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農曆新年後的皮膚問題

After the Lunar New Year, with all the festive food and activities, there tends to be various degrees of skin problems that arise and need to be treated.

There are many types of Lunar New Year food that are delicious and tempting, such as melon seeds, pistachios, candied lotus seeds, crispy rice crackers, date rolls, lotus root chips, water chestnut cakes, taro shrimp, tangyuan (glutinous rice balls), turnip cakes, nian gao (sticky rice cakes), and more. These foods have one thing in common – they are all high in sugar and fat! While high-fat foods can cause weight gain and cholesterol issues, high-sugar foods not only accumulate in the body as fat but also have an inseparable relationship with acne. Studies have found a positive correlation between the concentration of insulin-like growth factor in the blood and the severity of acne. After consuming high-sugar and high-glycemic load foods, the concentration of insulin-like growth factor in the blood increases, thereby increasing the severity of acne.

In addition, high-sugar foods accelerate skin aging. This is because when you absorb more sugar, the sugar concentration in the skin increases. High sugar intake increases the chance of collagen being glycated, forming advanced glycation end products (AGEs). When collagen is glycated, the repair process of collagen is hindered, accelerating its aging. When collagen cannot be renewed, it can lead to fine lines, sagging, and other aging phenomena.

Furthermore, the Lunar New Year is also a peak season for travel, and many people take advantage of this rare long holiday to travel abroad. Skiing, diving, sunshine, and beaches have all become popular travel activities, exposing the skin to UV rays and accelerating the formation of dark spots and skin aging. Long-haul flights, dry weather in other places, changes in temperature, etc., increase the burden on the skin, leading to sudden outbreaks of eczema, sensitivity, acne, and other issues.

After the holidays, it is important to quickly restore the skin’s condition, and various treatments such as fruit acid peels, moisturizing therapies, laser removal of dark spots, and fat dissolving treatments can effectively improve these skin problems. However, prevention is better than treatment, so while celebrating the Lunar New Year, it is also important to pay attention to diet and skin health!