SKIN ENEMIES

CITY LIFE
Fresh air combined with certain health keys is what we should all aspire to. Unfortunately, modern lifestyles mean it is impossible to escape the city's by-products. There is no doubt that living in a city contributes to premature ageing of the skin. Chemicals such as carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, lead and chlorofluorocarbons (all part of what we know as pollution) set off free radicals, which lead to collagen and elastin breakdown.

Furthermore, car fumes (especially leaded petrol) and dust can filter in through air vents; chemicals are released into the air by machines; modern ventilation systems restrict the supply of fresh air in office buildings; and there is UV radiation from unnatural light sources and computer screens. Our drinking water often contains chemicals, residues of heavy metals and human wastes. Add stress to this package and it is no wonder we are seeing so many cases of sensitized skin. In fact, living in a polluted city can add as much as five years to your face. The answer - other than retiring to the Alps - comes in the form of antioxidants.

SUN
Let's face it, there is no such thing as a healthy tan. While a teeny bit of sun exposure is necessary for vitamin D production, too much sun will prematurely age the skin. According to dermatologists, the sun's ultraviolet rays are accountable for more skin damage than any other factor.



Pollution, sun exposure, sugar and cigarette smoke all trigger the formation of free radicals. The result is a skin 'breakdown' manifesting in premature ageing or even severe conditions such as skin cancer.



SUGAR
A diet too high in sugar or simple carbohydrates may have a negative effect on the skin's appearance and how fast it ages. Sugar in the human body can attach itself to structural proteins like elastin and collagen, causing them to be less flexible and potentially more prone to degeneration. If, for instance, an enzyme that repairs skin after sun exposure is not working properly because it's got a sugar stuck to it, then that important function is not going to happen.

Remember that the body converts anything that is starch - rice, pasta, cake and flour - into sugar. Rather opt for 'good' foods like protein, essential fatty acids (found in fatty fish like mackerel, salmon and tuna) and iron. An iron deficiency contributes to anaemia and a low blood count, and produces a pale, sallow complexion.

SMOKING
If you cannot give up smoking for all the sound heath reasons, at least consider what it does to your face. The skin of a smoker is, on average, 40% thinner than a non-smoker's. Smokers have far more wrinkles than non-smoker - in fact, a 40-year-old smoker is likely to have as many as a 60-year-old non-smoker. Particularly noticeable are the lines around the mouth (from puckering) and eyes (from squinting through the smokes).

Furthermore, nicotine and tar slow down the blood circulation and thus reduce blood flow to the skin, depriving it of vital nutrients and oxygen, and leading to an unattractive grey-tinged, dull complexion. The two harmful substances also promote the formation of free radicals and weaken the collagen and elastin fibres, resulting in skin that is prematurely wrinkled. If that's not enough to put you off, consider that smokers have much higher rates of skin cancers, they are less able to utilize antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin C and their wounds heal slower. When your skin is cut, it needs more oxygen and nutrients than normal for the healing process. Smoking causes the little blood vessels in the skin to constrict, resulting in less blood flowing to the skin and therefore slower healing.









Remember to be moderate in your consumption of alcohol. A glass of wine per day is perfectly permissible, but do not be tempted to overdo it - your skin will pay the price.

ALCOHOL
Alcohol is a toxin and when ingested has to be detoxified by the body. Excessive quantities are not easily dealt with as they place strain on the organs involved in the detoxifying process, such as the liver. While a glass of wine with your meal is fine, a single night of bingeing will be visible on your skin the next morning as dehydration, redness and puffy eyes. Usually heavy drinkers tend to have heavier capillary formation, giving the skin a red, ruddy look.

Alcohol is also a vasodilator: when you drink, your skin feels warm because your blood vessels actually relax, allowing more blood flow to the skin. If you do this consistently, the blood vessels eventually start to stretch, which leads to greater blood vessel formation. Alcohol also depletes the body's levels of vitamin B, especially folic acid and thiamine. In your skin, a deficiency will manifest as a sallow complexion, dryness, slackness and breakouts.

STRESS
Mental overload and undue stress can cause your skin to behave badly. When you are stressed, the body releases adrenal or stress hormones, which bring about a number of changes in the skin, including blemishes and oily or dry patches. In chronic cases, blood is pumped away from the skin to the main organs, resulting in a pale, ashes appearance and under-eye circles. At the same time, cell turnover is slowed, and this leads to a build-up of toxins that makes the skin look sallow.

Skin, the body's largest organ, makes up about 15% of your body weight.