Dr. Shalthiya Khan

Causes For Skin Damage:

1. Lack of hydration

2. Smoking

3. Sun damage

4. Lack of exercise

5. Bad eating habits

Feed your skin the right food and it will respond with that lovely look you want :)

How to get healthy skin:

1. Minimal makeup: Ladies, can you please minimize makeup usage? It is really not necessary to always use a blush, concealer, foundation, mousse or whatever it is. It may add a fine coating to your skin making it glowing skin, but what about your real skin? Is it really glowing? No matter how expensive the brand is, it damages your skin to a large extent. We are not asking you to throw them off your shelf; keep those away for special days. The rest of the days, tone and moisturize your skin, use sunscreen. Let your skin breathe.

2. Face cleansing: This has been told by all beauty experts umpteen times when asked how to maintain healthy skin. Even if you are too tired after a long party, cleanse all dirt and makeup from your skin. Your face needs to be cleared of all the chemicals in makeup. The makeup acts as a tight mask on your face keeping your facial pores clogged. If you go to bed with all these makeup on, you’ll wake up the next morning with a huge embarrassing pimple.

3. Slather on sunscreen: Sunscreen is a must for your skin. The rays of the sun are harmful beyond thoughts. Skin cancer, premature aging, skin rashes all of these are caused when your skin gets too much exposure to the sun without any protection.

4. Exfoliating face: All the healthy skin tips for women say that you should exfoliate your face at least twice a week. Scrubbing your face will rid your facial skin of all the dead cells that might have clogged your pored leading to acne breakouts, blackheads and whiteheads. Scrubbing your face will also improve your complexion, adds a glow to your skin and also clears your skin of all toxins. Don’t keep your skin scrubbing daily, it will make your skin look even drier.

5. Moisturize: Yes, other than keeping yourself internally hydrated, also use a good moisturizer to feed your skin. Moisturizers do not add a great deal of moisture by themselves but they lock in the present moisture and are hence essential to keep your skin hydrated. After a bath, make it a routine to moisturize your face daily to keep it hydrated. 

6. Water: Water forms the major portion of our body. It is recommended to drink 10 - 15 glasses of water everyday to keep you healthy and free from aliments. Drink enough water throughout the day to keep your skin hydrated. Do not allow your skin to feel thirsty. For a soft, supple and dewy look, water is a must. Follow this diet regime for a healthy skin and cut down on all fried and unhealthy fatty foods. Following are the benefits of water therapy : a) permanent glow b) removes toxic material and c) keeps your skin and body hydrated.

7. Eat proper food to get healthy skin: Food provides life to your skin. Everything you eat in your everyday life contributes to a healthy skin. Only that you have to cut out on some and add some more:

a. Vitamin C rich foods: Have fruits and veggies rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C manufactures collagen that is responsible for the firmness of your skin. So you quite well understand that lack of vitamin C in your diet will lead to the formation of wrinkles at an early age. Vitamin C is also an anti-oxidant that prevents collagen damage. High vitamin C foods include bell peppers, dark leafy greens, kiwifruit, broccoli, berries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, peas, and papayas.

b. Vitamin A: Who doesn’t want a smooth complexion? We all do, but for that we don’t need to spend thousands of bucks when we have the solution in our refrigerator. All red, orange and green leafy veggies are rich sources of beta-carotene (a form of Vitamin A). It is necessary for cell formation and therefore your skin surface stays smooth and touchable. Carotenoids also protect skin from sun. Turnips, sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, squash all of these are rich sources of Vit A.

c. Healthy fats: Nuts are fatty and are not good for health; that is a misconception. Of course nuts are fatty, but they are filled with healthy omega-3 fatty acids. This falls under that healthy category of fats that is essential for us. Have a handful of almonds and walnuts daily for a supple looking clear skin. Flax seeds are another good option to consume omega-3 fats. If you are a non-vegetarian, have salmon atleast twice a week. This fish is also rich in omega-3 fats.The oil you cook your food in should also be taken care of. Switch over to olive oil which is a rich source of mono-unsaturated fats.

d. Tomatoes: Tomatoes doesn’t need a very special mention when it comes to healthy facial skin. They contain a magical ingredient called lypocene which is an anti-oxidant that helps fight old age. It can keep your skin at bay from all old age signs like wrinkles, dark spots and patches or saggy skin.

e. Zinc and iron: Eggs, lean meat, oysters and cereals supply a good mount of zinc and iron to your body that imparts that much wanted celeb like glow. Zinc helps in cell production and natural weariness of dead cells giving your face a fresh look. Iron is needed to carry oxygen through the body that gives a blushy glow to your face.

f. Fibers: If you are the one suffering from acne often, its time you think of including fiber-rich foods in your diet. One of the reasons for acne breakouts is indigestion. And the best solution discovered so far to improve your digestive system is having foods rich in fiber. Having whole-grain breads, brown rice, apples, bananas, oatmeal are proved solution to minimize acne.