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Some Things You’re Doing to Beat Up Your Skin

All of us do things that our skin is not fond of. Face it, if our skin was the boss we’d all live like vampires and never venture out while the sun is up. But there are other things we do, stuff like going to bed with makeup on or continually switching between different skin care products, that aren’t exactly skin friendly either.

Since Dr. Herte spends most days trying to turn back the clock on the aging skin of her patients, she wants everyone to be aware of a few of those things you’re doing to your skin. If you’re able to stop, or at least limit, some of this stuff chances are you’ll look years younger.

Neglecting your shut-eye

Sleep. We all know we should get more, but we 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 allows 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 wonderful fluctuating hormones cause most women to have acne issues somewhat routinely after we turn 40 (Who said we wanted to go back to high school?). 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, and you drop into bed without properly removing your makeup. Big deal right? 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’re not accusing you of sitting in the sun oiled up with baby oil, as we did in our younger dumber days, 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.

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.

If you have any questions about your skin and aging or would like to schedule a facial treatment with our licensed aesthetician, call the team at Dr. Herte’s, 702-732-9600. Helping stop and turn back the clock on aging skin is what we do!