Is Sugar Aging Your Face? Here’s How to Tell

Sugary foods can taste so delicious. Nothing is sweeter than some ice cream on a hot day or a s’more around a campfire. While sweet treats are great every now and then, there are a variety of foods that will curb your craving and nourish your skin. In fact, sugar is such a part of our daily lives that it’s estimated that the average American consumes almost seventeen teaspoons of added sugar a day.

Although we typically like sugar in moderation, sugar doesn’t often like us. We know that too much sugar is bad for your heart and can even lead to type two diabetes, but can sugar affect other parts of your body, like your skin? How can you tell if it is? Let’s uncover the answers.

Understanding Sugar and Your Body

Sugar is a type of carbohydrate that our body converts into glucose. There are many sources of natural sugar, like in fruits, vegetables, or dairy products. However, we consume most of our sugar through other products that have had sugar added. Sugar is a popular additive in food products because it enhances the taste and thickness while also acting as a preservative.

What Does Sugar Do to Your Body?

Sugars are carbohydrates that your body turns into glucose, and your body uses glucose to give your cells energy. It’s likely you’ve heard of insulin at some point, and this hormone is responsible for regulating glucose in your bloodstream so it’s sent where it needs to go. When your intestines break down food, with the help of insulin, glucose is sent out to the rest of your body. But, if your body already has enough energy, it will store glucose as fat around the body to be used later.

How Is Your Skin Affected?

When excess glucose travels around the body before being stored as fat, it causes a spike in insulin which causes inflammation. Any kind of inflammation causes you to be more prone to acne as well as other skin conditions. Frequent acne breakouts not only damage your skin, but cause premature aging. High glucose in the body can also break down collagen fibers over time, including the ones in your face, which also leads to premature aging.

The Signs of Aging

Your skin will naturally age over the course of your life. And, like many other aspects of your health, there are things that you can and cannot control with how this natural bodily process unfolds. There are several signs of aging skin, which include:

• Unwanted dryness, itchiness, or roughness
• Loose-hanging or slack skin
• Unfamiliar thinness and transparency
• Increased fragility and bruising

Beyond sugar, factors like sun exposure, smoking, gravity, weight gain, and daily facial movements will also cause your skin to age.

How to Help Your Skin

It’s important to understand that, like many other substances, sugar itself is not bad – excess sugar is. Unfortunately, we come across numerous food items each day that have added sugar, meaning chances are you are unwittingly consuming extra sugar already. You may find it difficult to cut all sugar from your diet, but in the end, you will be happier with your body and skin.

However, you don’t have to eliminate sugar from your diet completely. Naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables, and dairy products are just fine, mainly because these foods have other components that help your body, like fiber. But, you will want to cut added sugar in food products out of your diet. Besides limiting your sugar intake, you can help your body and skin by drinking plenty of water and eating healthy foods.

Thankfully, these processes act slowly, so you may still have time to correct your diet and prevent future aging. However, if you have already noticed changes in your skin, treatments are available to help you look and feel your best.

Some non-invasive treatments for aging skin include:

• Cosmetic laser treatments
• Microneedling
• Dermaplaning
• Microdermabrasion
• Chemical peels

Whether or not you choose a treatment for your skin, it is a good idea to start limiting the added sugars in your diet. Your whole body, including your skin, will thank you.

Schedule with Spa MD Today

The things we eat affect our bodies in many different ways. Too much sugar is not only bad for your heart, but it’s also bad for your skin. Thankfully, there are things you can do to help your body be its best. You can take some time to cut the excess sugar out of your diet and visit a medical spa for treatments that will give your skin a beautiful glow.

If you are local to Minneapolis, give Spa MD a call today! Regardless of the sugars in your life, we can help you look and feel your absolute best.