The 5 golden rules of achieving healthy, glowing skin

By: Dr. Corey Hartman, Skin Wellness Dermatology

“How can I get healthy and glowing skin?” 

Everyone wants to know the answer to this question, and what their dermatologist can do to help. Depending on your needs, I can recommend a variety of products and treatments to help you reach your goals, but the fact is, there’s simply more to healthy skin than applying the right products.

If you truly want healthy, glowing skin, you need to be asking what you can do for yourself.

And the answer is really simple – develop healthy habits – habits that aren’t just about taking care of your skin, but about taking care of the body as a whole.

Here are my 5 golden rules to get healthy and glowing skin

1. Eat healthy foods. Beauty starts from within – garbage in, garbage out. If you’re not feeding your body good things and drinking lots of water, then it’s impossible to have healthy skin.Don’t forget the skin is an organ, so it’s going to benefit from good nutrition in the same way your heart, lungs and all the other organs in your body are going to benefit.You have to have good ingredients to build upon so a balanced diet with lots of fruits and vegetables is important. You’ve got to provide your body with the nutrients it needs.
2. Have a good, consistent skincare routine. Your skincare regimen should be simple, but it should also contain some vital components, which obviously includes sunscreen.And here, consistency is key. This must be a regimen that you continue to do day-in and day-out. That’s why it’s so important to keep it simple because otherwise, if you’re like most people, you’re not going to stick to a long, drawn-out routine.
3. Don’t Smoke. Of course, no smoking has to be on the list. As if we needed another reason not to smoke, right?

A dermatologist can tell if you’re a smoker in under three seconds. Trust me, it’s very apparent – the scarring, the acne, the cysts, the dehydrated nature of the skin. It’s something you can honestly tell right away. Not to mention that it gets in the way of skin repair and worsens a lot of skin conditions.

If you’re smoking, nothing’s going to get better or healthier, period.

4. Manage Stress. Stress doesn’t cause any skin conditions per se, but it can certainly exacerbate a bunch of them. It increases cortisol levels which can increase inflammation that contribute to eczema flare ups, and it’s been tied to psoriasis and acne.I talk to patients about stress management in the office and advise them to find at least 30 minutes every day that they dedicate to themselves, even if it’s just sitting around meditating, exercising, walking. We just need some type of activity to get away from the things that make our minds race every day.

5. Sleep. Sleep is essential, and your primary care doctor is going to tell you the same thing. Your body needs time to shut down and rejuvenate. Experts recommend 8 hours of sleep, and there are plenty of studies that support a good, healthy sleep regimen. It’s proven to keep all the systems aligned and even help prevent a lot of diseases that, despite our best efforts, start to affect us as we get older. While we can’t change our genetics, sleep is definitely one thing we can control.

Every now and then, we could all use a little reminder to take the time to take care of ourselves. We lead such busy lifestyles that it’s easy to forget just how important it is to do basic things like getting good rest and taking the time to calm our minds.

Ultimately, developing these good habits will make us healthier from the inside out.

Learn more about healthy skin from Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, AL

At Skin Wellness Dermatology of Alabama, we offer cutting-edge skincare and dermatology services to our patients in the Greater Birmingham area, including Hoover and Homewood. At our offices in Birmingham & Chelsea, AL, our certified dermatologists are here to listen to your concerns and offer the individualized, high level of patient care you seek. We believe in making care accessible and affordable, and we will go out of our way to accommodate your visit. Give us a call today at 205-871-7332.