Withered Skin (Wrinkles)
Withered skin has a very rough texture usually full of wrinkles. It is due
mainly to over-exposure to extremes of climate such as too much sun or too much
cold. Other factors that can result in a rough skin are: bags and sags, coarse
skin texture, dull skin tone, and dark shadows.
If you
are prone to this type of skin, here are some tips for you.
Skincare for
Withered Skin/ Wrinkles
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Always use sun-screen lotions or creams
whenever you go outdoors for any length of time. |
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Do not use soap. Instead, clean your face
with milk cream. |
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Use moisturizing cream at night. |
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In the morning half an hour before taking
bath, take an egg white and mix in one tablespoon of honey and one-fourth
teaspoon of carrot juice. Apply this on your skin. |
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After half an hour, remove the remnants of
the make up with a cotton-wool soaked in warm water (to which a dash of soda
bicarbonate has been added). This will remove roughness and wrinkles from
the skin. |
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Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the
water in the tub before taking your bath. |
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Use moisture-laden makeup base in all the
seasons and a creamy lipstick. |
Vitamin A
Derivatives
Tretinoin (Retin A), a medication derived from Vitamin A that is used for Acne,
is sometimes prescribed for the treatment of wrinkles. It is taken once before
bedtime. This medication will not correct loose, sagging skin or deep wrinkles.
It is generally used for superficial or fine wrinkles. Some people suffer
serious side effects from using this medication like severe drying of the skin
and increased incidence of sunburn.
AHAs
Alpha
hydroxy acids (AHAs) or fruit acids are naturally occurring compounds that break
down the inter-cellular cement causing redundant skin cells to stick together.
With regular use, AHAs improve overall skin texture and make ageing skins look
more radiant. They are also believed to boost the production of collagen and
hyaluronic acid. For the best results, users of AHAs should avoid washing their
skins with alkaline soaps. Preparations enriched with AHAs should be applied to
cleansed skin and left for 10 minutes before further preparations are applied to
the face.
Collagen
Collagen is a protein found in skin. Collagen is added to many cosmetic
products. However, oral application of collagen has very little effect. It is,
however, more effective when administered by injection. Injection of collagen to
the skin may give immediate correction to finer depression and wrinkles. Stay
out of the sun after receiving this injection. If you are suffering from any
autoimmune diseases, do not take collagen injection. Before administering a
collagen injection a test injection in an inconspicuous site is recommended for
any possible reaction.
Chemical peels and dermabrasion are two other methods used by dermatologists in
treating wrinkled skin.
Acupuncture
The
acupuncture facelift is one of the more unusual alternatives to surgery. This
treatment aims to rebalance the body's energy flow and also improve the
appearance of the skin, tone the facial muscles and step up circulation.
Normally 12 needles are inserted at specific regions of the face, which address
the body's inner health and outer beauty. It's a pain-free procedure that leaves
you feeling as good as you look.
Massage
When
applying moisturizer, try lightly circling your hands up from your chin to the
center of your forehead and gliding each hand down each side of your face,
repeating 12 times. To keep facial lines from setting in around your mouth,
over-exaggerate smiling, and then gnash your teeth together. Repeat each motion
24 times. To prevent a wrinkled neck, sweep your hands up under your chin and
down again. Repeat 12 times.
Common Sense
Techniques to Control Skin Wrinkling
Avoid Exposure to Sun
The sun is the number one cause of
wrinkling, pigment changes and skin cancer. Stay out of the sun as much as
possible. Use a sunscreen if you have to go out in sun.
Healthy Brew
Research confirms that green tea can
have a significant effect on the ageing process. It is a rich source of
antioxidants, which mop up free radicals within the body. For the maximum
benefit, leave the leaves or tea bags to steep for three minutes.
Minimize Skin Dryness.
Another major problem for the skin
is dryness. As you age, the skin cells will produce less water, fat and oils.
There are some steps you can do to combat skin dryness.
Use
a Humidifier
In fall and winter, use a humidifier
at home, and at the office. Or install whole house humidifier to your heating
system. Or put pans of water on top of your hot-water radiators.
Take Fewer, Faster Showers and Baths
Unlike common wisdom, you will lose
moisture from skin when it is exposed to water than gaining water. The more
water you are exposed to, more dry and old looking your skin becomes. Use warm
or cool water for your shower or bath rather than hot water. Hot water robs your
skin's natural oils. Add bath oil to the water before taking a soak in the tub.
Stay in the tub for 15 minutes, then apply a moisturizer. Do not use any bath
salts and bubble baths; they promote dryness.
Wear night creams while sleeping
Apply a super-moisturizing cream to
clean, damp skin. These products trap water in your skin's outer surface. Fine
lines seem to disappear. Your skin feels soft, moist and supple. People with
acne-prone skin should avoid night creams altogether.
Sleep Well
How you sleep can affect your looks.
Dermatologists can identify the side of the face you sleep on by looking at your
wrinkles. Sleep on a big, soft non synthetic pillow with a satin pillow case to
minimize any effect on the skin
Avoid exposure to heat.
Heat can penetrate the skin and
damage connective tissues and fibers. When using handheld hair dryers, avoid the
high setting, and direct the hot air away from your face. Stay out of the hot
midday sun.
Protect Your Face and Skin From the Elements
When you go out in winter, protect
your face. Wear a face mask to protect your face from the wintry winds. Before
going for swimming, apply a good moisturizer to keep chlorine from being
absorbed into your skin.
Eye
Bath
To treat puffy eyes, brew a pot of
tea, leave it to cool and then use it as a soothing eye bath. Alternatively,
place two stainless steel spoons in the freezer for a couple of minutes, and
then place them over your eyes to reduce puffiness.
Water your skin inside and out
Drink lots of water everyday. The
experts recommend that you drink at least eight glasses of water a day. This
really does improve the skin's condition. You can provide an external boost by
providing a morning spray of mineral water before moisturizing.
Nourish Your Skin
Good nutrition is important for
healthy, young-looking skin that's less likely to crack, peel or dry out. And
healthy skin is less likely to show wear and tear.
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Make sure your diet includes the vitamins
and minerals for vital skin. |
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Antioxidants, which include vitamins A, C
and E, seem to reduce the sun's damage to the skin. Vitamin A increases the
cell renewal rate, normalizes cell growth and stimulates blood flow and
collagen formation. |
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Fresh fruits and vegetables are good
sources of vitamins A and C, while oils, seeds and nuts provide vitamin E. |
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Zinc is an important mineral in the
production of collagen, the skin's support tissue. Beef and calves' liver,
lean beef, lamb, roasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, Swiss and
cheddar cheeses, peanuts and dark meat turkey are good sources of zinc. |
Exercise
Finnish researchers found that
middle-aged athletes had skin that was denser, thicker and stronger than that of
a matched group of sedentary people. The elastic quality that allows the skin to
spring back to its original shape after being stretched was also significantly
better in the athletes.
The
cells in the base layer of the skin, where skin cells are formed, actually
become more active with exercise. People who exercise had fewer wrinkles in
their skin compared to people who didn't.
Relax
A tense face encourages the
formation of wrinkles, especially around the outer eyes, bridge of nose, and on
the forehead. If you are happy more often than you are miserable or angry, your
face will reflect that as you get older. Laughter lines are fine, but frown
lines or down lines are not!
If you
find it hard to keep your face relaxed, get into the habit of regularly relaxing
your jaw and unclenching your teeth, and relax the eye area by exerting shiatsu
pressure with the middle fingers of each hand just on either side of the bridge
of your nose, just below the eyebrows. Hold the pressure for 20 seconds. Do the
same with fingers below the outer eye on the edge of the socket bone.
Keep Smiling
On average, children smile 400 times
a day, while adults only manage 15. Smiling tightens the supporting connective
tissue around your mouth which helps to maintain the shape of your face. It also
sends feel-good signals to your brain.
Quit Smoking
Smoking deprives the skin of normal
blood flow. Smoking causes the capillaries to the skin to constrict, thereby
preventing it from receiving the beneficial supply of oxygen and nutrients it
needs to remain supple. Smokers exhibit facial characteristics such as lines or
wrinkles on the face typically radiating at right angles from the upper and
lower lips or the corners of the eyes (crow's feet), deep lines on the cheeks or
numerous shallow lines on the cheeks and lower jaw and a leathery or rugged
appearance.
Keep your weight steady and don't get too thin.
If your weight constantly fluctuates
more than seven pounds or so, it eventually will show up on your face.
Similarly, if you become too thin, your face may lose its natural padding of
fat, which helps to plump out lines. Don't lose weight too quickly or, again,
wrinkles will be more likely to show. (Of course, when making a decision of
losing weight, you will have to weigh the adverse effect on the wrinkles against
the beneficial effects on health such as cardiovascular benefits, diabetes,
hypertension, etc. If you are overweight, go ahead and lose weight. It does not
do much good when you are in a coffin with perfect skin!)
Detox Drink
Start your day with a cup of boiling
water laced with the juice of half a lemon. This drink flushes out any
impurities that may have built up in your system overnight. Lemon also acts as a
gentle cleanser for the liver.
