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The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Olga Solovienko, Medical Laser Technician
What You Need To Know About Skin
Astoria Laser Clinic & Med Spa

What You Need To Know About Skin

What does the skin do? It's the largest organ of the body and made up of three layers (epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous layer). The skin forms a protective barrier for the body and guards against moisture, debris, and UV rays from the sun. Cuts and open wounds on the skin may allow pathogenic organisms into the body, which can cause infection.

The skin contains oil glands that secrete sebum, a substance that helps moisturize the skin. Skin houses sweat glands that help keep the body cool. Nerves in the skin relay information about pain, temperature, and other sensations to the brain. Blood vessels and hair follicles are also found in the skin.

Diet and stress are two internal factors that affect skin health. A person who has food allergies may develop skin symptoms. The ingestion of food allergens can lead to hives, angioedema, or atopic dermatitis. Stress affects hormone levels in the body as well as immune function. Stress can either trigger skin conditions or make them worse. The sun helps the skin manufacture vitamin D, but excess sun can lead to wrinkles, sunburn, and skin cancer.

Here are some tips to keep your skin healthy

No Steamy Showers Setting the shower to steamy soothes your body, but it won't do your skin any favors. It can dry out the natural oils in our skin more quickly.
Quick Fix Cleanse coolly and quickly. Dial down the shower temperature to lukewarm, and keep showers short. Five minutes is enough to get clean without over-drying. Save the singing for your car.

What Soaps To Use Don't put just any bar of soap in your shower dish they're not all the same. Wash with a harsh soap and you'll send your skin's natural moisture barrier straight down the drain.
Quick Fix Go mild. Use a mild, fragrance-free soap that moisturizes as it cleanses. Bar or liquid doesn't matter, but choose a soap that's specially formulated for dry skin. Think you need to scrub your skin to get it clean? Toss that old notion, along with your scrubby sponge. Friction strips the skin and increases dryness.

Aging As hormone levels change over the years, skin becomes thin and parched.
Quick Fix Smooth out the years with skin care products. You can't turn back the clock, but you can minimize aging skin changes. Start each morning with a generous rub of a rich face and body cream. To minimize wrinkles while you relieve dryness, look for ingredients such as alpha-hydroxy acids, retinol, vitamin C and sodium hyaluronate. It is highly recommended to buy pharmaceutical skin care products from a med spa instead over the counter. They will give you the results you are looking for and may even save you money.

Discolorations of the skin Is your skin especially scaly and discolored? It could be a skin condition called melasma. It mainly affects the face although it can be found on other areas of the body that were exposed to the sun. Estrogen, pregnancy, and birth control pills have also been associated with this condition.
Quick Fix Target treatments such as Vi Peel or Dermapen needling at a med spa.

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