How to get glowing skin back! Part 1/2

I have fair and dry skin with yellow undertone. Whenever I use moisturizing body lotion, it makes my body skin moist only for 2 hours, after that it dries out. I want my skin to be hydrated, clear & glowy or dewy. Please kindly tell me advice. And is there any possible method to get a pink undertone skin?

Glowing skin can be elusive, can’t it? What we all know from our observations of ourselves and each other is that it’s not always there.  Younger skin has it usually, doesn’t it? Why? Here are some of the reasons, which help us understand how to get it back!!

Why does younger skin tend to be “glowy”?

  • In younger skin, the outer, barrier layer of the skin (epidermis) isn’t damaged (usually by sun) as much, and helps to hold water in the deeper layers better. When this is measured it’s called trans epidermal water loss or TEWL.
  • Younger skin also has more tiny blood vessels feeding the skin so nutrients (or lack of :)) are “feeding” the skin better. These tiny blood vessels are less due to sun damage, lack of sleep, environmental insults, poor nutrition, intrinsic aging (our natural clock), and most of all………….SMOKING!!
  • The deep layer of the skin – the dermis – where all the collagen and elastic fibers are – is thinner also in younger skin for the above reasons.

How do we get glowing skin back?

1.  Improve circulation

  • If you smoke….. honestly you have to stop if you want good skin.
  • Exercise dilates all the blood vessels in your skin if your heart rate is high enough. Skin LOVES this. Steam and saunas can have a temporary effect too. They don’t provide the other benefits.
  • If your LDL cholesterol is high, get it down so that you don’t clog your small vessels (or your larger ones) with plaque as you age.
  • Facials and treatments that stimulate your facial circulation and lymph flow used regularly (like once a month or once a quarter) can help. Find a great aesthetician if you can.

2.   Repair damage to the outer layer over time.  This helps retain water in the skin.  How?

  • Start with prevention and good products. That means a high zinc sunscreen every single morning at a minimum.
  • Use lasers sensibly over a period of 1-2 years (usually a series initially) to repair damage and then use them for maintenance, depending on your skin type, once or twice a year after that.   If you are over 40 and have a lot of sun damage, you’ll need lasers more like the Fraxel or CO2.  If your epidermis is pretty healthy, you can use lighter treatments to maintain.

3.  Repair and maintain the dermis to hang onto and build more collagen, hyaluronic acid and elastic fibers

  • Ok – this is getting tooooo long.  And this one is more involved.  I’ll make this my next post!!

Hope this helps,  Dr. I   🙂

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

Ask me your skincare question!

Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

  • All our content is written and researched by myself.
  • My medical office in Seattle has treated thousands of patients for 15+ years.
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