Good Skin E-Book

Ingrid Wood

• Herausgeber: IMM Lifestyle Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Seitenzahl: 120

Beschreibung

Skin, the body's largest organ, is crucial to our wellbeing. It not only serves as a protective barrier between the outside world and our vulnerable insides, but also keeps us in touch with the world. But it's the appearance of our skin that receives so much attention - and is most important to a vast number of people out there. What keeps skin healthy and glowing? Is there such a thing as perfect skin and can you have it? This book is intended to serve not only as a useful reference guide on skin, its composition and disorders, but is also jam-packed with tips and advice on skincare, cosmetics, the sunscreen debate, organic versus natural treatments and anti-ageing advice. In a nutshell, it's a must-have if you're at all concerned about keeping your skin at its best for as long as possible.

Leseprobe

First published in 2005 by

New Holland Publishers

London • Cape Town • Sydney • Auckland

www.newhollandpublishers.com

86 Edgware RdLondon W2 2EAUnited Kingdom

14 Aquatic DriveFrenchs ForestNSW 2086Australia

80 McKenzie StreetCape Town 8001South Africa

218 Lake RoadNorthcoteAucklandNew Zealand

Copyright © 2005 New Holland Publishers (UK) LtdCopyright © 2005 in text: Ingrid WoodCopyright © 2005 in illustrations: Alzette PrinzCopyright © 2005 in photographs: Ian Reeves Shine Group with exception of the individual photo graphers and/or their agents as listed on p96.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers and copyright holders.

Publisher: Mariëlle Renssen

Publishing managers: Claudia dos Santos, Simon Pooley

Commissioning editor: Alfred LeMaitre

Studio manager: Richard MacArthur

Concept and design: Christelle Marais

Editor: Lauren Caplan

Illustrator: Alzette Prinz

Proofreader: Leizel Brown

Picture researchers: Karla Kik, Tamlyn McGeean

Production: Myrna Collins

Consultant: Beryl Barnard FSBTh. M.PHYS. ATT (Education Director, The London Schoolof Beauty & Make-up)

ISBN 1 84330 765 0 (HB); 1 84330 766 9 (PB)eISBN 9781607653639

Reproduction by Hirt & Carter (Cape) Pty Ltd

Printed and bound in Malaysia by Times Offset(M) Sdn. Bhd.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

DISCLAIMER

The author and publishers have made every effort to ensure that the information contained in this book was accurate at the time of going to press, and accept no responsibility for any injury or inconvenience sustained by any person using this book or following the advice provided herein.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The publishers gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Ian Macfarlane from MEDI-SPA for the use of their beautiful facilities during the photo shoot.

Medi-Spa: 99 Kloof Street, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa

[email protected]; [email protected]; www.float.co.za

contents

1. Unmasking skin

A look at the structure and functions of the different skin layers; how skin ages, the principles that ensure glowing good looks and factors that can damage them.

2. Taking care of your face

An introduction to the various skin types and a detailed explanation of basic skincare routine, as well as the ingredients to look out for in beauty products.

3. Sun savvy

Exploring the difference between suntan and sunburn, how the sun damages your skin and how to protect yourself when you venture outdoors.

4. Problem skin

Advice on some common skin ailments, such as acne, rosacea, eczema and psoriasis, how to identify them and what you can do to treat them.

5. Smoothing the surface

Learn about rejuvenation techniques, from Botox and fillers to microdermabrasion, peels and laser treatment.

6. Taking care of your body

How to look after your body: correct diet, massage, posture and exercise, as well as procedures such as vein removal, and taking care of stretch marks.

7. Feeding your skin

A closer look at how a healthy, balanced diet can prevent premature ageing, and various techniques that lower the effects of stress on the human body.

Glossary

Useful contacts

Index

Picture credits

Unmasking skin

If you look in the mirror, your skin looks like a simple covering for the body. In fact this is a deceptive image: consider that the skin is the largest living organ in the human body, as essential and hard working as the brain or heart, and the closest contact we have with the outside world. It’s literally our last outpost, and usually the unsung hero. Besides its obvious role of keeping our insides in, skin is also responsible for keeping foreign invaders out, regulating body temperature, getting rid of waste matter, acting as a water reservoir, manufacturing vitamin D from sunlight and housing our senses of touch and pain.

From a distance, your skin appears smooth and flat, but on closer inspection you will see that a network of tiny grooves, which change shape as the skin moves, marks the surface. A cross section looks a little like a complex Dagwood sandwich, with various layers and fillings. The two skin layers – the epidermis and dermis – rest on a third layer of subcutaneous fat, and send signals to the brain to set various physiological functions in motion. In order to take the best care of your skin, it’s important to understand how these layers work.

Every day we shed about 4% of our total skin cells – that’s about 14kg (30lb) in a lifetime.

THE EPIDERMIS

Your skin’s front line of defence is the epidermis. It allows light to partially pass through it as it would through frosted glass, and is nourished by blood vessels in the deeper layers of the skin that provide it with oxygen and ‘skin food’. Plump, moist skin cells are developed in the basal layer of the epidermis. As each new layer of skin cells form, the cells move up towards the skin’s surface, becoming flattened as they do so. By the time they reach the outer horny layer of the skin – known as the stratum corneum – they are effectively dead. These layers of densely packed cells, known as corneocytes, are filled with a protein called keratin, and a fatty lipid. Like the tiles of a roof, they overlap in layers to form a strong, protective shield that prevents water loss. Throughout your life, the cells of the surface layer are continually being worn away and replaced with new cells from below. In normal skin, it takes about 30 days for the cells to move up to the surface. If the outer layer is being lost quickly – due to sunburn, for example – these cells will be replaced more swiftly.

LAYERS OF THE SKIN

Below the stratum corneum are the Langerhans cells, which patrol for invaders, and the melanocytes – cells that produce the pigment melanin which helps determine the colour of your hair and skin. Melanocytes evolved to help the skin ward off dangerous UV radiation; the melanin on the skin surface absorbs UV light, protecting the cells below. Within the melanocyte, melanin is packaged in small membrane sacs called the melanosomes. The difference in pigmen tation of various ethnic groups is due to the way in which the pigment is packed in these melanosomes. Skin cells in black-skinned people do not contain more melanocyte cells, but the melanin granules are larger and individually dispersed. Black-skinned people, therefore, are genetically programmed to be more resistant to UV damage because of the profusion of melanin within their cells. People with white skin tend to suffer more from unprotected sun exposure because they have less melanin, and because their melanosomes are smaller and grouped together in membrane-bound clumps. Skin cells in Asian people contain smaller melan osome complexes that are more densely packed than those found in Caucasian skin cells.

THE DERMIS

The dermis is composed entirely of living cells. While the epidermis can repair itself, the dermis can become permanently damaged. This layer consists mainly of collagen, a protein that’s responsible for the structural support (i.e. strength and resilience) of the skin. Collagen is packaged in bundles held together by elastic fibres. These are made up of another protein, elastin, which gives the skin its tone, plumpness and elasticity. Also found in the dermis are the sebaceous glands, hair follicles and sweat glands. The main function of sweat glands is to regulate the body’s temperature. They are distributed over the entire body surface, with a larger number on the palms, soles and forehead. The sebaceous glands produce sebum (oil), the skin’s natural lubricant. They are very sensitive to hormones, especially male hormones, which increase the glands’ size and the secretion of sebum. (That’s why males are more prone to acne, especially during puberty.) Sebaceous glands therefore play a key role in determining facial skin type.

MELANOSOME COMPLEXES

Do men and women age differently?

There is definitely a difference in male and female skin and so also in the ageing process. Women have less collagen than men to begin with, and because men have a thicker stratum corneum and produce more sebum than women, the lipid film on their skin surface is more pronounced. Furthermore, men’s sebaceous glands are active well into their eighties. Also, testosterone, which is found in far higher levels in men, increases the rate of cell turnover in the basal layer and enhances collagen production, thereby thickening the skin. While there is a gradual thinning of skin with age in men (about 1% per year), the thickness of a woman’s skin remains fairly consistent until menopause, when her oestrogen levels start to fall. Then she will experience a dramatic thinning of the skin, and decreased collagen synthesis and repair. In addition, there is an increase in intrinsic ageing with the failure of oestrogen production and reduced dermal hydration.

The functions of the skin

The concept of skincare is simple: be gentle. Treat it with tender loving care and it is going to reward you with a fresher and more youthful appearance later in life.

ABSORPTION AND ASSIMILATION

The skin is the gateway to the body and a barrier to the outside world. A substance can only be assimilated or used by the cells once it has been absorbed. Well-cleansed, exfoliated skin absorbs creams more easily, and massage or pressurized movements further aid this process. Absorption depends on the molecular structure of the product, which is why a moisturizer is absorbed, for example, but water and cleanser are not.

ELIMINATION

The skin rids the body of excess waste and toxins through the production of sweat and sebum.

On one square inch of cheek there are some 30 nerves, 15 sensory receptors for cold, 80 receptors for heat and 1 300 pain receptors.

SENSE OF TOUCH

The skin is full of nerve endings that transmit sensations like heat, cold, pressure and texture to the brain. Tingling skin, for example, is a neuro response and not an allergic response.

REGULATION OF BODY TEMPERATURE

The millions of veins, capillaries and arteries that traverse the skin, together with the sweat glands, regulate our internal body temperature so that it remains constant, regardless of the external temperature. This is made possible by the contraction and expansion of these vessels as necessary (in cold and in heat respectively), and the production of perspiration by the sweat glands to cool the body down when it overheats.

PROTECTION

The skin protects the body, both physically – from bumps, shocks and water loss – and chemically – from infection and dehydration – by means of the acid mantle.

Genetics play an important role in determining how you will age. If your mother looked good well into her sixties, chances are high you will too – if you look after yourself, of course.

How skin ages

Your body is programmed to age and there’s nothing you can do about your internal clock! The good news is there’s a lot you can do to slow down the visible results of the process and keep your skin looking better for longer. There are two types of ageing – intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic or chronological ageing is the natural, biological process of ageing, over which we have little control. Extrinsic ageing is a result of external causes, in particular photo ageing (damage caused by ultraviolet radiation or sun exposure). Exposure to UV light and pollution accelerate ageing due to the production of free radicals in the skin. Free radicals are rogue molecules that attack the collagen and elastin fibres as well as new skin cells as they form. Although this happens mainly in the dermis, the effect is visible on the surface of the skin as a dry and weakened skin texture, pigmentation, broken veins and an increased vulnerability to further external damage.

The difference between intrinsic and extrinsic ageing can be seen on the inside of your upper arm, near the armpit. You will notice that this skin is smooth, soft and supple, while the skin on the back of the hands is thicker, rougher and drier. With intrinsic ageing, the skin’s outer layer will become about 20% thinner over time, although the skin’s surface should remain smooth. Sun-damaged skin, however, is thickened, with up to 50% more cells accumulating on the surface, giving it a rough, dry texture. (Think of a weather-beaten fisherman.) Photo ageing also causes a marked accumulation of pigment in the basal layers, resulting in age spots. In addition, pores tend to be more dilated and the skin may appear more mottled. And that’s only the damage visible to the naked eye!

The thinnest skin is on the eyes, lips, neck and the back of the hands; and the thickest on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.

Hands can give away age in a flash. Compared to the face, they have a thinner layer of skin, less fat to hide wrinkles, fewer oil glands to moisturize them and you can’t use make-up to conceal them. The secret to good looking hands: take good care of them.

A lifetime of skin

Skin changes as we age. There is little you can do about it, but if you take good care of yourself throughout your lifetime, you can reduce the visible effects of the ageing process.

With age, the elasticity and strength of the skin declines. Coupled with the pull of gravity, this results in sagging and wrinkles. Although some products claim to ‘restore’ youth, there is nothing one can do to stop this decline. One can, however, preserve what one has by following a good care routine and minimizing sun exposure. It is mostly the damage done to deeper levels that determines how our skin looks as we get older, and this is largely self-inflicted by years of overexposure to the sun. Everyone’s skin ages differently according to genetics, lifestyle choices, stress levels, exposure to things like ultraviolet light or harmful substances, and to a certain extent, just plain luck.

PRE-TEEN