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The skin is our body’s largest organ, which is why the effects of the things you do on a daily basis can show up on it. The way you treat both your body and skin may work in or against your favor, depending on the things you subject them to. Continue reading as we list the 10 worst things you can do to your skin.

The 10 Worst Things You Can Do to Your Skin

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1. Smoking

This is actually one of the worst things you can do not just for your skin, but for overall health. Smoking and the chemicals in it accelerate the breakdown of collagen and elastin, resulting in premature aging, sallow complexion, and fine lines and wrinkles. It also ruins your gums and teeth and increases your risk for cancers, lung diseases, and other serious health effects. 

Read our previous post and find out how smoking (even occasionally) harms your skin.  

2. Skipping sun protection or tanning

Too much exposure to ultraviolet or UV rays from the sun can damage the DNA of your skin cells and cause your collagen to break down at a faster rate. This can lead to sun damage, and premature aging, and increases your risk of developing skin cancers. Tanning or skipping SPF makes you more vulnerable to these effects and worsens the existing wrinkles, dark spots, and other signs of aging. 

3. Skimping on sleep

Lack of sleep hinders or affects many restorative processes from happening. These include repairing daytime damage, collagen synthesis, and cell regeneration. The effects can show up on your face, resulting in eye bags, dark circles, and a tired-looking appearance. Sleep deprivation, moreover, is associated with aging skin. It doesn’t give your body enough time to repair and recover, which leads to more signs of aging.

Check out our previous post and learn how a good night’s sleep can prevent you from aging faster.  

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4. Over exfoliating

Sure, removing dead skin cells from the surface can give you a radiant, glowing complexion. Overdoing it, however, does the opposite, as it can lead to redness, inflammation, and irritation. It can also make your skin dry and flaky and increase your risk of breakouts. It is best to just take it easy with exfoliation (once a week) or ask your doctor for tips or products that are suitable to your skin type. 

5. Pulling/tugging at the skin around your eyes 

Apart from it being thinner and more delicate than the rest of your body, the skin around your eyes also lacks collagen, elastin, and sebaceous glands. Putting too much pressure on the area when rubbing the eyes or applying products can stretch the skin and create wear and tear. Doing it regularly can weaken the skin over time and contribute to:

  • Fine lines and wrinkles
  • Dryness and irritation
  • Dark eye circles (excessive eye rubbing can cause the tiny blood vessels to break, resulting in under eye discoloration)

Further reading: 5 Ways to Take Care of the Skin Around Your Eyes

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6. Picking, squeezing, and popping blemishes

Doing these things only prolongs the healing process of your acne and blemishes. This is because your fingers are covered in bacteria due to the things you touch daily. Popping or squeezing blemishes transfers the bacteria from your hands to your face, which can clog pores and possibly lead to breakouts or make existing ones worse.   

If you are guilty of doing these things, read our previous blog for tips on how to avoid touching your face.  

7. Going to bed without washing your face or removing makeup 

While doing this one night won’t lead to disasters, multiple nights of forgetting to wash your face does. Not removing makeup, oil, dirt, and other impurities that can become clogged in your pores can contribute to irritation, breakouts, and even premature signs of aging. This is particularly true if you spend a lot of time outdoors or wear lots of makeup. 

8. Excessive drinking

Hangovers aren’t the only ones you have to deal with when you drink excessively. Alcohol dehydrates the skin, with the drying effect showing up in the form of wrinkles and a lackluster complexion. It also increases inflammation, resulting in redness or an inflamed appearance which can become more prominent over the years. Also, it compromises sleep, which negatively affects the body’s regenerative processes.  

9. Eating too much sugar

Consuming foods loaded with processed sugar can cause your insulin levels to spike. This can result in inflammation and negatively impact your skin’s clarity. It also weakens collagen and elastin fibers, which can accelerate the aging process. Excess sugar, furthermore, leads to the formation of advanced glycation products (AGEs), which increase the breakdown of collagen, contributing to sagging and wrinkling. 

Further reading: Sweet Danger: How Sugar Affects Your Skin

10. Neglecting your skin

Your skin has the best chances of looking healthy and more youthful if you look after it. If your skincare routine is only limited to cleansing, your skin won’t be what you want it to be. It is ideal to invest in a broad-spectrum sunscreen, moisturizer, and anti-aging serum to protect your skin from environmental damage. Seeing an aesthetic doctor for tackling your skin concerns is also important, as skincare products can only do so much

How can we help at Cutis

We at Cutis are dedicated to helping patients look and feel their best with our non-surgical anti-aging and rejuvenation treatments. We have a range of aesthetic procedures (FDA-cleared and CE-marked treatments) that can treat or improve different face, skin, and body concerns.

Whether you’re worried about wrinkles, volume loss, dark spots, sagging skin, and unwanted fat, we can help. All our treatments are non-surgical, which means that there are no cuts or longer recovery time involved. We also focus on patient education and a patient-centered approach to create a customized treatment plan.

Some of our most common aesthetic procedures include:

Schedule a consultation today

Let us be your partner in taking better care of your skin. Contact Cutis Medical Laser Clinics in Singapore today and schedule a consultation with our aesthetic doctor to find out how we can help you tackle the skin concerns that are making you self-conscious.