Is Your Skin Aging As Gracefully As The Rest Of You? 4 Important Skin Care Tips For Seniors

Health & Medical Blog

Your skin may not be age defying, but with a little love and attention, you can keep it healthy and beautiful as you grow older. The skin is an amazing and resilient organ, charged with important tasks that keep you healthy. Your skin helps regulate your body's temperature, protects you from infection, acts as a waterproof barrier, and protects your internal organs. What's more, your skin can even heal itself when it is damaged. Unfortunately, as you age, your skin starts to lose its elasticity and repairs itself more slowly. While you can't stop this process entirely, you can slow the signs of aging with healthy routines and some simple skin-care tips.

1. Limit your time in the sun - The sun is a great source of vitamin D and helpful for improving your mood, but it can also be quite damaging to your skin if you aren't prepared. Always wear a high SPF sunscreen on your face and hands. This is even more important as you age and your skin becomes thinner.
2. Kick the nicotine habit - While wrinkles are a natural part of growing older, nonsmokers have far fewer wrinkles than smokers, especially on the face. Kick the habit now to reduce the signs of aging skin.
3. Moisturize - As you age, your skin loses oil and sweat glands, which contributes to dry, scaly skin. Using a moisturizing lotion every day will help reduce water loss, reduce wrinkles, and soothe itchy skin. If your skin is extremely dry and itchy, consult a dermatologist, like Stephen A Switlyk MD, to make sure it isn't a sign of a more serious issue.
4. Eat the right foods - A balanced diet can help keep your skin looking young, but some foods are more rich in the vitamins that your skin needs to repair itself. Here are the most important vitamins necessary for healthy skin and the foods that contain them.

• Vitamin A - For healthy skin cells, eat a good variety of low-fat dairy products, especially yogurt, which also aids in digestion.
• Antioxidants - To protect your skin from damaging free radicals, consume foods rich in antioxidants such as artichokes, prunes, pecans, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and plums.
• Essential fatty acids - Responsible for strong and healthy cell membranes, sources of essential fatty acids include walnuts, canola oil, flax seeds, and cold-water fish.

Your skin doesn't have to give away your age. In fact, creating a simple skin-care routine and following a few healthy tips will help you ensure that your skin grows old gracefully.

6 March 2015