If You Want to Age Less, Make sure to consume ‘this nutrient’ - Reporter Shin So-young’s Story

What is most clearly visible is the skin. In addition to dryness and wrinkles, the skin tone darkens, and freckles and age spots become more prevalent. While this cannot be completely prevented, reducing daily irritation and proper care can slow down the aging process. Let's look at simple lifestyle habits to prevent skin aging.

◇ Avoid UV rays

One of the biggest causes of skin aging is ultraviolet (UV) rays. UV rays cause wrinkles and pigmentation. They also pose a risk of various skin-related diseases, including skin cancer. When going outdoors, be sure to protect your skin by applying sunscreen thoroughly. You should apply a surprisingly generous amount. The recommended single application for adults is 0.8 to 1.2 grams. This is about the size of a finger joint or a 500-won coin when squeezed out. Apply it in thin layers, and reapply every three hours for continuous UV protection.

◇ Consume various phytochemicals

To prevent skin aging, it is necessary to consume phytochemicals, which are effective in antioxidant action. Phytochemicals are chemical substances found in plants, abundant in vegetables and fruits. When consumed, they aid in the regeneration of skin cells through antioxidant action and play a role in preventing aging. Types of phytochemicals include flavonoids, carotenoids, allicin, isoflavones, resveratrol, and polyphenols. The plants containing each type differ. It is more important to consume a variety of types rather than eating large quantities of just one.

▶ Flavonoids: Strawberries, plums, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, cherries, red wine, green tea, etc.

▶Polyphenols: Green tea, strawberries, eggplants, grapes, black beans, red beans, etc.

◇ Do not scrub Refrain from actions that remove dead skin cells, such as scrubbing them vigorously. The stratum corneum is the outermost layer of the epidermis, consisting of the cell membranes of dead cells and the lipid components filling the spaces between them. This layer serves to protect the skin. Because it adheres very weakly, most of it sloughs off simply by rubbing it with a cloth. Scrubbing removes this most critical layer necessary for skin protection. Furthermore, continued scrubbing can lead to skin inflammation. Immediately after scrubbing, the thickness of the stratum corneum decreases, and at this time, cytokines are secreted by keratinocytes. If a large amount of these substances is secreted, inflammatory cells may gather in that area, causing skin inflammation. People who habitually scrub vigorously or frequently are prone to skin conditions such as irritant eczema or dry eczema, which are characterized by easy redness and rashes.

◇ Do not stay in the sauna for too long Avoid staying in saunas and steam rooms for too long. Of course, proper bathing promotes blood circulation to relieve fatigue and alleviates muscle soreness after exercise. However, staying in saunas and steam rooms for extended periods raises skin temperature. In fact, one experiment measuring the skin temperature of people sitting in a steam room found that the temperature exceeded 40°C, compared to the normal range of 31–32°C. Prolonged exposure to such high temperatures can weaken the skin due to heat stimulation, potentially accelerating aging.

◇ Getting a good night's sleep Getting enough sleep is also important for your skin. It is recommended to go to bed before 10 PM if possible. Growth hormone, which prevents aging, is actively secreted between 10 PM and 2 AM. Getting enough sleep boosts metabolism, making the skin smooth and hydrated. If you go to sleep too late, you cannot benefit from growth hormone, and your skin does not get a chance to recover its health. In fact, there is a U.S. study that measured the skin of people who did not get enough sleep and found that signs of aging, such as fine lines and irregular pigmentation, were more prevalent compared to those who slept sufficiently.

◇ Quitting Smoking Quitting smoking is essential to prevent skin aging. Smoking accelerates skin aging. It also causes nasolabial folds by overusing the muscles around the mouth. According to research by the Dermatology Research Institute at Seoul National University College of Medicine, people who smoked a pack a day for over 30 years showed 2.8 times more signs of skin aging than those who never smoked. For those who smoked more than a pack a day for 50 years, the degree of aging was 5.5 times more severe. When smoking, thousands of harmful substances enter the body. Remember that this can have a negative impact on the entire body, not just the skin.

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I thought that just hearing the word "aging" wouldn't concern me, but

It feels like words like 'lol' really resonate with me this year in particular.

You need to take care of it in advance to prevent aging.