Everybody wants flawless skin. Some are born with it, others work hard to get it. And with Carnival Monday and Tuesday fast approaching, masqueraders want to make a statement and have their skin clear and glowing for two days of fun and merriment. The skin is the largest organ in the human body yet it is often taken for granted. Experts say while there are no quick fixes, there are recommended tips, which if practised over time, could drastically improve the skin's texture, and ultimately, its look.
Eat healthy
We've heard it before, eating healthy contributes to healthy skin. Still, too many people refuse to give up the fast-food for a serving of vegetables or fruit. Not only does unhealthy food contribute to weight gain, it can also cause a myriad of skin problems. Doctors recommend consuming a balanced diet-more whole grains, less refined white carbohydrates. Avoid splurging on unhealthy snacks and pastries and while you're at it, add some more fibre to your diet. According to the US National Academy of Sciences Food and Nutrition Board, the average person eats only 12 grams of fibre a day, significantly less than the recommended daily requirement. Local doctor Vishnu Jeelal adds that essential fatty acids also provide skin with a lot of the raw materials it needs to stay healthy and repair damage.
Get lots of H20
Keeping the skin hydrated is key. However, hydration should not come from caffeine, sugary drinks or alcohol, as these are actually dehydrating beverages. Water makes up, on average, 60 per cent of our body weight and drinking more of it helps to give skin the moisture it needs to maintain elasticity and suppleness and to prevent dryness. From healthy skin to protecting joints and helping reduce the sizes of waistlines, water is simply necessary for good health. Doctors recommend drinking a minimum of eight glasses of eight ounces of it per day.
Get enough Vitamin D
Let's face it, sun exposure is inevitable (unless you're living under a rock). This is not a bad thing, however, as doctors say sunlight exposure is the only reliable way to generate vitamin D in the body.
It is over-exposure to the sun's ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays (UVA and UVB rays), that causes damage to the skin and increases the risk of skin cancer, premature wrinkles and fine lines on the face and body. Studies show that most skin cancers occur on parts of the body that are repeatedly exposed to the sun, including the neck, face, shoulders, back, chests of men, and the back and lower legs of women. It is important to wear appropriate clothing to protect against over-exposure to the sun. Some doctors recommend using sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30.
However, Dr Jeelal, like an increasing number of practitioners, begs to differ. He contends that sunscreens, while offering sun protection, also decrease the skin's ability to effectively absorb essential vitamin D, which plays a critical part in the body's boosting the immune system. "People using sunscreen regularly run the risk of developing a vitamin D deficiency, which causes all kinds of diseases, like prostate and breast cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis. Research shows that a large portion of the world's population already suffers from a vitamin D deficiency." If using sunscreen, Dr Jeelal advises people to use one with a SPF of 15 or less, to allow the skin to absorb some vitamin D.
And despite the widely believed myth that dark-skinned people cannot get skin cancer because their skin has more melanin (a substance that gives the skin and hair its natural colour)-the truth is, people with dark skin pigmentation may need 20-30 times as much exposure to sunlight as fair-skinned people, to generate the same amount of vitamin D. Remember, the skin is damaged long before it looks damaged, and daily repair is a lot easier and more affordable than drastic measures later on.