10 harmful myths about skin

Misconceptions about skin that can cost us money and health.

 Expensive anti-wrinkle creams keep your skin young

Two types of processes are responsible for skin aging :

1. Internal onesare related to genetics, cellular metabolism and hormonal changes. These include the destruction of collagen , the effects of gravity, the work of facial muscles, the reduction and redistribution of fat. Because of all this, wrinkles appear, the skin becomes flabby, sags, and the contour of the face and shape change.
2. External onesare based on the influence of the environment, such as sunlight , chemicals, adverse weather conditions, smoking. UV radiation is considered the most harmful to the skin. It damages DNA, and several forms of free oxygen are formed, which destroy collagen, a protein on the amount of which the firmness and elasticity of the skin depends.

The cosmetics industry offers an incredible selection of creams that are supposed to prevent aging. However, the effectiveness of these remedies is questionable, because the aging process is quite difficult to influence.

In one review, scientists noted that only vitamin C , alpha-hydroxy acids, and pentapeptides have more or less reliable evidence of anti-aging properties.

Topical vitamin A may also have some effectiveness, but these are prescription medications that may have side effects such as burning, dryness, and redness. Anti -wrinkle creams that are available to everyone contain far fewer active ingredients, so if there are results, they will not last long.

Moreover, simple physics hinders success. Not all cream ingredients pass through the epidermis – the upper layer of skin consisting of horny scales. Only substances with a molecular weight of less than 500 Da can penetrate the dermis to affect the skin .

Thus, the cream can only slightly improve the appearance, but will not stop the loss of collagen and subcutaneous fat, or prevent the appearance of wrinkles and sagging .

Perhaps the best anti-aging cream is sunscreen. It will not do anything with the internal causes of aging, but it will help avoid external ones. It is better to use a cream with an ultraviolet protection level (SPF) of at least 30.

2. To keep your skin hydrated, you need to drink more water.

On the Internet you can find many tips to drink more water to avoid dry skin. However, this connection does not have good evidence.

The only systematic review devoted to this topic was published in 2018. Scientists found six studies that confirmed that an additional 1-2 liters of water per day can increase the hydration of the stratum corneum of the skin, reduce dryness and roughness , and increase elasticity. Especially for those who usually drank little.

But at the same time, the authors of the review noted that the mechanism of such a relationship is not clear, and in another scientific work they noted that the evidence is weak, because there are not enough studies, they are not particularly high-quality, and the risk of errors is very high.

In addition, skin hydration largely depends on transepidermal water loss.

The epidermis has a special lipid barrier that prevents moisture loss. If it is destroyed, for example due to disease, polluted air, sunburn , then the moisture quickly evaporates and the skin becomes dry.

In this case, there is no point in drinking more water, because it will evaporate just as quickly from the surface of the skin. But using moisturizers that lock moisture into the skin can help.

3. Antibacterial soap is good for the skin

Such soap may be useful during an epidemic, but it cannot be said that it has a good effect on the skin. Quite the contrary.

The fact is that our skin is inhabited by a huge number of bacteria . Together with immune and skin cells, they are responsible for the protective barrier. A disturbance in the microbiome can lead to diseases such as acne, atopic and seborrheic dermatitis, and dandruff.

Excessive use of soap or other antiseptics can disrupt the microbiome and reduce its diversity, as well as damage the surface of the skin and impair its protective function.

There are times when hand sanitizing is essential, but using antibacterial soap on your face or trying to treat acne with it is definitely a bad idea.

4. Acne comes from dirt

You can often hear that acne occurs because environmental impurities settle on the skin, mix with sweat, clog pores and cause pimples. Actually this is not true.

There is no evidence that acne is associated with poor hygiene, and thorough cleansing of the skin can help get rid of it or at least reduce the appearance .

Acne is a condition that occurs when hair follicles become clogged with oil and dead skin cells. For treatment, local drugs and antibiotics are used, usually in combination.

But frequent washing can injure the skin and only worsen the condition.

5. Pores can open and close.

You can often hear that pores in the skin can open , for example under the influence of steam or hot water, and then close. This is wrong.

What we call pores are tiny holes in the surface of the skin through which sebum produced by the sebaceous glands, as well as sweat from the eccrine glands, exits.

Scientists do not fully know why the pores have different diameters. Some suggest that their width is affected by the amount of sebum, gender and age. Others believe that over time, pores do not get wider, and sebum production simply makes the skin oilier and shinier, which makes the pores visible.

However, these holes cannot expand or contract at will, for example due to temperature. But they can become clogged with a mixture of sebum, dead skin and other pollutants from the environment, which makes them more noticeable.

To prevent this from happening, you should avoid comedogenic cosmetics with added oils and wash your face with warm water twice a day. But hot water can cause irritation, making the pores more noticeable.

For the same reason, dermatologists do not recommend getting carried away with scrubs. Too harsh products can cause inflammation, and instead of a clean face, you will get irritation and even more noticeable enlarged pores.

6. Vitamin E helps with scars

Topical vitamin E preparations are marketed as a treatment for scars and stretch marks, but the scientific evidence is mixed.

In a 2016 review of scientific papers, six high-quality studies were selected on the use of the vitamin for the treatment of scars. While three of them found that vitamin E products helped, the other three found no significant difference.

Moreover, among the experiments in which vitamin E helped, only one used the drug as the only method of treatment, and on children. In the remaining two, local application of tocopherol was combined with other methods.

But in experiments where vitamin E did not help, it was used as the only method of treatment.

Moreover, two of the six studies found side effects from topical application: contact dermatitis, itching and rashes.

7. Scratches need air to heal.

You can often hear that scratches and wounds do not need to be covered with a band-aid, because they need fresh air to heal. Actually this is not true.

A sterile, moist environment significantly accelerates the formation of new epithelium, reduces inflammation, necrosis and the rate of subsequent scar formation.

So don’t rush to remove the bandage from a wound or cut—it definitely doesn’t need air in the early stages of healing.

8. Sunscreen is only needed on the beach.

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation is considered one of the main external causes of skin aging. UV rays reduce hyaluronic acid in the epidermis and dermis, causing drier skin, and cause oxidative stress, which damages skin cells.

Moreover, exposure to ultraviolet radiation, and especially sunburn, increases the risk of melanoma.

Using sunscreen helps reduce the risk of skin cancer and also greatly slows down the signs of aging .

Research confirms that daily use of a cream with SPF 30+ helps reduce pigmentation and dry skin, and slow down the appearance of signs of aging.

So if you want to protect your skin from aging and cancer, apply sunscreen to areas of your body that are not protected by clothing every day. Especially if you leave the house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., when the sun is most active.

And we would recommend completely avoiding relaxing on the beach during peak sun activity and visiting the solarium.

9. Moles should be covered in the sun to prevent cancer.

Since moles can degenerate into melanoma, a malignant neoplasm, some people fear that if the sun shines on a mole, it may trigger the process of degeneration. They are especially worried about large and convex formations, since they seem to be the most vulnerable.

UV rays do increase the risk of skin cancer, but it’s not just moles you should be concerned about. Melanoma arises from moles in only 25–33% of cases, otherwise it appears on the skin without any marks . Moreover, even degenerated moles are most often flat rather than convex.

To reduce your risk of melanoma, you need to protect your entire skin from the sun, and do it correctly.

When going out in the sun, cover your skin with clothing as much as possible, wear a hat, and apply sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 to exposed areas. And renew it every 2 hours of exposure to the sun.

10. Skin rash is an allergy

Skin rashes can actually occur due to allergies, for example to certain foods or pollen. However, in addition to this , there are other diseases that can cause redness and itching:

• Contact dermatitis (irritant)is an inflammation that occurs in response to irritants, such as alkalis, acids, soaps, and abrasives such as scrubs.
• Miliariais a condition in which a humid and hot environment makes it difficult for sweat to flow out.
• Diaper rashis an inflammation that occurs from skin rubbing against skin, usually in folds – on the stomach, under the breasts, in the groin, in the armpits. Sometimes an infection can add to the irritation.
• Rosaceais a chronic hereditary disease that causes redness of the skin (erythema), acne, and dilation of small blood vessels in the skin. Rosacea occurs in waves and can be triggered by spicy foods, hot drinks, exercise, cosmetics, excessively hot or cold weather, alcohol, stress, wind and sun.
• Shingles (herpes)is a viral disease that can cause rashes with blisters.
• Insect bites– Itchy red dots on the skin can occur from bed flea or sand flea bites. The latter are not found in Russia, but can be found on beaches in Asia, Central and South America.

Most types of rashes are not life-threatening, but you should make an appointment with a doctor immediately if:

• the rash has spread throughout the body;
• the temperature has risen;
• the rash appeared suddenly and spreads quickly;
• bubbles appeared;
• the areas of the rash feel painful;
• yellow or green discharge appears, swelling, pain, crust formation, increased temperature at the site of the rash – these signs may indicate the appearance of an infection.

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