Monday, January 25, 2010
Skin Types
Sensitive / Intolerant skin
Do you know over 50% of women consider their skin sensitive in some degree?
First degree: Sensitive
Symptoms: skin occasionally experiences unpleasant feelings such as stinging, itching, and tightness. Sensitive skin usually has an excessive reaction to aggressions like wind, cold, sun, over-zealous cleansing, which are tolerated by normal skin.
Second degree: Intolerant (i think i belong to this category)
Symptoms: skin experiences not only stinging and tightness, but also redness, scaling and burning. Intolerant skin can be even more traumatized with the application of improper skincare products. Sometimes the skin even can’t tolerate any skincare product.
Third degree: Allergic
Symptoms: contact allergy reactions characterized by eczema (redness, burning, blisters or even oozing) or urticaria (swelling, burning).
Redness-prone skin
Redness-prone skin is usually characterized by flushing and redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead. Over time, the redness tends to become more persistent. Visible blood vessels may appear. Left untreated, bumps and pimples often develop. Skin suffers from burning or stinging. Symptoms may worsen if not treated correctly.
Level 1: Intermittent redness:
A “flush” is when your cheeks suddenly become very red. In most cases flushing is skin’s normal reaction when a person is nervous, exercising, or upset. Redness-prone skin can experience flushes when there’s sudden change in the temperature or consume of alcohol or spicy foods.
Level 2: Permanent redness:
During a flush, the blood vessels in the face dilate rapidly, then return to normal. However over time, the redness becomes permanent, especially on the cheeks – that is what we call erythrosis.
Level 3: Dilated blood vessels:
On top of the erythrosis, some blood vessels are more dilated than others and are visible to the naked eye. These little red blood vessels, or telangiectasies, are the early stages of rosacea.
Level 4: Spots:
Rosacea was formerly called “acne rosacea” because in addition to redness, spots appear - similar to the symptoms of adolescent acne. Red spots (papules) and white spots (pustules) flare-up on a background of erythrorosacea.
10 things you can do to minimize redness
I. Visit a dermatologist for an accurate diagnosis.
2. Apply sunscreen SPF 15 or higher is recommended on a daily basis. Look for mineral sunscreens suitable for sensitive skin to avoid further skin irritation.
3. Manage your stress level. Stress is a key redness trigger. Reduce stress through relaxation exercises, soothing music, massage therapy or any technique that helps you relax.
4. Protect skin from environmental exposure. Limit time outdoors or protect the face with a scarf or ski mask when exposed to prolonged cold or wind.
5. Care for your skin with a gentle daily skincare program that incorporates a moisturizer to minimize dryness and flakiness. Look for products formulated for sensitive skin with a minimum of ingredients to lessen the risk of irritation.
6. You are what you eat. Learn what foods trigger your redness and avoid them. Start by avoiding steaming hot foods, spicy foods and alcohol which have been shown to aggravate redness.
7. Exercise in moderation. Avoid high-intensity workouts that can cause overheating and flushing. When exercising outdoors, choose cooler periods such as early morning or evening. Staying cool will help minimize redness.
8. Avoid hot baths, showers and saunas. Use of gentle, non-abrasive, soap-free cleansers is recommended. Allow the skin to dry completely before applying medication. Wait 10 minutes before applying a moisturizer.
9. Select skincare products that are formulated for sensitive and/or redness prone skin. Avoid products that contain irritating ingredients such as alcohol and witch hazel. Look for products that are hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic.
10.Know that you are not alone. Accept the fact that you have a medical condition but can take action to improve the symptoms and manage your condition.
Oily / Acne-prone skin
Did you know that 95% of boys and 83% of girls have acne?
Acne is one of the first signs of puberty, the set of transformations brought about when the reproductive glands “start up” from suprarenal stimulation (of the ovaries for girls, of the testicles for boys). These glands produce hormones that will “flood” the body. Acne is linked to an exacerbated skin sensitivity, particularly of the sebaceous glands.
Under the effects of hormones called androgens, the sebaceous glands increase in volume, secrete more sebum, the skin becomes shiny, the pores dilate and blackheads and pimples appear.
Once the mechanism of acne is under way, its development can vary greatly; an effective dermatological treatment can bring about a full cure, in several months or years.
But it can also happen that acne persists well after adolescence, in particular among women, mostly on the lower part of the face.
This acne, called “tardy” is in fact relatively common. It more often involves the torso in men.
The signs and symptoms of acne
Acne can take on many forms from a proliferation of blackheads to cyst like lesions.
Comedo (plural: comedones): A comedo is a plugged sebaceous follicle. Sebum, dead cells, tiny hairs and bacteria accumulate leading to the plugged sebaceous follicle. An open comedo is called a blackhead. The surface of the plug has a blackish appearance. A closed comedo is referred to as a whitehead. It looks like an inflamed white “bump” in the skin. A comedo should not be squeezed or picked open. Only a dermatologist should extract the comedo under sterile conditions.
Papule: Small, solid lesions that are elevated and appear in groups which give skin a rough “sandpaper” feel.
Pustule: Appears as a dome-shaped lesion containing pus that consists of a mixture of white blood cells, dead skin cells and bacteria. When a pustule forms over a sebaceous follicle, it often has a hair in the center.
Nodule: Similar to a papule in shape, this solid, domeshaped lesion extends into deeper layers of the skin and may be very painful. Nodular acne is a severe form of acne that responds best to therapies administered by a dermatologist such as isotretinoin. If not treated correctly, it may also lead to scarring.
Cyst: A severe form of acne, cysts are sac-like lesions containing liquid or semi-liquid material consisting of white blood cells, dead cells and bacteria. Cysts are often severely inflamed, painful and may result in scarring. Systemic therapy with isotretinoin is often the only effective treatment with this type of acne.
Aging skin
Skin ages, just like all the other organs of your body
Skin aging is primarily due to two factors: slow down in skin cell metabolism and damage to the support tissues by free radicals (oxidizing agents).
Between age 25 and 45
The skin gradually becomes thinner, more fragile, and has less glow. Expression lines (around the eye and corners of the mouth) appear and are increasingly visible.
After age 45
Lines and wrinkles become deeper; the skin loses its firmness; the face contour is less regular; the neck is less toned, and the complexion becomes dull.
Aging, a scientific explanation
The epidermis, uppermost layer of your skin, is made up mostly (80%) of keratinocytes.
Keratinocytes play an essential role; it is their metabolic activity that is responsible for the youthfulness and health of your skin. In a youthful skin, daily epidermal renewal takes place on the average of every 21 days. New cells are born and they move from the base of the epidermis to the surface.
Unfortunately, in the natural aging process, keratinocytes lose their metabolic capacity and their ability to move quickly from the epidermis to the surface. Therefore, epidermal renewal takes more time.
Also, the loss of hyaluronic acid in the epidermis will result in deep lines and wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid creates volume in the skin which gives it a more youthful appearance.
Source from: http://www.aveneusa.com/
please take me away from reality
4:20 PM