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Your Diet Affects Your Skin

Eating-for-a-healthy-skin Do you notice a change in your skin after eating a greasy cheese burger or a bar of chocolate? Your body may react to these foods causing break outs. If your skin is already prone to breakouts, these, and other foods may further aggravate the condition. There are several foods to stay away from in order to achieve beautiful, glowing skin:

  • High concentrations of salt
  • Milk
  • High-Glycemic foods such as white breads, pastas or cakes
  • Sugar
  • Alcohol

These foods are prone to cause unwanted break outs. But don’t be discouraged because not all food is bad for your skin. There are many options that are enriched with vitamins and antioxidants that will leave your skin looking more radiant.

To see if your diet is affecting your skin, schedule an appointment with one of our certified dermatologists today! And if you need some good ideas for a skin-friendly menu, we can give you some insight on that too.

If you have any questions about acne or about changes in your skin, please call us today at 865-690-9467. Skin health is an important part of total body wellness. Schedule an appointment with one of our board certified physicians to get your skin the care it needs so it can reach its fullest, healthiest potential.

4 Ways to Prevent Signs of Aging

Advertisers sell skincare products by promising “youthful, vibrant results”. But it often takes drastic measures and lots of time and money to reverse any visible and invisible damage to your skin. The best solution is prevention, so your Knoxville Dermatology team pulled our top 4 ways to prevent the signs of aging.

First and foremost – limit direct exposure to the sun! The sun’s rays can damage your skin’s DNA, causing cells to deteriorate and shrink. This makes skin look haggard and lifeless, the opposite of youthful and vibrant. Try to avoid the sun’s peak hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. If it is unavoidable, then cover your exposed skin with a sunscreen of at least an SPF of 30. Wearing hats and long-sleeves helps, but the sun’s rays are powerful! It’s better to lather sunscreen on your face, neck, arms and hands (the parts of your body that show signs of aging first) daily to prevent any damage.

Smokers, this one’s for you. The toxic chemicals in smoke cause wrinkles to occur sooner and run deeper in your skin, particularly your face. Smokers also tend to squint more to avoid getting smoke in their eyes. That excessive squinting causes crow’s feet and bags to form around your eyes. So let’s make 2015 the year to put down that pack and invest in some quality skincare.

Alcohol poses another threat for young looking skin. Excessive drinking deprives your skin of necessary nutrients. Instead, those nutrients get derailed to fight off your hangover and filter the alcohol from your blood stream. Drinking excessively can also lead to poor diet choices, which leads us to our next point.

What goes inside, shows on the outside. Your skin, like the rest of your body, needs to be fed proper nutrients in order to perform at its best and look healthy. Skin already has to battle natural exposure to the sun and constantly repair and regenerate itself (fun fact: you lose almost a million skill cells in a day). Don’t make it fight against itself from within too! A diet rich with vitamins and antioxidants is important for healthy looking skin. Also drink the daily recommended amount of water each day to keep your skin and other organs running smoothly. (Before any diet changes, please consult your doctor.)

Beautiful skin is possible at any age, and these tips will help you achieve your timeless glow!

Chocolate Dreams Come True – Eat Chocolate for Sun Protection

Did you know you can have your cake and eat it too? Well, only if it’s chocolate. Research has shown benefits for your skin from eating dark chocolate high in flavonols (plant-based antioxidants).

These antioxidants give your skin protection against damaging UV rays. A well-known 2006 German study shows that women who drank flavonol-rich chocolate beverages suffered less from UV exposure than the women who didn’t drink the flavonol beverages. This study along with a 2009 study in The Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology shows that 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate provides an SPF of 2 or 3. It’s better than nothing, but it should not replace your current sunscreen regimen.

If you’re out scanning the nutrition label of your favorite chocolates, you won’t find flavonoids there. Your best bet is to eat brands with at least 70% cacoa. So pack up the sunscreen and chocolate before you head to the beach!

If you have any questions about changes in your skin, please call us today at 865-690-9467. Skin health is an important part of total body wellness. Schedule an appointment with one of our board certified physicians to get your skin the care it needs so it can reach its fullest, healthiest potential.

What You Should Know About Antioxidants and Tanning

Surpassing “fad diet” or “craze”, antioxidants have become a household name and a must-have in our daily diet. It’s great for heart health and building a strong immune system but did you know it’s also great for your skin?

Antioxidants are a catchall for good health. They are vitamins, minerals AND enzymes that protect and repair your cells from damage caused by free radicals. With antioxidants in your diet, your skin will begin to improve in texture and in tone. It can even help decrease fine lines! Most importantly, it can help reduce your skin cancer risk.

Don’t go ditching the SPF just yet. Antioxidants help your skin bounce back more rapidly from sunburns by providing a protective shield, but you are still vulnerable to the damages of overexposure. Don’t think of antioxidants as a shortcut to great health or fresh skin. Think of them as a supplement to your beauty and skincare routine.

You can find antioxidants in colorful fruit and vegetables like artichokes, peaches, plums, beets and all berries. Try to have a representative from each color in your diet every day. Not only will this add a lot of flavor to your life, but it will also ensure you get a well-rounded dose of vitamins and minerals. So there are no shortcuts to forever youthful and radiant skin, but adding antioxidants can help your skin improve over time. *Please see your doctor before making changes in your diet.

If you have any questions about your skin health or any changes in your skin, please call us today at 865-690-9467. Skin health is an important part of total body wellness. Schedule an appointment with one of our board certified physicians to get your skin the care it needs so it can reach its fullest, healthiest potential.