By Lisa Cupido for SHEfinds.com
Even if you’ve whipped your skincare regimen into serious shape and have your dermatologist on speed dial, certain daily habits can make or break your skin goals. Whether your concerns are fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, or just laxity that comes from living life, there are a few super-common habits that Jen Copfer, RN, aesthetic registered nurse and founder of The Anti-Aging Pro , says could be making aging skin much worse.
“Rather than listing the typical bad skincare habits that are already widely known and talked about, such as unprotected sun exposure , smoking, poor diet, and inadequate sleep, I want to draw attention to some less talked-about, but very common bad habits that can make aging skin look exponentially worse,” Copfer shares. “These are based on my own professional experience with my patients over the age of 40, and I believe they are important to be aware of.”
There are Copfer’s top three worst habits for women over 40 (in no particular order).
It’s so hard to control turning off when you’re in dreamland, but waking up with your head smushed against your pillow can have long-term skin consequences. “Consistently sleeping on your face can result in permanent wrinkles, lines, and creases, as well as a loss of elasticity and firmness over time,” Copfer says. “When you sleep on your face, you put pressure and friction on your delicate skin. This pressure causes the skin to fold, stretch, and crease in ways it wouldn't normally during the day. Over time, this forced repeated pressure and distortion can lead to the formation of wrinkles, lines, creases, and saggy skin.”
Avoiding this bad habit becomes even more important as we age, Copfer notes, because as we get older, our skin becomes thinner and more delicate, making it even more susceptible to damage from the pressure and friction of sleeping on the face.
“As an aesthetic registered nurse specializing in anti-aging and advanced aesthetic treatments, I have personally observed the negative effects of sleeping on one's face in many of my patients, especially those who consistently sleep on the same side every night,” she says. “In these patients, I frequently see more prominent wrinkles, newly developed creases in uncommon areas, and a loss of elasticity and firmness on the side they sleep on compared to the other side.”
This one’s simple, though it may take some getting used to: train yourself to sleep on your back and not on your face. “It will take a lot of practice if you’re not used to doing so, but your skin will thank you later,” Copfer says. “You can also use a silk or satin pillowcase, which can help reduce friction to help to prevent sleep lines and wrinkles.”
“As we age, our skin undergoes many physiological changes, and it's important to address these changes in order to maintain healthy and radiant skin,” Copfer says. “One of these changes is the slowing down of our cell turnover time. Cell turnover is a natural process, or cycle, where our skin continually creates new skin cells and sheds the dead ones from the top layer of our skin.”
When this process slows down, dead skin cells begin to accumulate and stay on the skin's surface longer than they would in younger skin, Copfer says. “This essentially leads to a buildup of dead skin cells on the skin’s surface. As you can imagine, this excess buildup of dead skin cells has several visible, unwanted effects on the skin, such as dull skin, uneven or rough skin texture, and causes fine lines and wrinkles to be more noticeable.”
The key to dealing with a slower cell turnover is exfoliating regularly, which can help counteract this effect and keep your skin looking healthy and vibrant. “Not only does exfoliating remove the accumulation of dead skin cells, it also helps to speed up the slowing cell turnover time,” Copfer says. “When the top dead cells are removed from exfoliating, your skin sends a signal to the bottom layer of the skin to produce new cells to replace the ones that were exfoliated off, speeding up the cell turnover time. As an aesthetic registered nurse specializing in advanced aesthetic treatments, many of my patients, especially those over the age of 40, express concerns about dry, flaky, dull, and rough skin, and most aren’t exfoliating regularly.”
You can exfoliate at home AND make regular appointments with your dermatologist to have a pro get the job done with in-office lasers, peels, and other treatments.
Another physiological change that takes place in the skin as we age is a decrease in the natural lipids that are present in our skin, Copfer stresses. “These lipids form a coating on the outer layer of our skin, which serves as our skin’s protective mechanism, also known as our skin barrier. This coating helps to keep bad things out, such as irritants, allergens, and pathogens, while also keeping good things in, such as hydration and moisture. These natural lipids are made up of ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol. A decrease in any of these lipids can cause skin to be dry, irritated, sensitive, rough.”
As we age, the amount of these natural lipids decreases, especially ceramides, she continues — and this leads to drier skin and a weaker skin barrier, making the skin more sensitive and fragile.
“To tackle this issue, it is crucial to moisturize aging skin more frequently,” Copfer says. “However, not just any moisturizer will do; it should contain all three natural lipids. Most importantly, choose a moisturizer with a high concentration of ceramides to compensate for the decreased levels in aging skin.”
Two words: hydrate and moisturize!
“Prioritize moisturizing your skin at least two times a day,” Copfer says. “Listen to your skin, if it start to feel or looks dry, moisturize even more often. Look for moisturizers that are made for ‘mature skin,’ promote barrier repair, and have a high content of ceramides.”
Ready to break out of your bad skincare habits and experience even fresher, dewier skin? Break these three poor habits and adopt better ones — it’s never too late!
Also found on newsbreak.com.
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Jen Copfer is an Aesthetic Registered Nurse and skincare expert in Beverly Hills, CA, specializing in advanced anti-aging and skin rejuvenation treatments.
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Jen Copfer is an Aesthetic Registered Nurse and skincare expert in Beverly Hills, CA, specializing in advanced anti-aging and skin rejuvenation treatments.
With over six years of expertise working under renowned Plastic Surgeons, she has earned the trust of many high-profile celebrities and clientele to enhance and rejuvenate their skin.
Throughout her career, she noticed a stark disconnect between what estheticians and future aesthetic nurses learn in school and what is sought in practice. This realization spurred a deep desire to bridge this gap and help educate her colleagues. As a result, Jen created and launched The Anti-Aging Pro, an online platform that provides in-depth online courses for advanced aesthetic treatments.
Whether you're an esthetician looking to sharpen your skillset or a medical professional wanting to break into the aesthetic industry, Jen is committed to help build confidence and empower others by sharing her wealth of knowledge and expertise.
Dermstore: The Best Retinol Creams and Serums for Younger-Looking Eyes Article
Author: Janeca Racho
From Dermstore article
Whether it’s keeping signs of aging at bay or clearing your complexion of acne and dark spots, retinol does it all. So, it only makes sense that this vitamin A derivative is hands-down the most sought-after ingredient in face serums, treatments and moisturizers. However, retinol can also be intimidating for first-time users—especially when you’re trying to address the sensitive skin under your eyes. But as it turns out, with the right product, use and formula, it can work wonders for your under-eye area and target any specific concern you might have.
As a skin care ingredient, retinol is best known for its ability to promote collagen and elastin production, which is why it has long been hailed as the “gold standard” in anti-aging skin care. “It works by stimulating skin cell turnover for DNA repair of photo damage, photo aging and fine lines and wrinkles,” says Dr. Azza Halim, a board-certified anesthesiologist and physician in Boca Raton, FL.
Retinol owes its efficacy to its tiny molecular structure, which allows it to penetrate the skin’s layers deeply. “It stimulates the production of new blood vessels in the skin to fade age spots, improve skin [texture] and give you a healthy glow,” adds Dr. Zachary Okhah, a plastic surgeon in Miami, FL.
This is great news for your under-eye skin, which happens to be up to 10 times thinner than the rest of the face. The skin under your eyes also tends to be drier and extra delicate, which is why it’s often the first to show signs of aging.
Using retinol comes with plenty of dos and don’ts and requires careful application, but there is no specific age you need to hit before you can start adding it in your routine. “Retinol is something that can be incorporated into any skin care routine regardless of age. It just needs to be added in gradually,” says Dr. Halim. This is because retinol’s anti-aging properties not only restore and repair but also prevent premature skin aging, so you don’t have to wait until you notice your first crow’s feet or wrinkle before you start using an eye cream with retinol.
But if you’re still wondering if your current routine really needs an upgrade, here’s something to think about: Collagen production generally starts to dwindle once you hit your mid to late 20s, so the earlier you add retinol in your routine, the better you can preserve your youthful skin.
“The most important thing to remember is that it’s always easier to prevent signs of aging than try to correct it once it starts. Ultimately, depending on the person and their goals, mid 20s to early 30s is a great time to add retinol to your skin care routine,” adds Jen Copfer, a medical aesthetician and registered nurse in Beverly Hills, Calif.
One of the golden rules of skin care is to always start slow when adding new ingredients in your routine, and this is especially true when using retinol. For first time users, it’s best to start with the lowest concentration and allow your skin to build tolerance before moving up. And while it may be exciting to try a new product, Dr. Halim recommends going easy at the start, which means using retinol two or three times during the first couple of weeks. “If skin reacts to retinol, it’s best to stop until the skin calms down,” Dr. Halim adds. Once the reaction has subsided, you may start using retinol again, making sure to apply it at a slower rate until your skin is acclimated enough to tolerate daily use.
Eye creams with retinol are formulated specifically for the sensitive under-eye area, but irritation may still occur especially when using new products on delicate skin, says Copfer. To help prevent unwanted reactions, it’s important to avoid other ingredients that can aggravate your skin. “Don’t use any other products that contain active ingredients such as AHAs, BHAs and vitamin C on the same area as retinol,” she adds.
Sunscreen is also key if you want to get the most out of your retinol eye cream while preventing sensitivity and irritation. “Since retinol works by strengthening the lower layer of the skin and by thinning the outer layer, it’s very important to use sunscreen daily to prevent sunburn. You can also avoid irritation by applying moisturizer underneath or by choosing an eye cream that is a moisturizer as a base,” explains Shawnda Dorantes, master nurse injector and co-owner of Beauty Lounge Medical Spa in San Diego, Calif.
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British GQ: Male 'Skinfluencers' Are Making Bank Recommending You Moisturisers
From the article:
“It has been apparent that men seeking out and getting noninvasive anti-aging skin care treatments has been on a steep incline over the past few years,” says Jen Copfer, an aesthetic nurse at the Beverly Hills Plastic Surgery Group. “So much so, that our male clientele has almost doubled what it was five years ago... trying out microneedling, laser treatments and derma-fillers.”
Jen tells me that male clientele are largely young men, mostly hoping to preserve their current looks for years to come. “They want to improve their aesthetic appearance, which in turn helps improve their self-confidence,” she also says. “And noninvasive skincare treatments are making it easy for men to do so.”
]]>Now that summer is coming to an end, it’s a perfect time to start focusing on reversing the sun damage that was incurred during the summer season and/or the damage that has incurred cumulatively over the years.
The damage I’m talking about specifically is sun spots, also known as hyperpigmentation or solar lentignes. These flat brown spots develop most commonly on the face, neck, chest, arms, and the back of hands, and are caused by an over production of melanin (the cell responsible for pigment) due to UV radiation damage of sun exposure.
In terms of visible aging, sun is the #1 enemy of the skin and the #1 cause of premature aging such as wrinkles, skin texture, and sun spots/hyperpigmentation. The best way to prevent this damage is by habitual use of broad spectrum sunscreen, reapplied every 2 hours, and to avoid direct sun exposure. But for those of us who didn’t know any better and basked in the lovely sun rays for most our childhood, early adult and adult life, either unprotected or not protected enough, the damage has already incurred.
However, lucky for us, there are many different treatments and remedies available to treat and help diminish these age-defining dark spots and improve our complexion to bring it back to a more youthful flawless state.
To continue reading, click here.
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