Avoiding Threats To Youthful Skin – Part 3

Stress ages us. In today’s environment, we deal with countless small stresses each day — traffic, deadlines, getting kids to do their homework, jury duty, handling an unenlightened boss or slow employees, disagreements with a spouse, caring for aging parents. These challenges are built into life and if each one triggers the stress response, the effect can be toxic.

The stress response causes the body to release the catabolic hormone cortisol. Cortisol is typically secreted in response to physical trauma or prolonged stress. When we have large amounts of cortisol circulating in our bloodstreams for extended periods of time, it is extremely toxic. Excess cortisol, among other things, causes thinning of the skin. It will also accelerate wrinkling and skin aging in general, and will cause the blood vessels under the skin to appear more prominent.

Although we can’t stop most of the fender bender’s of life from happening, we can learn to respond effectively to the stress response. Meditation, progressive relaxation and deep breathing are a great antidote to stress. These strategies can help stop the spiral of feelings and hormones that lead to hostility, frustration and rage.

Learning to relax or meditate can be a great boost to your mental state and the appearance of your skin. Try to establish a regular pattern — perhaps first thing in the morning or the last thing you do before going to bed at night. Like most skills, meditation gets better with practice, so don’t give up if you don’t feel particularly meditative your first time.

Below, is a Relaxation And Breathing For Meditation DVD recommended to get you started.

Remember, it’s not how much stress you have but how you handle it that matters most to your skin’s appearance and overall well-being.

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Stress Free to Wrinkle Free

While we know what causes stress, we often overlook what actually happens in our bodies when we are under stress. Cortisol is a hormone produced in the adrenal glands that is a key player in how well we handle stress.

Cortisol serves a helpful purpose by providing us with that extra push to keep going, but when we force our bodies to overproduce it, things begin to go awry. Long-term exposure to cortisol can produce extensive damage to the body including weight gain, and is considered a leading cause of premature aging. Plus, all that scowling can lead to permanent wrinkling!

Avoiding Threats To Youthful Skin – Part 6

Sleep is an important key to health and longevity.  Studies have found that individuals who sleep an average of 7 to 9 hours a night have the longest life expectancy. Many of us, however, face sleep challenges such as frequent or occasional insomnia, a high-stress schedule, or a medical condition that keeps us awake at night.

Unfortunately, chronic sleep loss is endemic in modern society.  When we are sleep deprived, our skin takes on a pasty, puffy, more wrinkled appearance.  Not getting enough sleep results in elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, leads to inefficient glucose metabolism, encourages weight gain and accelerates aging.

If you rob your body of enough sleep, you’ll start to see the consequences in your red, darkly circled eyes and dull skin.  Do this often enough and it will soon become clear how endless sleepless nights can add up to a less than beautiful reflection in the mirror.

Our “beauty sleep” is required to allow our cells to repair themselves, resulting in smoother, more radiant skin. A good night sleep will ensure that you awake refreshed, looking radiant and youthful.  Adequate sleep is also vital to avoid eye area puffiness and maintain vibrant skin.