I am Dr. Anna Chacon, a board-certified dermatologist and published author based in Miami, Florida; I am a Teledermatologist in 50 states and a clinical advisor for Lyric Health.
The month of March is National Nutrition Month, and as the old saying goes, you are what you eat; that goes for your overall health and especially for your skin. Many people underestimate the importance of a healthy diet for their overall skin.
Several chronic skin disorders have nutritional components. For instance, smoking, drinking alcohol, and eating a fat and sugar diet can worsen Skin Dryness. You can avoid dry skin by increasing your fluid intake and consuming meals with high water content (such as fruits and vegetables).
Diets heavy in sugar and fat can cause pimples and possibly make acne worse. Inadequate water consumption can lead to dehydration and drier skin, and a lack of vitamins (A, C, E, and D) can negatively influence skin health.
My patients often ask me how to look younger without plastic surgery, so let’s focus this month on more natural ways to reduce the signs of aging and skin sagging.
1. First, start with the right ingredients for hydrating and helping to firm sagging skin.
Answer: Vitamin C, Peptides, and the substance hyaluronic acid
2. How do these ingredients work?
Answer: Vitamin C is compounded into L-ascorbic acid to tighten skin and counteract aging effects. Ascorbic acid, in doses ranging from 5 to 15%, boosts collagen synthesis and helps prevent an enzyme known as matrix metalloproteinase from destroying specific collagen forms.
Many skin-tightening lotions include peptides. Peptides are amino acid combinations that promote collagen development and skin firmness.
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a naturally occurring molecule in your body responsible for water retention, notably in the epidermis or outer layer of skin. HA synthesis, like collagen production, diminishes with age, causing the skin to lose suppleness and become dry and wrinkled.
Creams containing 0.1% hyaluronic acid increase skin hydration and suppleness.
3. What are the limitations of these ingredients?
Answer: The daily maximum for all adults is 2,000 mg. Although excessive dietary vitamin C is unlikely hazardous, excessive vitamin C supplementation may induce diarrhea and nausea.
Peptides have long been regarded as poor therapeutic candidates due to adverse pharmacokinetic features such as plasma stability, membrane permeability, and circulation half-life.
People who receive hyaluronic acid injections may have the following adverse effects, which should resolve within a week, discomfort, and redness, and itching.
4. Be aware of What You Eat = Healthier skin!
Much of what occurs on the exterior of your body is caused by what you put inside of it. It is critical to eat meals that nourish the skin over time. Avoid dehydrating substances such as alcohol. Furthermore, diets heavy in sugar and white carbs can accelerate aging by breaking down glucose. Instead, include extra protein in your diet, such as fish, lean meats, beans, and lentils, to help produce vital collagen. You are eating meals substantial in vitamin C to keep your skin looking young.
Overall, consuming more nutrient-dense meals can improve your general health and the appearance of your skin. A diet high in veggies and unsaturated fats and low in dairy and sweets may promote better skin.
