Does your skin appear dull?
Many women cite dullness as one of their prime
skin concerns. Dullness is more a problem of appearance than of the skin
itself. Skincare professionals use “dullness” as a blanket term to describe a
decrease of skin rosiness, the corresponding increase of yellowness, and the
dark look caused by shadows over uneven skin surfaces. Skin dullness can be
attributed to various factors. The most common causes are skin color changes
due to UV, color flaws such as dark spots, uneven pores, fading radiance and
clarity caused by skin roughening and hardening, and the classic aging symptoms
of wrinkles and sagging. Dullness can be classified into chronic dullness
caused by aging and periodic dullness caused by fatigue, lack of sleep, and the
effects of the seasons.
What causes dull skin?
Dull skin is often caused by two things—lack
of hydration and a buildup of dead skin cells. As we age, the natural hydration
our skin creates in our youth, from GAG’s—or glycosaminoglycans—can decrease
due to the aging process. One of the first things you can do to combat surface
dullness and dryness is find a non-occlusive moisturizer and as always,
sunscreen is a must to prevent and ward off future sun damage and aging to the
skin.
In addition to a lack of natural hydration, an
excess buildup up of dead skin cells (that make up 90% of the epidermis), and a
slower epidermal cycle can also cause a dull appearance on the skin. As we grow
older, chronological age, sun exposure, and free radial damage can all cause
that cellular turnover process to slow down. Dead skin cells on the surface of
the outermost layer of your skin scatter light, causing the skin to appear dull
and lifeless.
Some people notice that at different times of
the month and seasons, their skin fluctuates between glowing and dull—what
causes this?
Skin is sensitive to its environment. The
winter months can wreak havoc on skin. Cooler, dryer weather deprives skin of
vital moisture and is exacerbated by going in and out of the cold and into
heated environments like your house or office building. Less moisture in the
air means less moisture in your skin.
Alternatively, in the summer months, more
people spend time outdoors, exposing their skin to UVA/UVB rays and free
radicals, resulting in not only excess oiliness and loss of glow, but
photodamage as well.
In addition to seasonal changes, your body’s
hormonal changes can influence your endocrine system, creating hormonal
fluctuations which influence your skin. At different times of the month,
hormonal shifts affect angiogenesis, which is the creation of new blood
vessels. Decreased circulatory activity, a lack of blood flow to tissues, can
contribute to a superficial dull, sallow appearance.
How should I treat
skin dullness ?
Hydrate: First things first, hydrate yourself and
your skin. Make sure you drink ample amounts of water as it clears out toxins
from it. Also, using moisturising products will help in its upkeep which will
make sure that it does not dry out or look dull.
Breathe: Yes, a simple way to get more oxygen
into your system and also the glow back is to breathe. If you think you breathe
all the time and your skin is still dull, you may want to try breathing
exercises like pranayam, anulom vilom, etc.
Cleanse: Make it a point to cleanse your skin in
the morning and night to remove make-up, dust and any other impurities from it.
Also, go for regular clean-ups which involves a massage and a pack and will
improve blood circulation to the skin.
Eat healthy: Making a few dietary changes such as
reducing the consumption of oily, junk food and drinking less and quitting
smoking will go a long way in clearing the dullness. Limit alcohol, caffeine,
nicotine, and as always, it’s a great recommendation to drink plenty of water
to hydrate from the inside out. A healthy diet, rich in fiber, lean protein,
antioxidants (plenty of fruits and vegetables) supports healthy skin and a
radiant glow.
Exercise: Exercising helps in better blood
circulation and getting good oxygen in your body. When you work out, you also
sweat which releases toxins and all these combined efforts leads to a glow in
your skin.
Regular Skin Care: With proper skin care such as
exfoliation, sun protection, and topical antioxidants, you can help minimize
many of the extrinsic signs of aging that affect the appearance of your skin.
To truly limit dull skin, you need to ensure that cells, specifically skin
cells, are turned over optimally. Try using a keratolytic agent such as
retinoids, retinols or AHA/BHA’s. These ingredients will help transform skin
that has been affected by the aging process.
Beauty treatments: If the facials are done regularly and
include an exfoliating treatment that involves a keratolytic agent, and when
needed treatments like microdemabrasion, peels, AHA/BHA’s, retinoids and some
antioxidants can also help give skin a healthy glow.
Home remedies: If you do not want to shell out a lot of
money, you can opt for face packs made using home remedies like fruits and
vegetables to bring the glow back and reduce dullness. Watch this space for
home remedies for dull skin.
Aesthetic Treatments
Microdermabrasion: Microdermabrasion is a skin resurfacing
treatment that works by gently abrading the top layer of the skin with the help
of micro aluminium oxide crystals or diamond tipped wand, leaving a new, fresh
layer underneath. It is a non-invasive, non-surgical cosmetic procedure which
can be performed at dermatological offices.
Chemical Peels: A chemical peel is a skin-resurfacing
procedure in which a chemical solution is applied to skin to peel away the top
layers. The skin that grows back after a chemical peel is smoother and younger
looking.
Chemical peels are used to treat wrinkles,
skin discoloration and scars – typically on the face. A chemical peel can be
done alone or in combination with other cosmetic procedures.
Laser Toning: Laser toning is a gentler alternative to
ablative laser treatments, with no patient downtime and a low risk of
complications for all skin types. As a gentler alternative to ablative laser
treatments, this therapy offers many benefits over traditional resurfacing
methods. Laser toning treatments have become popular because they produce
similar skin resurfacing results as some aggressive laser peels, but with
little to no healing time. 1064 nm wavelength, an infrared wavelength clinically
shown to safely penetrate the dermis and stimulate the tissue, causing
remodelling and building of collagen. As a result, physicians are able to treat
the papillary dermis without removing (or ablating) layers of the dermis.
Laser Toning
treatments can:
- Reduce fine lines and wrinkles
- Reduce/improve acne scars
- Remove brown spots
- Reduce uneven skin color
- Improve crow’s feet
- Smooth smoker’s lines around the mouth
And don’t forget, the body and skin renew
itself at night, so let yourself unwind, reduce your stress level, and get
plenty of sleep!