New Secrets for Youthful Skin

Blame sun and smoking for early wrinkles. What will erase these marks of time?

     Every woman dreads the day when she glimpses the first wrinkle in her otherwise smooth skin. But for many, that day is arriving even earlier than they expected. Dermatologists say that the increasing popularity of tanning beds and smoking among young women over the last two decades has spawned a generation with premature wrinkles or worse. "We're seeing many more women with sun damage at earlier ages today," says Dr. Roy Geronemus, a New York dermatologist. And, he adds, "the number of young women with skin cancer is startling."

     Sun and cigarettes in adolescence and early adulthood are also the culprits behind age spots, broken blood vessels and irregular pigmentation by the time you're in your 30s. Dodging those two is the best way to keep skin looking young as long as possible. But if the damage is done, don't lose hope. Going under the knife isn't the only option. Even though you can't completely erase the effects of aging and unhealthy habits, you can take advantage of a growing array of skin-care products that may help hide these flaws-from $20 drugstore wrinkle remedies to laser procedures that can cost hundreds of dollars. 

Here's a rundown of advice from the experts:

     • SUNBLOCK: It seems obvious, but dermatologists say many people still wrongly assume that sun protection is required only for a day at the pool or beach. In fact, you need it every day. "When you're walking your dog, or even sitting next to a window for a long time, you're getting incidental sun exposure-and over time, that adds up to sun damage," says Dr. Diane Berson, assistant professor of dermatology at Cornell University's medical school. Pay attention to the sun-protection factor (SPF). While lotion with an SPF of 15 blocks about 96 percent of the sun's rays, a 45 SPF sunblock cuts out about 99 percent. That can make a big difference to someone who's fair-skinned. Wonder what your skin would look like if you'd kept it protected from the sun? "Look at your butt," says Dr. Steven Cohen, chief of the dermatology department at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. "It's smooth, without wrinkles." 

     • MOISTURIZERS: Besides causing wrinkles and other damage, aging and sun exposure can exacerbate dry skin. Experts recommend regular use of a moisturizer once a woman is in her late 20s or 30s to smooth and soften skin. Look for ingredients like petrolatum, glycerin, hyaluronic acid and cyclomethicone-all of which help prevent water loss from your skin. Cohen prefers Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Cream, a nongreasy formulation. He recommends avoiding hot or frequent showers (which can remove the body's natural oils) and disinfectant soaps, which can be abrasive.

     • WRINKLE ERASERS: Antioxidants like topical vitamin C or E neutralize free radicals (unstable oxygen molecules that break down skin cells, damage DNA and exacerbate wrinkles) and can improve the skin's appearance and protect it from sun damage. Retinoids (vitamin A derivatives) help remove dead cells for smoother skin, stimulate collagen production to ease wrinkles, and even out skin tone. Renova and Avage, available by prescription, are the only such products approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat wrinkles. But brands with similar but milder ingredients like retinol are available over the counter. These include Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream, RoC Retinol Correxion creams and L'Oreal Line Eraser.

               • SPOT REMOVERS: To specifically target "sun spots" and even out skin color, dermatologists recommend products with hydroquinone, which gradually bleaches the skin. Side effects include redness and irritation. Avoid these products if you're pregnant because they can hurt a developing fetus.

     Citation:

Barrett, Jennifer. "New Secrets for Youthful Skin." Newsweek Vol. CXLVII, No. 18. 24 Apr 2006: 74+. SIRS Researcher. Web. 14 Nov 2010.

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Vitamin D Gets Its Day in the Sun

Researchers struggle to balance the potential benefits of the “sunshine” vitamin with proven skin cancer risks.
For years now, dermatologists have taught us to slather on sunscreen at ever-higher SPF levels, don hats, and dodge deadly solar rays. Recently, however, the scientific community has been split by a debate over a startling claim: Maybe a little sunshine is good for us, because those same ultraviolet rays we’ve been warned against also enable the skin to make Vitamin D. And Vitamin D, which can be difficult to obtain in adequate amounts from food or pills, has been linked to possible protection from colon and prostate cancer, as well as osteoporosis.
In a single issue of the National Cancer Institute’s Journal (Feb, 2005), two epidemiological studies suggested that sunlight may reduce the risk of non-Hodgins Lymphoma and may be associated with increased survival rates in patients with – of all things – early stage melanoma. At least a dozen studies are under way to test vitamin D’s effectiveness at cancer prevention, according to Peter Greenwald, M.D., chief of cancer prevention for the NCI. Other researchers are looking at vitamin D as a potential treatment for prostate and lung cancer.
It’s far too soon to declare vitamin D a wonder drug. However, Dr. Edward Giovannucci, a professor of medicine and nutrition at Harvard University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, co-authored an NCI-funded study that found a relationship between blood levels of vitamin D and subsequent risk of colon cancer among older women. The women, ages 60 and up, with the highest level of vitamin D showed a 46% lower risk than those with the lowest levels of the vitamin.
Does that mean it’s OK to – cautiously – venture back out into the sun for a natural dose vitamin D? According to the dermatology academy, the answer is still a resounding “No!” According to Vincent DeLeo, M.D., a dermatologist at Columbia University, “Under no circumstances should anyone be misled into thinking that natural sunlight or tanning beds are better sources of vitamin D than nutritional supplements.”
Some researchers, and even a few dermatologists, are cautiously disagreeing because dietary sources of vitamin D are relatively scarce. They include fortified milk, fortified brands of cereals and orange juice, and only fish such salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines. Vitamin D is one reason you may have been made to take cod-liver oil as a kid.
An eight-ounce glass of fortified glass of fruit or juice contains only about 100 IUs of vitamin D. The National Academy of Sciences’ recommended daily dietary intake of vitamin D varies by age: 200 IU for ages 19 to 50; 400 IU for ages 51 to 70; and 600 IU for 70 and older. Many experts also think those levels should be set higher. Dr. Giovannucci, for example, says his research show as much as 1,500 IU daily might be needed to have an anti-cancer effect.
Bess Dawson-Hughes, M.D., director of Bone Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts’ Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, suggests older adults need at least 800 IUs of vitamin D as part of a program of osteoporosis prevention. “Vitamin D promotes the absorption of dietary calcium,” she explains. “You need an adequate vitamin D level to make use of calcium.”
Supplements can help, but they’re no panacea. Taking “extra” multivitamins to boost vitamin D can mean getting too much vitamin A. Also, taking too much vitamin D in pill form can cause an unhealthy build-up of calcium in the body.
There’s no such limit on the body’s natural vitamin D, which the skin makes from cholesterol when exposed to ultraviolet light. So, Dawson-Hughes is among those who think it’s a good idea to get a little sun – up to 15 minutes – before applying sunscreen. “It doesn’t take a lot of sun to get vitamin D protection, without getting so much as to be toxic in terms of skin cancer.”
Whether you side with the dermatology establishment or are persuaded by researchers like Dr. Giavannucci, a few things are clear: First, avoid sunburn, a known risk factor for melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer. Second, there’s no prescription for tanning beds. Ultimately, more research will be needed to answer the questions about vitamin D. According to William J. Blot, Ph.D, of the International Epidemiology Institute, “In view of the major potential public health consequence of these results, further studies of sunlight and the vitamin D connection to cancer are certainly warranted.” SOURCE: TUFTS UNIVERSITY HEALTH & NUTRITION LETTER Aug. 2005, Vol. 23, No. 6 pp4-5