What Are the Different Causes of Damaged Skin?

Our skin is the largest organ in our body, measuring about 20 square feet for the average adult in total and weighing 9 pounds. That’s about as much as a large newborn.

Unfortunately, skin also happens to be among our most sensitive organs, and damaged skin is not uncommon at any age. The good news is that skin is also resilient and can recover from almost anything.

Properly caring for your skin is a lot easier when you know about the threats it faces. We’ll talk about some of the causes of damaged skin and what you can do about it in this article.

Unbalanced PH

PH stands for Potential Hydrogen and is a measure of acidic or basic a substance is. A 7 on this scale is neutral, while anything lower is acidic, and anything higher is basic.

This is relevant because our skin also has a PH level. A thin layer of acid, measuring roughly 4 or 5 on the scale, protects us from various contaminants. This layer is known as the acid mantle.

The problem is that it doesn’t always regulate well. If the mantle gets too acidic, it can make our skin oily, while a level that is too basic can cause dry skin.

Sunlight

You’ve probably heard before that sunlight damages your skin, but it’s a little more serious than you might think. Any level of excessive sun exposure can be harmful, and our bodies have been letting us know for generations.

We hear conversations each summer about how some people tan and others burn. The truth is that both burning and tanning can lead to excess UV exposure and cause cancer.

Tanning produces excess melanin as a form of skin protection. Melanin is the substance in our bodies that determines skin and hair color, and it, in turn, has evolved based sun exposure. Darker skin and hair colors were evolved to protect against higher heat and more direct sun exposure, but melanin can only do so much.

Poor Diet

It seems like doctors are always finding new ways in which a poor diet can damage our bodies. Unhealthy skin is just one more of those ways.

Our diet influences every part of our bodies, from our weight to our digestion and even our hormone levels. It’s that last one that plays a particularly large role in our skin’s health. What we eat influences which hormones we create, which in turn regulates how much skin oil we produce, and too much oil can clog pores.

Most of us probably remember being teenagers, and for some of us that meant acne. Acne often occurs during puberty because our hormones are in flux during those years. The good news is that a good skincare routine with the proper products can help stop acne.

Damaged Skin and Where it Comes From

There are many potential causes of damaged skin, so many that we couldn’t cover all of them in this article. The best advice we can give is that improving overall health will improve your skin.

You can learn more about your skin and how to keep it healthy and beautiful by reading our blog. Feel free to contact us if you have questions.