How To Take Care of Your Skin: Part 2

Hello, Warriors! Welcome to The Breast Place blog and thank you for taking time out of your active schedule to visit! We appreciate our readers to the utmost degree, as we do our patients. If this is your first visit to The Breast Place blog, we welcome you. We cover a range of topics here. From breast cancer management to anti-aging skin treatments to helpful tips for maximizing your overall health and wellness—The Breast Place is committed to sharing the best health practices and treatment options with you! Our offices are open and our staff is prepared to answer any questions you may have about your health, your breast cancer risk, and how to reach your aesthetic goals. 

At The Breast Place, we offer several oncoplastic surgical procedures, such as natural reconstruction, nipple-sparing mastectomy, Hidden Scar™, implant reconstruction, and breast lift with or without reduction. Oncoplastic surgery is distinct from both breast cancer surgery and plastic surgery–though you initially assume oncoplastic surgery to be a mixture of both. Rather, the aim of oncoplastic breast surgery is “to achieve good aesthetic outcomes for women with breast cancers who would have unacceptable outcomes with other BCS techniques, and in addition, enable breast-conserving surgery for larger breast cancers.” While breast cancer surgery prioritizes the eradication of cancerous tissue and plastic surgery prioritizes the cosmetic appearance of the breasts, oncoplastic surgery takes both of these aspects into account when planning for the final outcome. You can find out more information about what to look for in an Oncoplastic surgeon here. 

Our last article discussed ways to take care of your skin. The key to great skin lies within your daily routine. This includes the products you use and how you treat your skin overall on a daily basis. We discussed protecting your skin from the sun, developing a skincare routine, and treating your skin gently. If you’re interested in learning more about those aspects of taking care of your skin, we encourage you to check out our last post!

Before we continue with today’s topic, we’d like to make you aware of what we have to offer at The Breast Place this month. May is officially here! The weather continues to get more and more beautiful and we hope you are feeling just as great. This month we have special pricing on our new service that we are so proud to offer; EMSELLA, a breakthrough treatment for incontinence. (You can learn more about incontinence and pelvic floor therapy in one of our previous blogs or learn more about EMSELLA on our website!) Additionally, we are offering 25% treatments and products for moms and graduates this month! Although Mother’s Day has already passed, we think this is a great excuse to treat your mom – or yourself! – to one of our many services. We hope to see you at our aesthetic clinic soon!

Today, we’ll be continuing to talk about how to take care of your skin! As we’ve stated previously, the skin is your body’s largest organ, so protecting it should be a huge priority! As women, we are almost always concerned about our appearance. Everyone wants gorgeous, youthful-looking skin, and luckily there are many ways to achieve that through everyday habits. If you’re ready to learn more about how to achieve a healthy, glowing complexion at home, stick around! Let’s get started.

Eat Your Way To Healthy Skin

We all know that nutrition is extremely important for our health and wellbeing, but did you know it can benefit your skin as well? What you eat can have a significant impact on the health and aging of your skin. For example, consuming healthy fats can be extremely beneficial. This can include consuming fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, or fish oil supplements. Omega-3 fatty acids are nutrients that are crucial to maintaining skin health– They keep skin thick, supple, and moisturized. They regulate the skin’s oil production, reduce breakouts, and minimize signs of aging. Omega-3s improve the fatty acid composition of your skin and balance its inflammatory response, helping it stay softer and less inflamed. Less inflammation means reduced redness and acne! Research also suggests that omega-3 supplements can help lessen your skin’s sensitivity to UV rays and may prevent skin cancer. Additionally, fatty fish is a source of vitamin E, which is an important antioxidant for the skin.

Avocados are another food source packed with healthy fats, as well as vitamins and minerals. They are rich in monounsaturated fat, a type of healthy fat as opposed to saturated or trans fats. A 2010 study found that a high intake of the healthy fat found in avocados helped to increase skin elasticity and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Just like omega-3s, avocados may also protect your skin from sun damage and are a source of vitamin E. They also contain vitamin C, which is essential for producing collagen, a protein that helps keep your skin strong and healthy.

Minimize Stress

This one might seem easier said than done– We can’t exactly eliminate or avoid stress or obstacles that life throws at us. However, there are ways you can effectively manage stress and give yourself some peace of mind. When we experience stress, a hormone called cortisol spikes– Prolonged spikes of this hormone can lead to skin problems, as well as increased inflammation in the body. This can cause flare-ups of acne, eczema, and other skin conditions, and intense stress over time can lead to early signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles. Because of this, it is important to do what you can to manage stress. One way to do this is by creating and maintaining a skincare routine, as we mentioned in our previous post. Not only can the products you use be beneficial for your skin, but setting some time aside every day to pamper yourself is a great way to destress– It’s a form of self-care. Self-care has become a hot topic in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Any form of self-care is great for your overall well-being and for your skin. (Check out our blog about self-care tips here!)

Additionally, practicing mindfulness can be a great way to manage and reduce stress. Mindfulness is the intense focus of paying attention to one thing, such as what you are thinking or feeling at the moment. This can be done in many ways, but some of the most common ways of practicing mindfulness are through meditation or yoga. Some of the benefits of meditation include reducing negative emotions, lowering resting heart rate and blood pressure, and gaining a new perspective on stressful situations. Since meditation minimizes your body’s inflammatory response to stress, it can also smooth and plump the skin. 

Get Your Beauty Sleep

Yes, there’s actually a good reason behind the phrase “beauty sleep”! Not only does a good night’s sleep help you wake up energized, but it also allows your skin time for healing. When we sleep, cortisol (the stress hormone) decreases, and melatonin (the sleep hormone) increases– This means that your body and skin are in “repair mode” while you sleep. Studies show that new skin cells grow faster while we sleep, and overnight, our bodies are healing from the damage we may have sustained from UV rays. Our skin also produces new collagen while we sleep, which helps prevent sagging by making the skin plumper. Sleep deprivation decreases blood flow to the skin surrounding your face, creating a dull complexion. Therefore, getting adequate sleep can lead to brighter and less puffy eyes and youthful, glowing skin with fewer wrinkles! 

As you can see, there are many ways you can care for your skin at home! We hope you found this two-part article helpful! Here at The Breast Place, we are dedicated to helping you feel more confident in your skin. We offer facial rejuvenation services including dermal fillers, laser treatment, and more! Additionally, we offer breast imaging services and provide consultations, clinical breast exams, and dedicated treatment plans. We strongly encourage you to reach out to us for a consultation if you have any questions or concerns pertaining to our service areas– We are committed to empowering women, and we are proud to offer treatments and products to help you look and feel your best. Thank you for taking the time to read today’s article and we hope you’ll check back in for future posts about treatments, wellness, and more!