67% of a first impression is your appearance. Whether you are looking to have a successful first date or a successful final interview, it makes sense for you to want to look your best.
Not every man can be a MadeMan, but those who are willing to take the opportunities we offer them by using our products or taking our advice can find success.
One of the most important, though often neglected, elements of your skin is its texture. Skin texture measures how smooth your skin both feels and appears.
Generally speaking, good skin texture presents itself as being even and soft to the touch. Skin texture in need of improvement tends to be rough due to uneven patches or oversized pores.
Read on to learn what causes one’s skin texture to decline in health and how it can be improved.
Causes of Poor Skin Texture
Poor skin texture can be caused by a variety of factors. Some of these factors include stress, sun damage, pollution, aging, and hormonal changes. The effects of these factors can then be exacerbated by dry skin conditions or changes in one’s environment due to low humidity or dry climate.
The untreated buildup of dead skin cells — leading to whiteheads, blackheads, and enlarged pores — can play a huge role in altering one’s skin texture for the worse.
Repeated irritation and a lack of hydration can take a toll on your skin’s health and appearance. Overall, the look and feel of your skin can be influenced by any combination of the factors mentioned above.
This influence can result in an overall loss of smoothness and an increase in a rough, dry, and uneven-looking texture.
Improving Your Skin Texture
When it comes to improving your skin texture, taking preventative steps is most important. They can prevent further damage from happening and allow your skin the time it needs to heal.
Additionally, most preventative actions provide overall health benefits for your skin and body, sometimes speeding up the healing process.
Sunscreen
Unprotected exposure to the sun’s rays can result in serious damage to the skin. Symptoms of sun damage include dark spots, decreased elasticity, and rough, uneven texture. To avoid this, it is essential that you wear sunscreen every day.
You have the option of using either chemical or physical sunscreen.
- Chemical sunscreen absorbs the UV rays before they are able to damage your skin.
- Physical sunscreen blocks and scatters UV rays before they can penetrate your skin.
Whichever sunscreen you choose, make sure that it has an SPF of at least 30 and that it is broad-spectrum. Apply a nickel-sized dollop on your face every morning, regardless of weather conditions or if you plan on spending time outdoors, and reapply throughout the day if necessary.
Diet
Processed foods, alcohol, and refined carbs can contribute to the destruction of good bacteria and cause inflammation. If the skin becomes inflamed, it can have negative effects on your skin’s texture.
To counter these unhealthy diet choices, try implementing more beneficial products into your meal regimen. One way of doing this is by adding more antioxidants to your diet.
Antioxidants can increase your blood antioxidant levels and defend your cells from damage. Foods that are high in antioxidants include:
- Red beans
- Blueberries
- Pecans
- Artichokes
- Prunes
- Plums
You can also improve the texture of your skin through your diet by increasing your vitamin intake. Vitamin A plays an integral role in your skin’s health for its ability to make the skin firm and supple. Foods that are good sources of vitamin A include:
- Cheese
- Eggs
- Milk
- Yogurt
- Liver
- Fish
Vitamin C can help repair damaged tissues in the skin, reducing fine lines and freshen up your look. Foods that are good sources of vitamin C include:
- Peppers
- Oranges
- Strawberries
- Broccoli
- Potatoes
- Brussel sprouts
Zinc can help your skin heal following injury, meaning that it can assist in repairing poorly textured skin. It also has the potential to protect the skin from ultraviolet damage and to act as an antioxidant.
Foods that are good sources of zinc include:
- Oysters
- Mushrooms
- Oats
- Corn
- Rice
- Garlic
Outside of antioxidants and vitamins, increasing your omega-3 fatty acids intake can also do your skin some good. These nutrients improve your skin’s fatty acid composition, which balances out the skin’s response and enhances hydration.
Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include:
- Salmon
- Flaxseed
- Walnuts
- Tuna
- Eggs
- Canola oil
While you can consume more omega-3 fatty acids by implementing a supplement like fish oil, there are also foods that you can apply to your routine.
Sleep
Getting a good night’s rest is beneficial for your overall well-being but can also have direct positive effects on your skin. When you sleep, the blood flow in your skin increases. This contributes to your skin rebuilding its collagen and repairing damage accrued from sun damage, like fine lines and sunspots.
When you lack sleep, the appearance of your skin can worsen. Often your skin will appear dry and hollow. In other words, you will look the opposite of fresh and the opposite of what we are going for.
Sleep also provides you with an escape from stress. Balancing life and all its challenges can be stressful. This is completely normal.
Unfortunately, this stress can negatively impact the appearance of your skin. When you are stressed, your nervous system releases stress hormones such as cortisol.
The excess of cortisol then contributes to an increase in oil production. Too much oil production can lead to clogged pores and irritation.
Giving your skin a break from the stresses of life and time to heal itself is essential.
While the appropriate amount of hours of rest varies from person to person, it is generally believed that it takes seven to eight hours to rejuvenate your skin.
Cleansing and Moisturizing
Properly cleansing and moisturizing with the appropriate products can help to improve your skin texture by making it smoother and more radiant.
- An effective cleanser will remove dead skin cells on the surface of your skin.
- An effective moisturizer can boost hydration, balance sebum production, and treat and prevent the formation of dry patches.
To fulfill both of these needs, we recommend The Re(Set) Collection. This collection consists of two products and two steps that can be completed within two minutes.
The first product in the set is The Resetter which performs as both a cleanser and shaving gel. The Resetter provides you with a deep, gentle, and refreshing cleanse. It eliminates impurities from your pores to leave your skin’s texture looking and feeling smooth.
The Refresher, which performs as a moisturizer, uses complex nutrients to restore and repair your skin. The product consists of an antioxidant blend that promotes the natural repair process and boosts natural collagen production. The Refresher fights the battle of uneven skin texture.
Exfoliation
Exfoliating is the act of removing dead skin cells from the skin’s surface. There are two methods for exfoliating, mechanical and chemical.
- Mechanical exfoliation uses tools to rid your skin of unwanted substances.
- Chemical exfoliants use chemicals like AHAs and BHAs.
Selecting the right method can depend largely on your skin type and how damaged your skin is. If your skin is extremely dry and flaky, it is probably best to avoid exfoliation altogether. If exfoliation is an option for you, it can help improve your skin’s texture.
Exfoliating consistently can stimulate collagen synthesis. This directly improves the skin’s texture by keeping the skin look tight, supple, and youthful.
Chemical Peel
On the topic of exfoliation, chemical peels are facial treatments used for deeper exfoliation of the skin’s surface. A strong chemical solution is applied to the skin during treatment that promotes new skin growth.
A less intensive version of chemical peels can be found in the aforementioned chemical exfoliants. The acids in these exfoliants treat and resolve blemishes on the skin, simply to a lesser degree than the chemical peel.
Glycolic acid is known to improve the skin’s texture, so using an exfoliant with glycolic acid is key if you opt for exfoliation. If you do choose to undergo a chemical peel, make sure it is only done at the hands of a trained professional.
Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion is a skin resurfacing treatment. During the procedure, a rapidly rotating device is used to sand the outer layers of your skin. This will encourage cell regeneration and new skin to grow that is smoother than it was before. It also treats fine lines and discoloration in the process.
Microdermabrasion is also an option if you are unsure of undergoing such an abrasive procedure. The way the treatment is conducted and its effects mirror dermabrasion, just like with chemical peels and chemical exfoliants. It is all done on a smaller, more controlled scale.
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy uses focused light tuned to specific wavelengths to treat specific areas of your skin. The general appeal of laser treatments is that they encourage elastin growth and reduce discoloration.
Laser treatments can be used for resurfacing and can improve the skin’s tone and texture. When conducted by a skilled professional, these procedures can be very successful. Still, you will likely require more than one round of laser skin resurfacing to see your desired results.
Speak with a dermatologist before committing to this treatment to ensure that your skin type is not prone to irritation from lasers and that it will render enough benefits for you that it makes the high price worth it.
Conclusion
Improving your skin texture can mean improving your confidence and improving your chances of success on a daily basis. There are a lot of ways that your skin texture can become harmed — skin is sensitive — but there are also a lot of available solutions. It all depends on if you are up for the challenge.
Sources:
Chemical Peel (Deep, Medium, Light) | PubMed
Dermabrasion | PubMed
Laser skin resurfacing | PubMed
