Everyone knows, or should know, the benefits of staying properly hydrated: keeping energy up, losing weight, improving brain function and more. But do you know that getting enough water can be vital to healthy-looking skin?
The Skin Dangers of Being Dehydrated
When you don’t drink water, your body becomes dehydrated and that is reflected in your skin. Dry skin is less elastic than normal skin, so it’s at greater risk of developing cracks and wrinkles.
Dryness can also make your skin look dull, removing the facial glow that healthy skin produces. It can also become flaky and itchy, especially in the winter when the air is dry as well. Cracked, flaky skin does a poor job of keeping potentially hostile microorganisms out of your body causing a greater risk of developing skin infections.
Being dehydrated also has negative effects beneath your skin. Your body’s production of collagen, the connective tissue that makes skin look full and soft, requires water. Without collagen, your skin can lose volume and sag. Once that occurs, individuals would opt for facial and dermal fillers to create volume and fullness where it is lacking. For example, your board-certified dermatologist will select from a variety of fillers depending on the treatment area and the depth of the crease and amount of volume loss in the face. Some studies show that the production of sebum, or skin oil, also depends on proper water intake to operate properly. If your skin is dry, your oil glands may overproduce sebum to compensate, increasing the risk of clogged pores and/or acne breakouts.
How to Get Enough Water
Ideally, you should aim to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily. A refillable water bottle is a great way to work toward this goal, because you can drink whenever you feel like it. Alternatively, try to include a glass of water every time you eat.
Also, be sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables! Foods such as spinach, broccoli, carrots, and peppers are very high in water content and can help keep you well hydrated.
Being sure you get your daily water is an important step to a healthy lifestyle. You’ll see the difference quickly as you feel more energetic and your skin softens and brightens, producing the facial glow of youth.