you to receive the best treatment for your concerns.
For example, you may be seeing your Aesthetician for
Microdermabrasion and/or light chemical peels. If you require Botox or
fillers, they should feel comfortable referring you to a physician who can
perform those procedures. A doctor who performs nonsurgical Aesthetics
should feel comfortable referring you to a Plastic Surgeon if your facial
concern is more appropriately addressed by plastic surgery.
6.Eat a healthy anti-inflammatory diet. Eating a diet that is rich in antioxidants and healthy proteins can help keep you healthy and beautiful. Controlling blood sugar levels is very important since eating a lot of carbohydrates can lead to the formation of AGES (advanced glycation end products) which are pro-inflammatory and accelerate aging. When inflammation is present, we make more free radicals, which as discussed above damage cells all over the body including the skin. This leads to breakdown of collagen, wrinkles, rough texture and dark spots. Choose to eat foods that are anti-inflammatory in nature. Eat foods that are as close to the state that they occur in nature and to include a rainbow variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet daily.
Hi, this is Dr. Kelley. I have been helping patients balance their hormones and develop programs to help them improve their health for over ten years. Once I opened my Anti-Aging practice, I discovered a love for skin and Nonsurgical Aesthetics.
I have been in practice 24 years. I practiced traditional medicine for 7 years. I then opened up a holistic women’s health care practice. After a year I expanded my practice to Anti-aging which includes hormone replacement, Wellness and Aesthetics for men and women. I enjoy partnering with patients to help them get healthier, regain their zest for life and look better. This is a passion for me. I have a very inquisitive mind and an artistic eye. One of the unique features about my approach is that I include optimizing Nutrition as part of your Rejuvenation program. I take my time, complete a full evaluation and recommend a program that will help you to look rejuvenated and natural. My office sees female and male patients and some drive a long distance to come to our office.
Yours in health,
Cobb Wellness and Aesthetics
Call or Text 770-649-0094