 A good night’s sleep is not only important for mental and physical health, but it also has a significant effect on your skin. Poor sleep can lead to dry skin, wrinkles, dark circles under the eyes (more tired appearance), and a weakened immune system, among other issues. This can impact health, appearance, and perceived social appeal1,2,3. Read on to discover what science has to say about the connection between sleep and skin health.
Did you know your skin has its own circadian rhythm? That’s right, skin has a rhythm cycle that relates to oil production, skin cell stimulation (for good and bad cells), sensitivity reactions, and aging. Stress and shift work can therefore impact this natural workflow of the skin and impact skin health and skin reactions like acne, rosacea, and eczema.4,5 The Key Role of Sleep in Skin Health. Sleep plays an important role in skin health because it repairs and renews cells, which helps keep skin looking vibrant and healthy. During sleep, the body goes through a process of restorative healing that affects your physical and mental wellbeing. Additionally, sleep can help regulate stress levels, which can reduce inflammation, as well as balance hormone levels that support cell growth. Research Links Poor Sleep to Premature Aging and Acne Breakouts. A study published in Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology6 suggests that individuals who sleep five hours or less each night experience premature aging of their skin, such as wrinkles, dark spots, and reduced elasticity. Furthermore, sleep deprivation has been linked to acne breakouts due to increased production of the stress hormone cortisol.7 Therefore, getting an adequate amount of quality sleep is essential for maintaining youthful-looking skin. So What Can You Do? 1. Establish a Bedtime Routine to Help You Get a Good Night’s Rest. To ensure that you're getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night8, it's important to create a regular bedtime and sleep routine as an essential part of any skin health plan. Just like diet and exercise, creating a consistent routine before sleeping can help promote healthy sleep and healthier skin. Try to go to bed at the same time every night and limit your exposure to bright screens at least one hour before sleep. Additionally, avoid caffeine late in the day, take a warm bath or shower to relax your body before bed, write down all thoughts that are worrying you to free your mind for sleep, read a book or listen to calming music before falling asleep. 2. Practice Stress Management Techniques to Improve Your Overall Sleep Quality. Stress is one of the main reasons for insomnia, which in turn can affect your skin by raising cortisol levels (the stress hormone). Regularly practicing stress management techniques like yoga, breathing exercises, or mindfulness meditation can help you get better sleep. These techniques can also reduce stress hormones that lead to breakouts and other skin problems. 3. Create a Conducive Sleep Environment Design a comfortable sleeping space that is cool, and with black-out curtains or eye masks to keep out light (especially important for shift workers). Fresh sheets and calming natural scents can also help set the stage for good sleep. Fight the urge to fall asleep in front of the television or electronics as this disrupts wind-down hormones. Incorporating these strategies regularly will signal your body that it’s time for rest and get you ready for a good night's sleep. 4. Supplements When All Else Fails If you continue to experience symptoms of poor sleep, there are products available to help improve your overall quality of rest, such as special pillows, cooling masks, weighted blankets, white noise apps, and supplements to support hormone regulation. Melatonin – this ‘sleep hormone’ is naturally made in our bodies from serotonin, during darker hours of the day. Its level naturally rises about 2 hours before bedtime to help put you into a state of calmness which is helpful for sleep induction. Bright light during morning and afternoon helps signal melatonin release in the evening. Blue light exposure neutralizes melatonin’s effect. Melatonin supplements (1-3mg) two hours before bedtime may help if you have difficulty with sleep initiation.9 L-theanine – is a naturally occurring amino acid that helps promote relaxation and reduced anxiety levels by increasing gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine, and serotonin which can collectively help slow brain activity, and improve calmness.10 For sleep, it may help some fall asleep more quickly without negative sedative effects. GABA – is a neurotransmitter (body chemical for cell communication) that helps clam brain cells from overwhelm, thus thought to help with sleep initiation for those whose brain is ‘racing’. It can be found naturally in some food sources and in supplements. According to a 2019 study, when combined with L-theanine, GABA can have a positive synergistic effect on sleep quality and duration when compared to either alone.11 5-HTP – 5-hydroxytriptophan is a natural by-product of tryptophan from the foods we eat. It is also found in supplements and helps our body produce more serotonin (helps regulate mood and sleep-wake cycles). In supplements it is thought to help increase natural serotonin, which in turn can help improve melatonin levels, and quality sleep.12 We have quality sleep aid supports available in the medi-spa for your convenience. I hope this has been informative and helpful in strategizing good sleep habits to optimize your healthy, youthful, and refreshed skin. See you at the spa soon. Cindy Fehr RN(NP)
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 Get your skin looking its best with these 5 key wrinkle-fighting tips that will not only reduce the look of wrinkles but enhance your skin’s natural glow.
Wrinkles can be a part of the natural aging process, but there are treatments available to reduce the signs of aging. From nutrient-rich moisturizers to laser treatments and injectables, you can improve your complexion by taking proactive steps in your anti-aging skin care routine now. 1. Hydrate and moisturizer your skin. Keeping your skin hydrated is an essential part of keeping wrinkles at bay. Sufficient water intake will hydrate from the inside while moisturizers help trap water in your skin and provide a barrier that limits access from environmental factors (like heat, toxins, and sunlight) which can further contribute to dryness or wrinkle formation. When selecting a moisturizer for anti-aging support, opt for one with a high percentage of humectants – substances that draw moisture from the environment and into your skin. Our favourites include Alastin's HA Immerse Serum to drench the skin in hydration, and Ultra Nourishing Moisturizer to maintain a healthy skin barrier with water-absorbing glycerin and smoothing lipid hydrators. Both are available at the spa for your convenience. 2. Protect your skin with sunscreen and antioxidants. Sunscreen is your skin’s best defense against wrinkles due to damaging UV rays from the sun (even on cloudy days). For best protection, choose a product with invisible zinc oxide and reapply every few hours. Our favorites are from Alastin and EltaMD, both available at the spa in regular and tinted formulas. Antioxidants (like vitamin C serum) are also vital in keeping wrinkles away and should be applied every morning. Antioxidants protect skin from damage caused by environmental factors like pollution and free radicals that breakdown collagen and elastin, which contributes to premature aging of your skin. 3. Nourish your skin with a balanced diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins and healthy fats, but free from toxins, sugars, and processed foods. Eating a balanced diet full of antioxidants and healthy fats is key to keeping your skin looking young. Look for foods rich in vitamins A, C, and E including brightly colored fruits and vegetables, as well as lean proteins like fish and nuts. Avoid processed or sugary foods as these can have a negative impact on your skin’s health. Nourishing your skin from the inside can help keep wrinkles away while working on your youthful glow. 4. Get adequate restful sleep every night. Sleep is essential in maintaining good health and reducing wrinkles. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body cannot recharge adequately and this can cause skin to age faster. Try to maintain consistent sleep patterns where possible, such as going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday. It is also important to have a routine that relaxes the body before bed, like taking a warm bath or reading a book. Remember to limit blue light exposure at least 2 hours before sleep and keeps your room cool. For added benefit, consider a high quality silk pillowcase so that your skin slips when you move or turn over at night. If you struggle initiating or maintaining sleep, we have well researched all natural supplements that can help. If getting up multiple times to the bathroom is disturbing your sleep, come talk to us about helping to build your pelvic floor with our Emsella Chair. 5. Build collagen with professional skincare treatments and home topicals. Nuromodulators (tox), otherwise know and wrinkle relaxers can help relax muscles that contribute to wrinkle formation. While tox can certainly help, collagen production is also key to recreating the cushion under your skin. Professional treatments such as chemical peels, microneedling, platelet rich plasma, and laser treatments can help build and maintain your skin’s collagen. To continue building collagen at home, consider adding topical products with peptides and retinol. Because retinol can be drying, we love our Alastin Retinol (0.25 & 0.5 strengths) infused with soothing Oat Extract and super hydrating Silver Mushroom. SUMMARY Reducing wrinkles and regaining your youthful glow does not have to be complex. Best results come from a combination of professional skincare treatments, healthy diet, quality supplements, sufficient hydration, sun protection, and an effective home skincare routine that can be done quickly each morning and night. Got questions or needing support in creating your unique wrinkle fighting plan, come in for a complimentary consultation. See you soon. Cindy Fehr RN(NP)  So what’s the BIG DEAL with the gut-skin connection?
EVERYTHING! Your gut and skin have a lot in common and are intimately connected via the gut-skin axis…when your gut is in disrepair (due to physical or emotional stress), your gut microflora (helpful versus damaging bacteria) become unbalanced (dysbiosis), leading to impaired nutrient absorption, build up of toxins and an inflamed leaky lining. This effectively opens the door to inflammation all over our body, including our skin, brain, etc. Our skin is a mirror to our gut health and hormone balance, which then shows on our skin as outbreaks of acne, inflammation, dryness, rashes and rosacea flares. Our skin turnover time is 28 days so what you see ON your skin may actually represent earlier stresses and imbalances. It also means that what you do today takes time to be seen on your skin so patience is vital. So what can you do? - reduce refined sugars, alcohol, processed foods - quit smoking and exposure to other harmful toxins - limit antibiotic exposure - daily teeth hygiene (yes, your mouth health also impacts your skin) - stress reduction (me time is important) - clean eating principles - add fiber and increase water intake - add a pre, pro, & post biotic (We have a great research-proven option at the spa for you) and more information on this in upcoming posts. What you put IN you body is AS IMPORTANT as what you PUT ON your body! Choose wisely and ask us for help…we LOVE supporting your WHOLE health for best skin and aging results. Want to know more? Come chat with us at the spa and follow us on social media (TikTok, Facebook, Instagram) for future educational posts on other skin and positive aging secrets! https://bio.link/NaturalBeautyMediSpa See you soon. Cindy Fehr RN(NP)  Summer isn't finished yet but our laser hair removal special will be ending very soon so don't miss out and book in for your underarms + bikini or brazilian today.
You will not regret starting this laser hair removal now because the results are permanent and will help you save time, money, and the pain on ingrown hairs and razor bumps. Book by calling the spa 204-822-8077 See you soon. Cindy Fehr RN(NP)  Absolute Truth! So much on social media and television is asking for conformity to trends and being like others...What a wonderful world it would be if uniqueness and authentic beauty was the norm instead of the minority! Stay uniquely you... full of beauty, spice, and go get em attitude! From one unique woman to another Cindy Fehr RN(NP)  Our role at Natural Beauty Medi-Spa and Laser Clinic (yes, we have a new name soon to be launched) is not to change your gifted beauty, but instead, help you look and feel your best at every age through highlighting your natural beauty! We have so many options to offer and will be adding new treatments packages, and special offers in the weeks to come, so stayed tuned! See you soon! Cindy Fehr RN(NP) 
You are unique and so is your skin! We help you achieve smooth, glowing skin with an individualized skin rejuvenation plan. Remember that achieving beautiful skin is possible for everyone but does take time and commitment. Your personalized plan may include: ⭐ neuromodulators (aka tox) ⭐ chemical peels ⭐ microneedling ⭐ platelet rich plasma (aka PRP) ⭐ fillers ⭐ laser photofacial or skin tightening ⭐ laser hair removal And ALWAYS incorporates a quality skincare regimen (that does not take too much time and is not super complex) & SPF DAILY! What are you waiting for...Book In TODAY for your complimentary consultation and start working on a plan that really works for beautiful, radiant skin! See you soon Cindy Fehr RN(NP)  Spring cold season is here and causing havoc in our house so here's a reminder of home remedies to soften those symptoms. My favorite is home made chicken noodle soup...comfort food for every seasonal cold in our house. Plenty of liquids, honey for a sore throat and cough, and lemon to boost my vitamin C levels. Some steak or seeds/nuts to boost zinc and kefir to support my gut (where your immune system fighters begin). Remember that antibiotics do nothing for a virus! Any concerns, get checked out! Be well everyone  Alastin's newest Canadian addition HA IMMERSE serum feels amazing and helps your skin look so smooth and hydrated!   Good news...we now have this in stock @shearblisshairsalon Start today for richly hydrated skin that just keeps getting better! Cindy Fehr RN(NP)  Female urinary incontinence is unpleasant, frustrating, and highly inconvenient. It is also incredibly common, with up to 95 percent of women experiencing a loss of bladder control at some point in their lifetime. It’s possible that because the condition is so common, many women simply accept that urinary incontinence is just of part of being a woman. This is an unfortunate misconception, especially for any woman whose quality of life is negatively impacted by incontinence. Women should know that there is no need to ignore or “deal with” urinary incontinence. The condition is very common and can affect women of all ages (not just older women.) Chances are that you likely already know someone who has lived with or is currently experiencing incontinence. We have a solution...PeneloPEE (aka Emsella) can dramatically improve symptoms so you can get on with everything you want to...including jumping on a trampoline 💗 See you soon! Cindy Fehr RN(NP) |
AuthorCindy is an experienced RN(NP) residing in Southern Manitoba, Canada, with a passion to support her patients looking and feeling their best at every age. This blog is to support patients in gaining knowledge about skincare, medical aesthetics procedures, and health & wellness practices. It is her goal to share the knowledge she gains from continuous reading of research, and regular continuing professional development sessions. Pursuit of personal and professional growth is paramount to Cindy and she loves to share this learning with her patients. Archives
October 2023
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