By Teresa Zawada, Licensed Aesthetician
Ah, graduation…whether it’s High School or College, it’s a
time of celebration…and why not?! No more oppressive rule of teachers or
professors. For many, it’s a first taste freedom from parents or freedom
to become (gasp) an adult! But wait, being free and an adult means responsibility. Responsibility means accountability for oneself. What
you do today will somehow find its way into tomorrow and either help you or
hinder you. Seems like this calls for a plan.
Let’s take a quick look at Hollywood. Remember that certain
double-initialed starlet, who has spent her nights drinking, and smoking, and
her days in a courtroom, and how she has aged beyond her years? This is the
poster child of my DON’T List. It goes as follows:
DON’T smoke.
Smoking robs your skin of crucial oxygen. Without the O2, your skin
starts breaking down collagen and elastin. Broken down collagen and
elastin = dull prematurely crinkly skin. Not to mention the vertical lip
lines. Even if you quit smoking, they will pop up to remind you later in life
of your not so glamorous youthful rebellion.
DON'T go into tanning
beds. A deeper, clearer complexion, with whiter teeth and eyes, is only temporary.
The long term effects include not only aging of the skin, but invasive cancers.
Micrographic surgery can save your life if skin cancer is caught early, but
many times, it’s left undiagnosed.
DON'T over-tweeze.
Subconsciously, we assume the age of a person without even knowing. As a person
ages, hair not only recedes in some places, but also overgrows in others.
Eyebrows, which can frame the face, when over-tweezed, fail to return as you
get older and yen for a fuller shape. The “thin” eyebrows can register as
“thinning” eyebrows and cause others to believe that you are older than your
chronological age. It's best to have them professionally framed, starting
at a young age, so that thoughts of permanent tattooing don't seduce your mind.
DON'T pick!!!!!!
Very important! Picking is not only a habit, but can become an addiction.
Some people even find it to be a stress relief. Aestheticians and derms,
however, find it to be "post inflammatory hyperpigmentation."
If you're lucky enough to only have a few dark marks, then you went easy on
your skin. Some people, however, find that picking has led to ice pick
scars, pock marks, and also nail marks. I see many clients who come in
and tell me that they had acne as teenagers, and with one glance at their skin
texture, I can tell if they were pickers or not. Picking, not only makes
bacteria more mobile, but also semi-permanently to permanently, it leaves an
impression on your skin. My advice: leave it up to a professional. They
know how to pick without leaving evidence.
DON'T overtone!!!! Yes,
the slick feeling feels nice if you're oily, but, in the long run, stripped
skin is like a table you bought at a flea market and tried to repair, but lost
all of its luster. Alcohol based products literally strip your skin of
oils and essential barriers, leaving it prone to dehydration and infection; not
to mention that taking off oil without replenishing will propel you to an
endless cycle of oiliness and breakouts.
Back to Hollywood, let's now take a look at, yes a pale, but
crease free award winning songstress/actress. How does one who doesn’t
have Hollywood’s secrets at their disposal achieve this look? This takes
me to my DO List:
DO drink water.
This is not a myth. Just as your body requires oxygen, water is essential
to replenish your cells. Take a look at a potted plant. If you let it dry
out, it will begin to look dull, the
leaves will crease, and flowers will
shrivel. However, if you water it regularly, it will live up to its full
potential.
DO eat your fruits
and vegetables. As an infant, one of the first tastes we get of baby
food are of the fruit and vegetable variety. Just as it nourished us then,
it nourishes us now and delivers essential vitamins and nutrients that can act
as antioxidants and fight off skin damaging pollutants and free radicals.
DO use a sunscreen. Any
dermatologist will tell you this is key to young looking skin. What most
people don’t know is that most sunscreens only protect from the UVB rays, which
are the burning rays. It’s the UVA rays that age the skin, but most ingredients
don’t fight these rays. End result: a sunscreen-wearing beachgoer
will spend extra hours soaking up the aging rays because they’re not getting
burned by the sun. Make sure any sunscreen you are using is broad spectrum
UVA/UVB or opt for the sunblock for complete protection.
DO exfoliate…in
moderation. Young skin is usually exfoliates properly on its
own. That’s the “youthful glow.” It’s when you get older and the
exfoliation slows down that skin begins to look dull. Look for a cleanser
with a mild AHA, or glycolic acid, in it. If scrubs are more your cup of
tea, keep it to a maximum of 2-3 times per week.
DO use an eye cream.
Don’t run to the department store and buy the most expensive brand. An
over- the-counter hydrating cream is all young eyes need. Most people
like to place their daily moisturizer around their eyes, and for many, that’s
ok, but eye skin is the thinnest and most sensitive, so many face moisturizers
can actually irritate that delicate skin.
DO wear sunglasses
and/or hats. Not only are they fashionable, but sunglasses prevent
you from squinting and in return, less crow’s feet will develop. Hats will
be your saving grace during outdoor activities ESPECIALLY if you forget the
sunscreen!
DO find a
dermatologist and aesthetician that you are comfortable with. Just like
with any other specialist, such as your dentist, you want someone to develop a
relationship with that will keep you abreast of new treatments and also specialize
in any afflictions your skin may have.
Following these steps will nearly guarantee that people will
not believe your age later in life!
