skin health

If it's been a while since you've been sun-kissed, you probably can't wait to jump into a bikini and soak up the warmth. You know it'll be quite a shock to your skin, but you think, "Hey, what's the harm in a little sunburn?" Well, unfortunately sunburns are like cigarettes — just one can increase your risk of cancer. The red, irritated, and painful skin may seem temporary, but even a slight sunburn can cause long-lasting damage. Every single sunburn you have experienced — from that excruciatingly tender burn you got visiting the Jersey Shore as a kid to the lobster-like face you got at your sister's wedding in Mexico last year — increases your risk of skin cancer down the road. In fact if you've had five sunburns in your life, your risk for melanoma doubles.

Persons with fair skin don't have much UV-protecting melatonin in their skin, so they burn easily, rarely tan, and are at a greater risk of skin cancer since they're more susceptible to severe, blistering burns. But those with dark skin can also develop skin cancer on paler areas of their body such as the palms of their hands, fingers, and feet.

Skin cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer, and the best way to reduce your risk is to never get a sunburn. Do that by seeking shade during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and when you're in the sun, wear lightweight layers and a hat to protect your skin. Apply two tablespoons of broad spectrum (UVA and UVB protecting) sunscreen 30 minutes before heading outdoors, and reapply every two hours or after swimming or sweating. Aside from reduced risk of skin cancer, you'll also have fewer wrinkles and age spots.

Once a month inspect your skin, paying close attention to skin-cancer prone areas such as your nose, cheeks, ears, neck, and shoulders so you'll be able to notice any changes or abnormal discolorations. See a dermatologist once a year to be fully checked and don't wait to make an appointment if you notice something suspicious. Skin cancer can be fatal, but if you take precautions, you can enjoy the Summer sun without having to worry.

It's almost that time of year, where our feet go free from the restraints of thick, wool socks and clunky Winter boots — yes, I'm talking about flip-flop season! In addition to being not the prettiest to bare, cracks in your heels, known as fissures, can worsen when skin is exposed to air; drying it out and cracking your skin even further to the point of bleeding and infection. It's hard to walk on, and even more painful if you run, so before slipping on your favorite pair of strappy sandals, do these three things to treat and prevent cracked heels.

• Soak up: In order to remove hard, dry, chapped skin from the feet, it needs to be softened. Fill a shallow bucket with warm, soapy water and soak your feet for 15 minutes.
• Become pals with pumice: Pick up a pumice stone from the drug store and after soaking, dip the stone in the water and gently rub it along the skin to exfoliate as much of the calloused skin as you can from the heels. Don't rub too hard or you might cause bleeding. Keep in mind that dry, cracked skin won't be cured instantly — it might take a week or longer of using a pumice stone.
• Dry and moisturize: Dry your feet completely with a towel, and allow to air-dry for 10 minutes. Generously apply hand salve or lanolin to your feet, slip on cotton socks, and keep them on for a few hours (or all night if doing this before bed).

Repeat these three steps every day for a week or two, until the fissures are healed. Continue moisturizing your feet daily to prevent future fissures.

You may curse the humidity when running on a hot Summer day, but during the Winter, you're probably wishing for it back. Dry, cracked skin can be a painful effect of exercising in cold weather, so in addition to moisturizing with your favorite lotion or oil, here are some things to do before hitting the hay that will offer relief.

1. Have a snack: If you crave a little something before bed, then reach for a snack that offers health benefits for your skin. Vitamin A-rich carrots or a mashed baked sweet potato will help to soothe your dry, flaky skin. Or get your dose of omega-3s and vitamin E with a handful of walnuts or some slices of avocado, nutrients that help your skin retain its natural moisture.
2. Fill up your humidifier: This isn't just for relieving cold and flu congestion. Adding humidity to the air will also help restore moisture to skin. Choose a cool-mist humidifier like this one from Crane ($50). Cool mist is safer than warm mist if you have kids or pets, and it also helps prevent mold from forming on your windowsills.
3. Hydrate: Drinking enough water throughout the day during the cold Winter months can be harder than in the Summer since your thirst isn't as strong. So make a habit of winding down with a glass of water. Be sure to finish it at least 30 to 60 minutes before going to bed to avoid waking up in the middle of the night with the urge to use the bathroom.

Skin, nails, and hair can be outward signals of your overall health and can indicate where you may be lacking in the nutrition department. Having a whole, well-balanced diet contributes to shiny, silky hair with minimal breakage and split ends. In addition, eating lots of antioxidant rich fruits and healthy fats can help clear skin and protect you from skin cancer. Lastly, loading up on nutrient-rich foods enables your body to grow strong, healthy nails without the dints, white spots, or hang nails. Here are the five foods you should eat regularly to start radiating health and natural beauty.

1. Salmon: Omega-3s contributes to a healthy scalp and keeps the skin lubricated. The protein helps fight against a protein deficiency, which can change your hair color, make your nails brittle, and your skin dull. Whip up some poached salmon with curried yogurt sauce to get your fix.
2. Cashews: High in zinc, eating cashews in trail mix or as a quick snack will keep your hair shiny, prevent white spots in your nails, and aid in healing acne or scabs on your skin. You could also opt to sprinkle them on top of your favorite veggie dish like this Indian spiced chard recipe.
3. Beans: Legumes and lentils have lots of biotin, a fatty acid complex that strengthens nails and hair.
4. Dark leafy greens: Kale, collard greens, and chard are just a few sources high in vitamin A and C, which your body needs in order to produce sebum, the oil that's secreted in your hair follicles. In addition, eating greens at every meal helps your body store more iron, which is essential for healthy hair and giving your skin a healthy glow. Here are seven ways to prepare kale — our fave green of the season.
5. Whole wheat: Start eating sprouted grain bread, buckwheat, and other variants of the West's favorite grain, because it contains selenium, a key mineral needed for healthy, cancer-free skin. Plus, studies have also shown eating whole wheat leads to clearer skin.

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Reduce wrinkles and look younger with your a.m. meal
By Mara Betsch, Prevention

There's more to getting healthy, glowing skin than buying the perfect anti-aging skincare products. "You can put on all the makeup and concealer in the world, but unless you're eating a diet full of beauty foods, your skin will not look its best," says Lisa Drayer, MA, RD, the author of The Beauty Diet.

Start your morning off right by whipping up these beauty-boosting breakfasts. They're full of beauty foods that protect your skin and keep it looking young, fresh, and absolutely radiant.

Omelet Italian-Style
Tomatoes add juicy flavor to this simple omelet, but they also boost skin health. "Tomatoes are the number one skin-friendly vegetable," says Jessica Wu, MD, a Los Angeles dermatologist and the author of Feed Your Face. Studies show that eating these bright red veggies may help fight sunburn, boost collagen, and even reduce skin roughness.

Get the Full Italian-Style Omelet Recipe!

Fruit and Spice Cut Oatmeal
Besides being heart healthy, this steel-cut oats breakfast may improve your complexion. While instant oatmeals are often packed with sugar, this recipe instead relies on spices, fruit, and a touch of honey for flavor. "Sugar may contribute to wrinkles, and there's research that shows that following a diet lower in refined carbs improves adult acne," says Drayer.

Try it Yourself! Get the Fruit and Spice Oatmeal Recipe

Keep reading for more anti-aging recipes!

DrSugar is in the house! This week she explains how best to minimize scars.

DrSugar,
About a month ago, I caught my leg on the corner of a metal daybed, and now have a nasty 3-inch scar below my knee. I have several weddings in the next few months where I wanted to wear a short dress, and was wondering if there is any natural or commercial product that would help the scar fade quickly.
— Scared of Scarring

I'm so sorry that you had an injury that has left you with a scar and that you asked this question. Scars are a natural part of the healing process after skin injury. However, various factors can influence how your skin scars. First and foremost, the depth and size of the wound and its location can affect how the scar looks. But, even your age, sex, ethnicity, and genetics can influence how your skin will react and ultimately what the scar will look like. Also, I must point out that scars will never completely go away, but there can be some treatments to minimize their appearance and size, if those are of concern to you. To learn more about scars and different treatments for scars, keep reading!

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

Skin Health
By the Editors of Prevention

Your birthday suit is pretty good at taking care of itself, but this process changes over time. Through natural exfoliation, your skin sheds dead cells as younger ones, generated deep in the epidermis (skin's top layer), migrate upward to replace them. In young, healthy skin, cells take about 28 days to reach the surface and flake off 12 days later, but as you age, renewal slows; new cells aren't produced as quickly, and old ones hang on longer.

Your skin also loses its luster over time as free radicals — generated from things like stress, cigarette smoke, and the skin's top enemy, the sun--cause cell damage that leads to discoloration and even cancer. Your body starts producing collagen, a protein that helps keep your skin plump and elastic, more slowly, causing the outer skin to become more prone to creasing and wrinkling. Cells also tend to lose moisture faster, due to hormonal changes, so skin becomes drier and less glowy.

Lifestyle factors, like avoiding excess sun exposure and wearing sunscreen when you head outdoors, getting plenty of sleep, washing and moisturizing your face at night, combating stress, and getting plenty of exercise, can all keep your skin healthy and youthful longer. And certain vitamins and supplements can help fight wrinkles, discoloration, and other signs of aging, too. But a key distinction here is that most of them work best when applied topically, not through pills or diet.

11 Foods That Give You Beautifully Radiant Skin

Best supplements

Omega-3s: These supplements aren't just making headlines for heart health — dermatologists also recommend them to help prevent dry skin and problems like psoriasis and eczema. These fats are a key component of the lubricating layer that keeps skin supple, and they aid in the production of hormones that improve skin texture and help combat the inflammatory damage wrought by free radicals--one of the causes of wrinkles and blotchiness. To get enough omega-3s in your diet, supplements are often recommended in addition to eating fish, walnuts, and other food sources.

Topical nutrients

You can get these from food or multivitamins, but for optimal skin health, use products that contain them too.

Vitamin A: Derivatives of this vitamin are known as retinoids, and you can find them in OTC or prescription products. They're proven--through more than 700 studies! — to reduce wrinkles, fade brown spots, and smooth roughness. The downside to their effectiveness is potential side effects. Retinoids can cause redness, scaling, and flaking that can last for weeks or more; OTC products tend to be milder than Rx ones.

More About Retinoids and Products That Contain Them

Vitamin B3: This B vitamin, commonly known as niacinamide, helps boost production of the compounds that comprise your skin's outer barrier, which helps it lock in moisture better. The ingredient is also shown to help reduce redness in rosacea patients and is especially helpful if you have dry or sensitive skin.

Vitamin C: Proven to mop up the free radicals that trigger wrinkling, sagging, and other aging changes, vitamin C also helps smooth and firm skin and fade brown spots. In one study, women who treated sun-damaged skin with a C cream for 6 months saw significant improvement in fine lines and discoloration. Though the benefits of retinoids and vitamin C sound similar, using both delivers more complexion perfection.

Vitamin E: This powerful vitamin eases dry skin (by helping skin retain its natural moisturizers) and bolsters UV defense. A slew of skin care studies document its superstar status. In one, E significantly reduced the number of skin-damaging free radicals created after exposure to cigarette smoke. Others show that when it's used before UV exposure, skin is less red, swollen, and dry, which is why the ingredient is often included in sunscreens.

See 7 More Doctor-Proven Beauty-Boosting Supplements

The Best Supplements For Your Skin