3 tips for good mental health 1:29
(CNN) -
Does that face in the mirror look a bit, hmm ... older these days?
"Some of this is due to perception, what I call 'Facial Zoom,'" said Dr. Rajani Katta, author of "Glow: The Dermatologist's Guide to a Whole Foods Young Skin Diet."
"Between the bright light, the strange angles, and just staring at your face for hours, you can alter the perception of your own appearance," said Katta.
Unfortunately, your skin may also be suffering the effects of a year of pandemic stress, said Dr. Whitney Bowe, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center's Icahn School of Medicine.
"A long-time patient would come in and say, 'I lost my parents and I feel like I've aged years this year.'
You look at them and you can see that it has actually come at a physical cost, and by a biological mechanism we understand how this works.
I call it stress aging.
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Stress affects our ability to fall asleep and stay asleep, which can also affect our skin, said Dr. Raj Dasgupta, a sleep specialist, assistant professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. .
He points to a 2010 study on the effects of lack of sleep on facial features, which found that "sleep-deprived people had puffy eyelids and those dark circles under their eyes and they seemed to have more wrinkles."
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Chronic pressure means that high levels of the stress hormone cortisol are flooding the body, inhibiting the skin's production of collagen and hyaluronic acid, Bowe explained.
"Collagen is the skin's scaffold that prevents fine lines and wrinkles, and hyaluronic acid keeps skin plump, so the loss of these can really affect your appearance," Bowe said.
Additionally, stress has been shown to cause disruptions in the proper functioning of the skin barrier, leading to increased water loss and "increased exfoliation and dryness and wrinkling," said Dr. Marie Jhin, spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology.
The rush to correct these signs of aging causes many dermatologists to work overtime.
"Yes!
I see an influx of patients coming in after covid stress and fatigue, ”Jhin said, adding that he has seen many cases of eczema, hair loss and stress acne over the last year.
"I've never seen such high demand," Bowe said.
I can't keep up.
My current patients come in much more often than before, specifically because they feel like they are getting old.
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To do?
An important way to care for aging or sensitive skin during the pandemic is to alternate between "active nights and recovery nights" with your skin care products, Bowe said.
In one night, use anti-aging solutions like retinoids, alpha hydroxy acid, or glycolic acid, either prescription or over-the-counter, then skip them for a night or two, depending on how dry your skin is.
"What I recommend doing is taking a skincare tour," Bowe said.
"You don't want to further compromise your skin barrier by using irritating ingredients every night."
Recovery nights are used to pamper the skin, "using ingredients like glycerin, sunflower seed oil, jojoba oil or squalene," which is a hydrogenated version of squalene, a compound naturally produced by our sebaceous glands, Bowe said.
"Utilize nourishing and hydrating ingredients that will repair the skin barrier, support the skin's microbiome, and restore a healthy pH to the skin," Bowe said.
Healthy and beautiful skin 2:47
Prevents your skin from aging more
Extra creams, serums and fillers are all options from dermatology offices, but the best way to prevent your skin from aging further is to address the stress, experts say, as well as the bad habits you have, that have developed during the pandemic. such as poor eating habits, lack of sleep, or lack of exercise.
Watch your diet, especially sugar consumption.
Many of us are "stress eating, turning to sugar and processed carbohydrates, which unfortunately can damage the skin's collagen over time through a process called glycation," Katta said.
Glycation occurs when sugar molecules stick to fats and proteins and create advanced glycation end products, or AGEs, that can make collagen and elastin proteins less flexible and skin more prone to wrinkling.
Be good to your skin by cutting out sugar, processed carbohydrates, and high fructose corn syrup, which can increase the glycation rate 10 times, according to studies.
"Foods rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties can help provide an extra layer of protection to the skin and can help promote the skin's defense and repair systems," Katta suggested.
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How to prevent skin aging?
Get plenty of exercise
Scientists believe that exercise increases blood circulation in the brain, especially in areas such as the amygdala and hippocampus, which have roles in controlling motivation, mood, and response to stress.
For one thing, it releases endorphins, the body's wellness hormones.
Exercise also pushes oxygenated blood to all parts of your body, including your skin.
Numerous studies show that the greatest benefits come from rhythmic exercises, which get the blood pumping in the major muscle groups.
These include running, swimming, biking, and walking.
Exercise for 15 to 30 minutes at least three times a week for a period of 10 weeks or more at a low to moderate intensity.
Sleep well
"It's called restful sleep because sleep regenerates the skin at night," Dasgupta said.
"Surprise surprise, there is a hormone called growth hormone that is secreted during the deepest stages of sleep and that stimulates the growth of skin cells."
Additionally, cortisol levels are typically lower at night because they are under the control of the body's sleep clock, also known as the circadian rhythm, he said.
"So cortisol is naturally high in the morning and very low at night," Dasgupta said, "which is good because we want to sleep well.
But you can imagine that if you have a lot of stress you are going to have high levels of cortisol during the night, and then your skin does not have time to rejuvenate.
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Practice activities to reduce stress
Try yoga, meditation and deep breathing to calm your stress levels, Bowe suggested: "They have all been shown to decrease cortisol production and stress levels."
Yoga, of course, is a form of physical exercise.
But yoga is also a spiritual discipline, designed to merge the body and mind.
A yoga lifestyle incorporates physical postures, breath regulation, and mindfulness through the practice of meditation.
Deep breathing realigns the stressed part of our body, called the sympathetic system, with the parasympathetic or "rest and restore" system.
While there are many types of breathing, much research has focused on "cardiac coherence," where you inhale for six seconds and exhale for six seconds for a short period of time.
Focus on abdominal breathing, or breathing deep into your lungs, placing your hand on your belly to feel it move.
Work on these stress-busting lifestyle changes and you'll probably be happier when you look in the mirror, experts say, and you'll certainly be healthier.
As for how you see yourself on Zoom?
There you are alone, good luck!
chronic stress
