Posted on December 19, 2017 by Paul A. Boulos It takes us many years to realize how important it is to take care of our skin, but by that time, we’ve already exposed our skin to too many damaging factors.
Whether it was years of smoking cigarettes or sunbathing without using sunscreen, skin damage can result in wrinkles, skin discoloration, fine lines, and other imperfections. Fortunately, skin damage isn’t permanent thanks to laser skin rejuvenation. This noninvasive procedure can eliminate skin damage and signs of aging without any downtime from work.
Before investing in this procedure, though, many people want to make sure they’re getting their money’s worth, and they want to know how long the results will last. On average, results will last for about three years; however, they can last much longer if you follow certain skincare procedures afterwards. Follow these tips to extend your laser skin rejuvenation results.
Avoid Too Much Sun Exposure
One of the most important things to do after laser skin rejuvenation is avoid sun exposure, as sun damage is the leading cause of premature aging. Obviously, it’s not possible to experience no sun exposure, but for those times that you go outside, it’s important to protect your skin, even on cold or cloudy days. This can be done using sunscreen, hats, umbrellas, pants, or even long-sleeved shirts. As long as your skin is covered, you’ll experience less damage and your laser skin resurfacing results will last up to two years longer.
Always Moisturize
Our skin is fragile, and that’s why it’s essential to moisturize. Not only do lotions keep away dry skin, but they also can prevent the skin from bruising or tearing. In order to prevent wrinkles and keep your laser skin rejuvenation results, though, you’ll need to use a moisturizer containing antioxidants. Lotions that contain antioxidants will not only prevent fine lines and wrinkles from forming, but they will also eliminate ones that already exist, as well as sun spots and any hyperpigmentation. These are the best antioxidants currently found in facial moisturizers and masks:
- Vitamin A (also called retinol)
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Resveratrol
These antioxidants can also be found in a lot of different kinds of foods, meaning you can add them to your diet for extra benefits. Doing so can add one or two years to the life of your laser skin rejuvenation results.
Stay Hydrated
Drinking a lot of water is the best way to eliminate toxins from the body that can potentially lead to wrinkles and other skin damage. What we put in our bodies has a significant effect on our skin, and a poor diet can lead to wrinkles, sagging, and other signs of premature aging. By flushing out your body and drinking a lot of water, you’ll be removing any harmful toxins that might be causing damage to your skin.
Take Supplements
There are some supplements you can add to your diet that have been proven to increase collagen production. When we reach our thirties, our collagen production will begin to slow down and eventually stop altogether. While laser skin rejuvenation treatment helps get your collagen production up and running again, these supplements will help your body maintain this collagen level for years after:
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Hydrolyzed Collagen
- Rosehip
- Acerola Cherry
Exercise Regularly
Exercising has been shown to produce the human growth hormone (HGH), which stimulates collagen production for repairing and rebuilding muscles and tendons. In order to increase HGH production, focus on resistance and endurance training. This includes lifting weights and cardio, either on a treadmill or bike in short spurts of just 10 or 15 minutes several times a day. If this doesn’t fit with your usual workout method, add short spurts of exercise throughout the day in addition to your normal routine.
Get Enough Sleep
Your body also produces HGH while you sleep. However, if you aren’t getting enough sleep, your collagen production can begin to decrease. Unlike the amount of HGH produced during exercise, studies have shown that 75 percent of the body’s HGH production is done during your sleep. Since HGH isn’t released until the third stage of the sleep cycle, and we tend to reach the third stage of the cycle four or five times on an average night of sleep, staying up all night or getting less than seven hours of sleep will deprive your body of your HGH. This will ultimately result in less collagen production and decrease the longevity of your laser skin rejuvenation results.
Without focusing on your skincare, you will likely notice the results from your laser skin rejuvenation treatments begin to fade after roughly three years. It’s around this time that people will start looking into getting a few laser treatments to touch up their results. By changing your poor skincare habits though, you can extend your results for up to two years.
