Unhealthy habits can have a negative impact on skin health and cause various skin problems. Skin problems such as premature aging, dull skin, acne, dry skin, skin irritation, clogged pores, or hyperpigmentation can be triggered by unhealthy habits. What kind of habits can contribute to these skin problems?

Unhealthy Habits for the Skin

Not washing your face before bed

Experts recommend washing your face at least twice a day, in the morning and at night, before you go to bed. With all-day activity and makeup application, dirt and oil can build up on the skin and cause inflammation.

While it may sometimes be difficult to do so because you're too tired or lazy, cleansing your face at night is an important step to take. If you go to bed wearing makeup or leave your face dirty, your pores will become clogged and your skin health will suffer.

It's important to use a gentle cleanser that suits your skin type. Avoid using overly harsh cleansers that can irritate the skin.

Smoking

Smoking not only negatively affects the health of the lungs, heart, and other organs in the body,. Smoking can have a significant impact on the skin and mucous membranes in the short and long term.

Smoking reduces blood flow to the skin, making the skin's ability to heal itself slower. This can make any wounds on the skin take longer to heal and increase the risk of infection and disease. Smoking also damages the elastin and collagen proteins that give structure to the skin, causing it to become dry, dull and less elastic. Skin pigmentation also becomes uneven due to smoking, increasing the number of wrinkles and deeper facial lines.

According to the WHO, smoking can also lower the immune system, trigger acne, trigger psoriasis and eczema, and increase the risk of cancer, including skin cancer.

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Not wearing sunscreen

Sunscreen is an essential component in protecting skin from sun damage. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends using sunscreen every day, especially when going out in the sun.

Sunscreen protects the skin from UV radiation that can damage the skin. Prolonged, unprotected exposure to the sun can cause skin problems such as premature aging, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles and skin cancer. Skipping the use of sunscreen can increase all skin problems.

For this reason, it is recommended that you use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that can protect your skin from UV A and UV B radiation with a minimum SPF 30. Don't forget to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours if you are outdoors.

Consuming too much sugar

Soft drinks, cakes, candies, donuts, ice cream, instant cereals, and foods with sweet sauces tend to contain excessive added sugar. Excessive sugar consumption, especially when not accompanied by consumption of vegetables and fruits, can contribute to inflammation and faster skin aging.

Squeezing pimples/acne

Popping pimples is very tempting to do. However, there are several reasons why this habit can damage the skin and worsen existing skin problems.

When you squeeze a pimple, you cause damage to the skin surface and push bacteria deeper into the pores, causing more inflammation. Squeezing a pimple also damages the surrounding tissue, leading to the formation of new wounds and scars that may take longer to heal.

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Squeezing pimples with unclean hands can transfer bacteria from your hands to the pimple and cause further infection. Sometimes this also makes the inflamed pimple bigger and results in worse clogged pores.

To maintain healthy skin and prevent skin problems, it is important to avoid unhealthy habits, maintain a balanced diet, wash your face regularly, use sunscreen, get enough sleep, and take good care of your skin. If you have serious skin problems, you should visit a doctor or dermatologist for proper treatment.

If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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