Recklessness is paid for... more and more," read a controversial DGT campaign from the 90s. And excesses on the skin, too. That's why, although we may believe that the marathon of Christmas has just ended with a few extra kilos, the truth is that it is more than likely that those kilos will be added to some wrinkles, dark circles and yes, more flaccidity.
How is this possible? This is clarified by Dr. Rosa Taberner, dermatologist at the AEDV, who points out that "people's diet influences the state of the skin – whether we have diseases or not". A diet that, let's be honest, is rarely followed among suckling pigs, wine doughnuts and other Christmas delicacies.
And that's not to mention the hours of partying, which are more concentrated than at any other time of the year, with their consequent drinks, cigarettes and yes, a little sleep. All this constitutes a Molotov cocktail for the skin that leaves its mark in the form of premature aging, more in the long term than in the short term, but boy does it leave it.
The Extra Christmas Cups and Their Traces on the Skin
Alcohol consumption plays a very important role in the condition of our skin. "It generates free radicals (i.e. oxidation) that are toxic to cells and cause collagen to degrade sooner, which favors the appearance of wrinkles and sagging," explains Dr. Natalia Jiménez (from the Pedro Jaén Group).
The expert dermatologist cites a study carried out on twins, where excessive alcohol consumption in one of them made him look older compared to the twin who did not have that consumption.
"The skin is the organ where alcohol consumption becomes most evident. We can observe the presence of facial redness, spider veins (dilated blood vessels), dehydration and loss of luminosity," Jiménez summarizes the effects of alcohol on the skin.
A glass of wine or beer, or a sporadic gin and tonic, do not have the same effects on the skin, or on the whole body, as an alcoholic festival, of course, but the thing is that the experts consulted, doctors and beauticians, agree that even a glass of wine could leave accusatory signs on the face, even if they are transitory (such as a headache...). while if you drink in greater quantities, they become chronic.
If we consume approximately one alcoholic drink a day, "the level of oxygen in the blood decreases in such a way that wrinkles, crow's feet, rictus...", says the beautician Carmen Navarro (with centers in several cities in Spain).
And yes, the cardboard face, or papyrus, dry, gray, dull, and the eyes sunk in deep dark circles, are not only the fault of the lack of sleep of the Christmas hangover, but they are also due to alcohol, which is a "water thief", as Carmen Navarro points with her finger.
As a cherry on top, and as the beautician Marta García (Oviedo) emphasizes, "alcohol has the bad habit of reddening the eyes, enhancing bags and dark circles and the damn glycation – it is as if alcohol caramelized or crystallized, producing a decline of collagen and elastin and a sudden cascade of aging."
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The best allies against the effects of alcohol on the skin
"To metabolize alcohol we need high amounts of water that the body also looks for in our skin, not to mention its diuretic effect, which slows down the ability to rehydrate," Navarro clarifies.
It is also possible to increase skin hydration with the intake of vegetables and fruits, especially those that are high in lycopene and beta-carotene, such as tomatoes or carrots, and red fruits, as pointed out by Dr. Cristina Villegas, head of dermatology at the Sanitas La Moraleja University Hospital.
To finish with the anti-aging kit against the Christmas hangover, there is nothing like including, if we had not already done so, a cosmetic -better in serum, as recommended by Marta García- with antioxidant vitamins, such as C or E.
Of cigarettes, wrinkles and aging skin...
Whether you are a regular smoker – the constant parties are a breeding ground for increasing the number of cigarettes – or if you are just social – when do we socialize more than Christmas?-, or if you are not – "the skin is also exposed to toxic effects directly by contact with environmental smoke", says Dr. Villegas. Tobacco can make our skin bitter at the Christmas post-party.
"Tobacco and the skin are intimate enemies as it reduces the natural elasticity of the skin, causes premature aging and can worsen dermatological diseases," summarizes the AEDV. The more than 3,800 microparticles that are inhaled and released from cigarettes, 60 of which have been shown to be carcinogenic, pass through the pores like small missiles, generating everything from blackheads to dryness, stiffness and wrinkles... "Smoking skin can age prematurely by 10 to 20 years; the anti-estrogenic effect of tobacco accelerates menopause in skin tissue; the microparticles in smoke unleash the action of free radicals and make smokers 4.7 times more likely to have wrinkles," continues beautician Marta García.
... And how to counteract the effects of tobacco
All experts agree that there is no better way to fight premature skin aging due to tobacco than... Quit smoking.
It also doesn't hurt to use antioxidants, "which help neutralize the negative effects of free radicals on the skin," recommends Dr. Agustín Viera, dermatologist at the AEDV. There, as well as 'against alcohol on the skin', cosmetics work with "antioxidants of proven topical efficacy such as those already mentioned, vitamins C and E".
It is not only cosmetics that 'anti-oxidize' the skin: "many fruits, vegetables and other foods contain antioxidants. In addition, if necessary, vitamin and mineral supplements such as vitamin C, E and beta-carotene can be taken temporarily and under dermatological prescription," Viera concludes.
The effects of staying up late at Christmas (and always) and cosmetic remedies
What if the obligatory -long- dinners of Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve; what if company parties; That if you dance them with friends... not to forget the night of the Three Kings, in which many also go out... During the Christmas holidays you don't sleep much, to be honest, and your face suffers from it...
Because, as Dr. Cristina Villegas explains, "during sleep, the body synthesizes many substances, such as collagen and elastin, which contribute to the skin regeneration necessary to keep the skin in good condition, firm and wrinkle-free, as well as eliminating toxins accumulated during the day." Therefore, although there are times when it is more complicated, the ideal is to sleep between seven and eight hours a day to have a restful rest. Undoubtedly, the lack of sleep can cause a rapid advance in the aging process of the skin, accentuating "expression lines, spots and redness, as well as bags and dark circles," insists Marta García.
In addition to sleeping more and better, the beautician recommends as a shock treatment to erase fatigue and counteract the lack of sleep in the skin an extra shot of the most powerful hyaluronic acid that exists and cocktails of vitamins C, E and F and A (retinol), which used in synergy as a shock cure. They transform and awaken freshness to all skins, no matter how little sleep they may have.
Christmas binge eating = aging? Causes and solutions
Nougat, marzipan, polvorones, roscones, panettones... The list of typical Christmas sweets is endless, but not so much their goodness. "A diet rich in caloric foods like these increases oil secretion and worsens acne-prone skin, as well as contributing to skin aging. To do this, it is necessary to try to counteract with foods with antioxidant compounds, vitamins C, E, or minerals that we find in vegetables,legumes, lean meats, nuts, the latter rich in essential fatty acids," explains Dr. Cristina Villegas.
Sugars also deteriorate collagen due to the glycation process that it triggers throughout the body, and which accelerates aging, as Marta García adds.
And that's not to mention binge eating salty and trans fats – the result of the hydrogenation of other fats (such as fried fats) – "whose effects on the skin translate into a lack of oxygen and a decrease in the production of collagen and elastin, or in other words: weaker skin, less elastic and more flaccid," the beautician continues.
That's why, according to Garcia, it doesn't hurt to supplement the cosmetic diet with anti-glycer active ingredients to prevent the villains who hide in Christmas delicacies from taking over collagen proteins and damaging elastin in the process.
Cosmetic routines and active ingredients to regain skin youthfulness after Christmas
Faced with all the Christmas excesses that have caused wrinkles, flaccidity and dark circles, the first thing to do is to return to the usual cleaning routines that, as Dr. Villegas observes, we have been able to neglect (and taking into account that during Christmas celebrations we tend to use makeup more and the skin is exposed to more toxins such as tobacco smoke...). "It's a priority to use a cleanser before applying moisturizer both in the morning and before bed," she says.
In addition, "after a period of excess, the skin will benefit from renewal, which is why the application of cosmetics with keratolytic products based on retinoic acid or hydroxy acids, or the application of superficial peels or means carried out by dermatologists will help to improve skin health," adds Dr. Leandro Martínez, dermatologist at the AEDV.
And, as a final summary, in order to stop the action of free radicals that age the skin and whose 'work' has accelerated with the excess of alcohol and tobacco, it is advisable to apply antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, ferulic acid, niacinamide or melatonin. Pharmacist Rocío Escalante reminds us that "antioxidants prevent premature aging of the skin, prevent the production of free radicals and prevent their damage, and have anti-inflammatory action, increase collagen synthesis and in the case of vitamin C it is depigmenting".
- beauty
- Christmas