This is the second part of our series in honor of Healthy Skin Month.
These 6 tips will help you maintain your best skin health. It includes ways to prevent skin cancer, what you can eat to have great skin, and some things to avoid for skin health.
Thanks for following along all month as we’ve aimed to give you your best skin ever.
1. Have moles checked routinely.
Getting moles checked regularly by a dermatologist is a vital part of good skin health.
Although skin cancer is a common cancer, it is highly treatable when detected earlier. Regular check-ups will help ensure suspicious moles are identified in a timely manner.
Your dermatologist will be able to identify any moles or lesions that look clinically abnormal. He is she can then provide options on treatment .
2. Self-monitor your moles and see a dermatologist for any new or changing moles or lesions.
In between regular mole checks, you should also monitor your moles at home. If there’s a mole you’re concerned about, you should schedule to see a dermatologist, even if it’s not time for your check-up.
Moles that are new, have changed, are bleeding, or are itchy should be checked out. In fact, any mole that meets the ABCD and E’s used to identify skin cancer requires a trip to your dermatologist.
Early detection is key for all skin cancers including melanoma and basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma.
3. Eat a healthy skin diet.
What you eat also has a big effect on your skin.
Eating a diet high in antioxidents and omega 3 is best for healthy skin.
Routine antioxidant consumption helps reduce cellular damage and inflammation. Skin cancer, many skin diseases and signs of aging have been associated with cellular damage and inflammation.
Eating low-fat proteins, fruits, and vegetables is important.
For which foods specifically help your skin, check out this list of 12 foods that are best for healthy skin.
4. Stay hydrated.
It’s not just what you eat that affects your skin health. What you drink, or specifically how well you stay hydrated, also plays a role.
Adequate hydration is related to healthy skin. Drinking water helps maintain skin elasticity and flushes out toxins.
While the science is mixed on whether hydration really affects wrinkles, staying hydrated is a good idea for overall skin health.
5. Avoid smoking.
Smoking damages your skin by having a significant affect in your skin health in various ways.
Nicotine consumption makes it more difficult for wounds to heal. It also makes some skin conditions, like lupus, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis and cold sores worse.
Smoking damages collagen and elastin and narrows blood vessels, which leads to premature aging. It also increases melanin, which can cause dark spots.
Additionally, smoking has been linked to an increased risk of skin cancer.
Avoiding smoking keeps skin healthier.
6. Avoid stress.
Stress has been related to a variety of health issues and it turns out your skin isn’t immune to the effects of stress.
Not only can stress cause some conditions, like hives, rashes, and cold sores. Stress can also make existing skin conditions worse. Acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea are all exacerbated by stress.
Finally, stress can contribute to not keeping up on a healthy skin care routine or healthy eating. That’s also bad news for skin health.