Good diet and lifestyle choices dictate our outer glow: A summary of the recent article in The Australian by Suvi Mahonen
Our emphasis at Wrinkle Well is the effect of ageing on joints, muscles, bones and tendons. Perhaps ironically, given our name, we have not paid much attention to the biggest organ of all - and the one that visibly reflects the ageing process of the entire body - our skin. However, a recent article by Suvi Mahonen, published in the Australian on 25/5/18 draws some interesting connections between the skin (ageing, identity and skin health) and our focus areas of mental health and physical wellbeing.
In the article, dermatologists Adam Sheridan and Michael Freeman, and cosmetic and medical specialists Terrence Scamp, Ehsan Jadoon and Kym Jenkins discuss skin ageing, what it means to us as individuals and what we can do to care for our skin.
Our skin, like every other body part we have discussed on this site, ages slightly differently for each person. As with bones, joints, muscles and tendons, there are factors that may make our skin age faster, and some which may slow down the process of ageing. And, there are some striking similarities. Smoking, an unhealthy diet, poor stress management, excessive alcohol consumption, exposure to pollutants and harsh chemicals and a sedentary lifestyle all contribute to skin ageing. The one factor that stands out as unique to the skin is sun exposure, and her in Australia there is no doubt that we get our fair share of this.
To look after your skin Michael Freeman advises:
Don’t smoke,
Wear sun protection,
Manage stress levels,
Exercise regularly, and
Eat a well-balanced diet including fresh fruit and vegetables and healthy fats.
These lifestyle changes will certainly be helping our skin, but will also benefit our whole body and enable us to maintain our health as we age.
The visible changes and wrinkles we see in our skin are not particularly threatening or scary in themselves. However, they are an unavoidable reminder that we are getting older, and can sometimes be associated with strong emotions such as fear – perhaps a fear that life is passing us by, or that time is not on our side. Our physical appearance is also closely linked to our sense of who we are, and it may be very stressful or challenging to feel a loss of our self-identity in this way.
No-one can stop or slow down time, and even the best self-care regime cannot prevent wrinkles indefinitely. And, as our skin is wrinkling on the outside, our joints and tendons are developing wrinkles of their own. But what we can do is arm ourselves against the fears of ageing. EDUCATE ourselves about what to expect. LEARN about the normal changes associated with ageing. Get mentally and physically ACTIVE to make sure that we Wrinkle Well and maintain an exciting and healthy life.