Many people might be familiar with the feeling of skin tightness, rough texture and dull complexion. What is the reason behind it? Water plays a vital role in the skin. Poor diet and external factors such as the weather or environment are some of the causes behind dehydrated skin.
Dry skin is often mistaken for dehydrated skin, but they are different skin conditions. Why dry skin is a skin type characterized by lower production of sebum and oil, dehydrated skin means water content is lacking or diminished within the skin. It can happen at any time to any skin type, even to people with oily skin types. Here’s how to tell whether you are suffering from dehydrated skin.
1. Dull complexion
As your skin is lacking the water it needs to remain healthy, the lack of hydration causes your skin to look dull. It also affects the ability of your skin to perform essential functions such as cell turnover. Without sufficient hydration, your skin is unable to shed its outer layer frequently enough, causing dead skins to accumulate on the surface. This will contribute to a less radiant, lackluster complexion.
2. Less elasticity
Having enough water content within the cells in your skin and moisture locked into them will lead them to swell and be plump. This will give the skin its healthier and plumper look. The lack of moisture results in lesser skin elasticity and lost volume, so when you gently pinch your skin, it will slowly go back down instead of quickly bouncing back to normal. Dehydrated skin can also cause the feeling of persistent tightness and discomfort, followed by an itchy sensation or even flaking.
3. Premature wrinkles and fine lines
Dehydrated skin can often display accelerated signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles and expression lines. When the skin loses its ability to hold onto moisture, it can make these facial lines look more prominent and even cause the skin to take on a crepe-like appearance. When moisture is restored to your skin, the water will fill the spaces between cells, thus smoothens out the fine lines on your face.
4. Prone to breakouts
When there is insufficient moisture in the skin, it loses the ability to hydrate itself and this can cause the overproduction of oil to compensate for the dehydration. As such, this eventually leads to breakouts due to excess sebum and oil which clog the pores. Because the skin’s ability to maintain consistent cell turnover is also limited, the buildup of dead skin cells and excess sebum can be a potential breeding ground for acne. This can be a vicious cycle for those already suffering from cystic acne.
Why hydration is important to the skin
Referred to as the skin barrier, this is the skin’s outermost layer which comprise of cells that act like bricks to hold moisture in and keep bacteria and pollutants out. When the skin is well-hydrated, the cells are filled with water and natural oils and swells, causing them to pack tightly together and make it harder for external elements to penetrate the barrier. When factors like prolonged sun exposure, cold air-con environments, and harsh cleansers, the skin’s natural oils are stripped away. This causes the cells in the skin barrier to lose water and shrivel, rendering the barrier to be less effective which allows even more moisture to escape the skin.
A weakened skin barrier is also vulnerable to bacteria and pollution penetrating deeper into the skin, which can cause inflammation to develop from acne-causing bacteria. Combined with the increased likelihood of congestion and blockages inside the pore, this means more acne breakouts.
Put your fresh face forward
Using hydrating skincare products, eating a balanced diet and drinking plenty of water can help to keep your skin hydrated. But it may need a boost from time to time, where aesthetic treatments can come in to be a savior for your parched skin.
At Aesthetics Central Clinic, our Skin Boosters treatment is filled with Hyaluronic Acid to restore hydration in your skin. This superstar ingredient is also a naturally occurring molecule in the body that promotes skin hydration and firmness. Through a series of micro injections into the skin, the Hyaluronic Acid will help to retain moisture and smoothen your skin, resulting in a more luminous, healthy complexion. Results will be effective on people battling with dry or dull skin, and ageing skin concerns like fine lines. Skin Boosters also help to stimulate collagen production which is essential to reduce the appearance of scarring, thus it can also benefit those looking to get rid of acne scars.
When skin dehydration has caused plenty of breakouts in the past, you may still be suffering from stubborn acne scars. Going for acne scar treatments like our INFINI Fractional RF treatment can help by promoting the production of deep collagen in the skin via thermal stimulation as deep as 3.5mm below the skin’s surface. This helps in acne scar remodeling which improves skin texture and reduces acne scar appearance. Deep collagen fibres are also beneficial by producing a lifting, plumping and tightening effect of the skin, for a smoother and youthful-looking complexion.