Air pollution is ageing your skin! 

How you can prevent and restore damage according to a leading Skin Repair Expert 

A leading Skin Repair Expert, Lorena Öberg, says she has seen a sharp rise in patients contacting her to treat ‘air pollution related damage to their skin’.

“It is no secret that pollution can impact the health of your skin but many of us overlook this factor and don’t consider the long-lasting effects or simple ways we can protect ourselves daily”.

Lorena Öberg (https://lorenaoberg.co.uk/) who runs a central London clinic says: “What is concerning is the effect daily pollution can have not just on the surface of your skin but the longer-term dermatological effects of toxin exposure. It can have a detrimental effect on your skin and different parts of your face are affected in different ways by toxins in the air we breathe in”.

Research indicates people aged 10 years faster if they live in large, polluted cities compared to living in the countryside. She said: “Toxic air Pollutants can cause damage as the particles disturb the barrier that helps protect your skin, and at this point toxins can become absorbed into your pores. The more pollution you are exposed to, the more you will therefore age. That country or seaside air is sounding more and more appealing”.

“This makes your skin more prone to premature ageing, dehydration, dullness, uneven skin tone, pigmentation, sensitivity, psoriasis, dark spots on the surface, acne and other skin conditions”.

“Pollution can reduce your collagen which helps keep your skin elastic and plump. A breakdown in collagen will cause you to look older than you are because your cells are vulnerable.  You will also have a reduced blood flow to the derma layer of the skin”.

So, how exactly are different parts of your face affected by pollution?

• Eyes: Dark circles, crows feet lines, sagging of the eyebrow and under eye
• Forehead: Increased fine lines, also known as frown and worry lines. Blemishes from trapped toxins within pores
• Lips: Fine lines, similar to smoking lines, due to collagen reduction. Lips appear thinner and dry 
• Cheeks: Nasolabial folds aka smile/laughter lines increase due to the loss of elasticity, swelling on cheeks and saggy skin
• Jaw/chin: Jawline sags, increased blemishes around this area due to continued touching with dirty hands

Skincare Expert Lorena however says there are five key ways you can slow down this process and even reverse the damage. 

Here, she shares with us her step-by-step guide on how you can prevent future damage, ways you can restore your skin and options worth exploring:

1 NEVER GO TO BED WITHOUT CLEANSING YOUR FACE

Firstly, it goes without saying you should cleanse twice a day to remove a build-up in bacteria, dirt, make-up and sweat that has collected on your face. Never skip this routine as you will get a build up of dirt and toxins – cleanse every day to stop it penetrating into your skin.

2 SPF APPLIED DAILY HAS A DUEL EFFECT

You should wear SPF foundation or a moisturiser with SPF daily not just to protect your skin against UV rays.  SPF is rich in antioxidants and by preventing sun damage you can also strengthen and protect yourself in other ways. But it can also protect against daily pollution and other toxins in the atmosphere itself. This is because pollution generates free radicals that are unstable atoms that damage human cells and break down our DNA, causing ageing.

If you apply a good quality SPF evenly, this can help prevent unnecessary wrinkles and dullness by reducing this damage to our cells that cause ageing or illness.

3 APPLY A DEEP HYDRATING MOISTURISER

The overall dehydration levels caused from pollution can leave skin feeling rough and itchy, as well as appearing dull in colour. The severe dryness can cause your skin to generate more sebum to overcompensate, which will result in your skin looking overly oily.  This will result in a breakout of acne and cause blemishes, which can result in your skin becoming weaker and more sensitive. Scarring can also occur so avoid popping any pimples at all costs. You may be prone to more break-outs and hyper-pigmentation.  Therefore a good tip is to invest in a deep hydrating moisturiser to prevent damage and also prevent a build-up of sebum as your body tries to hydrate your skin. The deep moisturiser will have a slow-release time and your skin won’t feel tight or dry like it used to.

4 TAKE VITAMIN C TO HELP NEUTRALISE

Vitamin C can help lessen the effects of oxidative stress that is a prime cause of skin damage from toxic air. The destruction can also result in increased risk of acne and skin conditions from inflammation as your body tries to fight against the free radicals.

But vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to neutralise free radicals that excel the ageing process by hindering their ability.

It can be easy to incorporate Vitamin C in your daily diet, for example, citrus fruits and dark green veggies, such as, spinach are great sources of the vitamin. You can also top up with a dedicated vitamin C supplement to fight against the effects of ageing from pollution.

5 LOOK INTO GETTING A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA

To restore some of the damage there are a number of effective clinic treatments that are popular.  Hyaluronic acid facial fillers are popular as they can “plump up” the skin and enhance areas, such as cheeks also reducing fine lines and wrinkles caused by pollution.

For more information visit https://lorenaoberg.co.uk/ and follow Lorena on Instagram for updates https://www.instagram.com/lorenaobergskincare/