After a hard blow, repeated diets or an illness, the skin is weakened, marked. Fortunately, she is programmed to recover. We tell you how to take care of your skin and help it regain radiance and tone.
On the front line against external aggressions – UV, pollution… – our skin is also vulnerable to the tragedies of life. Divorce, bereavement, depression, cancer, and here she is, feeling the blow and becoming duller, sluggish, ultra dry, reactive… “She is calling for help”, deciphers Dr. Danièle Pomey-Rey, dermatologist and psychiatrist attached to the Saint-Louis hospital in Paris. It suffers directly from physiological damage, due for example to the treatment of a serious pathology, but also reflects our emotions linked to this experience. “The skin and the brain have the same embryonic origin and remain linked throughout life through neuromediators that send messages to nerve endings,” explains Dr. Pomey-Rey. Fortunately, our epidermis has the ability to recover from these ordeals. “Like all organs, but the repair time varies depending on the damage and the individual,” says Professor Laurent Misery, head of the dermatology department at the University Hospital of Brest and specialist in the skin-brain link. “The skin regenerates well when it is in optimal conditions. However, in major upheavals, the repair systems are weakened while the activity of enzymes for the degradation of collagen and elastin fibers redoubles”, observes Aurélie Guyoux, scientific director of Esthederm and Etat Pur. head of the dermatology department of the University Hospital of Brest and specialist in the skin-brain link. “The skin regenerates well when it is in optimal conditions. However, in major upheavals, the repair systems are weakened while the activity of enzymes for the degradation of collagen and elastin fibers redoubles”, observes Aurélie Guyoux, scientific director of Esthederm and Etat Pur. head of the dermatology department of the University Hospital of Brest and specialist in the skin-brain link. “The skin regenerates well when it is in optimal conditions. However, in major upheavals, the repair systems are weakened while the activity of enzymes for the degradation of collagen and elastin fibers redoubles”, observes Aurélie Guyoux, scientific director of Esthederm and Etat Pur.
“The skin is resilient if the soul is,” observes Claire Lesrel, director of the Aqualibre association, at the Thermes de La Roche-Posay. It is only once the crisis has passed that it enters a phase of remission and can repair itself. In the event of dryness and loss of radiance, it will take approximately twenty-eight days/epidermal renewal cycle for the skin barrier to reconstitute its lipid stock and be operational again. And at least two months to regain firmer and more elastic skin. “It’s the regeneration time of the dermal matrix”, reminds Aurélie Guyoux. Thus, after a heavy treatment, it is often necessary to wait more than six months. But, by combining the benefits of adapted cosmetics, a vitamin diet, toning massages and
The problem: a blow that impacts our radiance
What do we see on the skin? “Stress, due to a psychological or physical shock, can reveal or aggravate an underlying disease, such as psoriasis, eczema or acne”, explains P r Misery. That’s the dermatologist’s job. But, even in the absence of pathology, “we grit our teeth, we make the head, the features and the muscles sag with the mind”, describes the physiotherapist Jocelyne Rolland. “When we have suffered, the skin is stressed, prematurely aged, the complexion is dull”, notes Dr. Alexandra Dalu, nutritionist and mesotherapist. The solution. Stimulate microcirculation and restore energy.
The cosmetic routine that saves:
– To boost cellular activity and promote the renewal of the epidermis, we put on a peeling treatment with fruit acids for two to three months (in winter, except for a planned getaway in the sun). Use daily for oily skin, once or twice a week for dry, sensitive skin. Institute Resurfacing Youth Peeling, Darphin; Alpha-Peel Renovating Night Peeling, Yon-Ka.
Don’t forget the eye contour, the first area to mark.
Good gestures. To plump up the skin, we practice Jacquet pinches on dry skin: we grasp it between the thumb and the index finger with quick gestures to reach the deep muscles. Blood circulation and cellular activity are revived, the complexion is fresher, the features are relaxed.
On the plate. “We focus on oilseeds (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.), good fats (mackerel, sardines, salmon, herring, etc.) and foods rich in zinc (shellfish),” recommends Dr. Dalu. To be combined with food supplements: vitamins B5, A, E, D, coenzyme Q10.
Wellness activities. Sophrology, yoga , meditation help to evacuate stress. By focusing on movement and breathing, we think of something else. Sport makes you secrete endorphins, doping and euphoric hormones. This triggers a virtuous circle that will affect the mind and, ultimately, the skin.
