Most Wonderful Time Of The Year: The Holidays And Your Skin

The holidays provide so many opportunities for exciting days with your friends and family. From watching your children in the school play to shopping for the perfect gifts to partying until the break of dawn, there are endless ways to celebrate the season.

We, at Associated Dermatologists, want you to enjoy the holidays, but keep in mind that indulging a little too much can have mildly negative effects on your skin. Most are temporary, but others can lead to more serious issues.

Your Skin During the Holidays

Being proactive about your own skin care route can certainly go a long way to reducing the effect the holidays have on your skin. Watch out for these potential triggers, and you should be able to enjoy the season without concern.

1. Not Getting Enough Sleep

From shopping for gifts at 3 a.m. to browsing through your phone for hours for the perfect recipe ideas, the holidays can keep you up. As stated in a post on Sleep.org, lack of sleep causes the stress hormone cortisol to be released. This may contribute to skin inflammation, causing flareups of conditions like acne, psoriasis, and eczema.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours of sleep per night for most adults. Not getting enough sleep may contribute to the development of wrinkles, sagging skin, and dark circles under the eyes.

Not getting enough sleep may contribute to the development

of wrinkles, sagging skin, and dark circles under the eyes.

2. Drinking Too Much

A toast to the new year is one thing, but consuming too much alcohol throughout the months of the holiday season can take its toll on your skin. The day after heavy drinking, you may experience dark circles under your eyes and potentially dry skin, as alcohol can lead to dehydration.

As posted on the American Academy of Dermatology website from a recently published article in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, increased consumption of alcohol also may be associated with a higher risk of rosacea in women.

3. Eating Unhealthy Foods Too Often

A healthy diet means so much to your body, mind, spirit, and, of course, skin. Savoring those desserts during a holiday party with your loved ones can be a very enjoyable part of the season, so we’re not suggesting giving up this quality time altogether. However, some researchers believe consuming too much sugar could possibly be bad for your skin.

High-glycemic foods and beverages — such as white bread, potato chips, white potatoes, pastries, white rice, and milkshakes — raise your blood sugar quickly. Some studies suggest that following a low-glycemic diet may reduce the amount of acne.

Some researchers believe consuming too much

sugar may be bad for your skin.

4. Smoking

Vaping or smoking hookah can wreak havoc on your skin and virtually every other part of your body. Smoking leads to premature aging of skin, and wounds will take longer to heal, increasing the potential for skin infections. Smoking may also worsen skin diseases like psoriasis.

5. Failing to Remove Makeup or Using Old Makeup

It wouldn’t be the holiday season if you didn’t dress to the nines for that New Year’s Eve bash and all those extravagant get togethers throughout the month. Go ahead and enjoy it! Just make sure you fully remove that makeup at the end of the day. Ideally, the skin cleanser you use should be fragrance-free, hypoallergenic, and non-comedogenic.

Additionally, don’t use anyone else’s makeup, and be sure to replace makeup on a regular basis. Makeup can collect bacteria, possibly leading to irritation and eye infections.

Remember to fully remove makeup at the end of the day.

Ask Us for More Information

If you would like more information about how to care for your skin during the holidays or any day of the year, make an appointment with one of our dermatologists or aestheticians. With the proper skin care tips, you can maintain healthy skin this holiday season while still making the best of every day.