You often hear the saying “beauty is only skin deep”. This is true for many reasons, but mostly because your skin is your largest organ. Changes in your skin can often be signs of problems brewing internally. Here are some of Dr. Lamb’s top signs to watch out for and ways to help keep your skin as healthy as possible from the inside out.
– Weather changes: Skin and hair respond to colder weather by feeling more dry. To protect your skin from the elements Dr. Lamb recommends beefing up on better moisturizers and gentler cleansers for you skin. You also may want to use thicker conditioners to coat the hair protein and keep frizz away. Dr. Lamb recommends Oribe brand shampoos and conditioners. They are truly superior. They make products for a variety of hair textures and their conditioners are the best around. The skin on your body is the most vulnerable and tends to be the most sensitive to the weather changes. Many of my patients notice a flare in their eczema during the colder months as well as just itchy skin in general. For this, the most important thing is prevention. Using a non-drying cleanser is the first step. I am in love with Dove Deep Moisture Foaming Body Wash. They all smell amazing and are at an extremely good price point. It is like a spa experience in your shower. After the bath or shower the key is to apply a robust moisturizer that will lock in the water and prevent water from evaporating across your skin surface. You should do this within 3 minutes.
– Skin feeling dry in general, regardless of weather: Make sure to get an adequate amount of hydration for your skin. You want to target 6-8 glasses of water per day. I recommend just keeping a water bottle close to you at work so that you can take regular sips. I have also recently been exposed to the value of adding a tablespoon or two of chia seeds to your water bottle. The high fiber content helps your body maintain the water that you are drinking. Incorporating Omega-3 fatty acids is critical as well. I prefer nuts and fish for this as opposed to supplements.
If you feel like you have persistent dryness in spite of the above, you may want to investigate getting your thyroid checked. Dryness in the skin, hair and nails can be a skin of hypothyroidism. This is an easy blood test to do and one that should not be overlooked.
– Acne breakouts even though you are doing everything right: Many patients come to be desperate to get their acne under control and they know that they have decreased all of the common culprits—stress, diet, lack of sleep. For women in particular, I recommend that we consider a work up for a condition known as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) as a potential cause. It is something that would have be to diagnosed by an OGBYN, but it may be a contributing factor to stubborn acne.