BEAUTY Slow down your skin’s clock

Slow down your skin’s clock


Skin specialist
Bernie Fahy

If there was any justice in this world, our bodies would reward our advancing years by becoming more efficient and more beautiful as time goes by. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way, and as we get older, we start to creak a little, our memory can play tricks on us and we get wrinkles and go grey. It’s not fair. Blast reality!     
The skin is probably the biggest surface-level give-away of time’s march. As we age our skin does not produce new cells as quickly, and it gradually becomes dry and a bit saggy. Sun exposure, diet, stress, hormonal changes and genetics all affect how our skin ages. Here in Mayo we also have to contend with high winds and driving rain, which can take their toll too.
Still, it’s not all bad. There are a few things we can do to slow down the process. Here are a few tips.

• If you smoke, stop – unless you want premature wrinkles and poor skin tone
• Say no to sunbathing and sun beds – a tan is transitory, leathery skin for life
• Wear a sunscreen every day to prevent photo ageing – I recommend Factor 30
• Treat dry skin – exfoliate every day and moisturise to maintain skin hydration
• Hydrate from within – flax seed oil is great
• Use anti-ageing products with exfoliators and hydrators to keep skin fresh and beautiful
• Up your anti-oxidant intake with such delights as green tea, red wine (in moderation), artichokes, spinach, red cabbage, broccoli, strawberries, blueberries, almonds, walnuts, and dark chocolate (really!)
• Get your beauty sleep – get plenty of quality shut-eye every night to allow your skin to repair itself from the rigours of daily life
• Keep smiling and those frown lines will almost disappear on their own…

Bernie Fahy works in Ballinrobe, Westport and Galway. She can be contacted at 086 2220125 or info@bernietheskinspecialist.com. For more information, visit www.bernietheskinspecialist.com.