It’s Not Called Beauty Sleep for Nothing!

The Danish author Isak Denisen once said that the cure for anything is saltwater – tears, sweat, or the sea. We’d like to point out here at our Worcester cosmetic surgery practice that she may have forgot to include sleep. After all, it’s not called beauty sleep for nothing!

Backed by Science!
A clinical trial whose results were published last year has linked poor sleeping habits to accelerated signs of aging and delayed recovery from environmental stressors. The subjects of the aforementioned study were 60 premenopausal women between the ages of 30 to 49. Half of the participants were tagged as poor sleepers based on the  Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. By and large, the participants underwent non-invasive skin challenge tests and a visual skin evaluation. In addition, they were also asked to fill out week-long sleep log quantifying their sleep duration. 

Here’s are some important points of the study’s findings in excerpts:

“ Using the SCINEXA skin aging scoring system, poor quality sleepers showed increased signs of intrinsic skin aging including fine lines, uneven pigmentation and slackening of skin and reduced elasticity. In this system, a higher score means a more aged appearance. The average score in the good quality sleepers was 2.2 versus 4.4 in poor quality sleepers.”

“The researchers found that good quality sleepers recovered more efficiently from stressors to the skin. Recovery from sunburn was more sluggish in poor quality sleepers, with erythema (redness) remaining higher over 72 hours, indicating that inflammation is less efficiently resolved.”

Now that you’re already aware of the link between getting enough sleep and maintaining that youthful look, here’s quick guide to making sure you get your daily dose of beauty sleep: 

• Avoid coffee or any drinks that contain caffeine after lunch. Teas are a good alternative.
• Create a conducive sleeping environment such as low lighting, clean sheets, perfumed candles, and similar things that make you sleep better.
• Get some regular exercise as it has been shown to improve mood and sleep quality. And who wouldn’t be sleeping like a baby after a quick swim or run, right?
• Be consistent with your sleeping and waking hours. In addition, oversleeping during weekends will not do you any good at all as this will only disrupt  your regular sleeping routine.
• Limit your exposure to digital devices an hour or two before bedtime. This study was able to linked better sleep quality to limited TV exposure at night.

Your Facial Rejuvenation Options in Worcester and neighboring areas

Let us help you put your best face forward with our personalized facial rejuvenation treatments! You can choose to either go for surgical options or go the minimally invasive route. Call Julie Gilson, our very accommodating patient coordinator, at 508-334-5990 or fill out this contact form to set up a consultation.We look forward to your visit!