So, you think you lead ahealthy lifestyle, eat the right stuff, exercise adequately and lookafter your skin. Stop and take
a closer look. Are you doing things thatcould inadvertently
damage your skin? These silent killers may be thereason your appearance is lacklustre despite your best efforts.1. Not drinking enough waterThisis perhaps the most repeated advice and the least followed. Your bodyneeds at least two litres a day to remove toxins from your system,partly through your kidneys and partly through your skin. Lacking this,toxin build-up will affect your skin as well as your general health,making you tired and dull. Keep that bottle on your desk, and drink!2. Picking your pimplesWedo it unconsciously, when nervous, or just as a habit. Pimples don'tharm your face permanently. What leaves untreatable scars is yourpicking, pinching and playing with them -- scars so deep that evendermatologist cannot get rid of them 100 per cent. Prevention is thebest cure, so stop touching your face and start proper anti-acnetreatment.3. Shaving the wrong wayAnd it isn'tjust men I'm talking to. Women who use razors for body hair also beware-- shaving against the direction of hair growth (ie from below upwards)causes ingrown hair, damaged follicles and introduces infections intoyour hair roots that can cause painful recurrent boils. Shave only inthe direction of hair growth -- this will prevent damage to your skin.4. Not using sunscreen on a hill stationYou'vegone for a high altitude vacation and the cold weather makes youbelieve you don't need sun protection -- wrong! At higher altitudes,there are lesser layers of atmosphere between you and the sun to filterUV rays, so your ultra-violet exposure increases. You need yoursunscreen all the more!5. Taking hormone
supplements for body buildingItisn't just the men, even women who want a 'toned' look quickly takeDHEA (DeHydroEpiAndroste rone) supplements. These are known to causeacne even in normal skin, and flare up existing acne. Proteinsupplements are fine though, and actually help your skin.6. Not reapplying moisture / sunscreenAreyou the jet setting type who slaps on lotion in the morning and thenspends the next two hours at work without a further thought about yourskin? Air conditioned offices sap moisture from your skin in a coupleof hours. Also, no sunscreen retains its effect beyond two hours. Applyfrequently -- at least during your lunch break, after a quick face wash.7. Waxing your upper lip / facial hairAtotal nightmare for your delicate facial skin -- the trauma causes tinymicroscopic bleeding into your hair follicles that, over time, healwith scarring and end up causing roughness and pigmentation that isextremely hard to treat.8. Going on a 'proteins only' dietFaddiets deprive your skin (and body) of essential nutrients. You needvitamins, minerals, antioxidants and various micronutrients that asingle food diet cannot give you. Talk to a professional dieticianbefore embarking on drastic diet plans and get them to prescribe theappropriate nutritional supplements.9. Late night partyingYourbody sleeps at night, but your skin doesn't -- most of its repair andrenewal work is done while you're in bed. Depriving it of the nightlyeight hours of rejuvenation will obviously leave it looking dull andtired. Good sleep is a must for good skin!10. Stressing outStressshows up after years on your heart and blood pressure, but almostimmediately on your skin. So listen to your skin when it is trying totell you something -- patchy complexion, blemishes, dullness, itchyredness, rashes appearing at periods of high stress, acne flare-ups --all point to unwarranted high stress levels. Try yoga, meditation,exercise, or whatever your best stress buster is.