Bad Skin Care Advice
There is a plethora of information about what to do and what not to do when it comes to taking care of our skin. The media is full of reports and the cosmetic/beauty companies run full-page advertisements in popular magazines telling you how you should take care of your skin and the various treatments you should impose on your skin.
Some of this skin care advice is good, useful information, however, there are things that we are being told is good for our skin that in reality is very bad.
For example, chemicals peels - these involve applying a chemical solution to the skin which causes it to “blister” and eventually peel off. The newly regenerated skin is usually, but not always, smoother and less wrinkled than the old skin.
However, by intent, new skin will grow following a peel. This skin is very fragile and vulnerable to complications. The newly formed skin requires protection from overexposure to the sun and those with a history of cold sores may develop a severe outbreak for which they may require antibiotic or antiviral medication.
Why would anyone want to peel-off healthy skin tissue? Using a gentle exfoliant to remove excess dead skin cells is one thing, but using harsh chemicals that burn your skin to the point of blistering is quite another.
Another example of bad skin care advice is the use of Botox injections or Botox-alternatives. Botox is a substance derived from botulinum toxin (A potent neurotoxin from the microorganism Clostridium botulinum) that works by preventing nerve impulses from reaching the muscle, causing the muscle to be essentially paralyzed.
Think about this for just a moment… Remember the saying: “if you don’t use it you loose it”? Muscles if not used start to loose their tone within 24 hours – just look at the difference in muscle tone and strength after having a broken leg in plaster for 6 weeks or so, and you’ll see how much bulk, strength and tone the muscles of the broken leg have lost.
Logically then, by artificially paralyzing muscles, muscle tone, strength and volume will be lost and if Botox injections/creams continue to be used, ultimately the targeted muscle(s) will atrophy and eventually die. The long-term end results therefore, has to be more lines and wrinkles than before…what genius came up with that idea…
There are also the side effects to consider. The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration), lists the following side-effects:
- Droopy eyelids, which can last for a few weeks
- Feeling like you have the flu
- Headache and upset stomach
- Risk of botulism (a life or death illness that makes it hard for a person to move the arms and legs or to breathe) is low with Botox™, if used the right way.
Both manufacturers Botox™ and Botox Cosmetic™ warn on their labels of the possibility of adverse reactions near the site of the injection for each product's approved uses, and of "the rare potential of distant side effects'' including severe difficulty swallowing and breathing when the products are used on patients with neuromuscular disorders.
Hello! Even the manufacturers warn of serious potential problems, so why on earth would anyone want to risk subjecting themselves to what are potentially serious side effects.
Now we all know that the normal process of aging and sun damage are the most common causes of lines and wrinkles. WebMD.com states that: “Wrinkles caused by sun damage and gravity will not respond to Botox, because it works only for wrinkles that are caused by the contraction of the underlying muscle”. So if most lines and wrinkles are due to natural aging and sun damage, what’s the point in using Botox?
What lies at the root of most lines and wrinkles is the loss of or damage to collagen and elastin fibres, which are the proteins responsible for the elasticity, tone and texture of the skin. Using natural skin care products that promote the production of collagen and elastin fibres will help your skin to retain a more youthful appearance for longer. Combine good quality skin care products with healthy food, at least two litres of water daily and some exercise, and your skin will be visibly healthier and look younger.
Don’t risk the health of your skin by taking bad skin care advice and using chemicals that have the potential to cause serious side effects or health problems. Use common sense when choosing what type of treatment you will subject your skin to and ask some probing questions.
You can access good skin care advice that is based on the philosophy of natural medicine and is written by qualified, experienced practitioners who have decades of experience in alternative medicine to inform yourself of the type of skin care that is safe and effective to use on your skin. Beauty is more than skin deep and there are many factors that contribute to healthy, beautiful skin.
