How Can Sleep Deprivation Affect Your Skin?

Are you doing everything you can to maintain healthy and beautiful skin? All of us would take extraordinary measures to preserve the youthfulness of our skin. We’ll invest lots of money on expensive skincare products, silk bed sheets (which can be found here), spa appointments, etc.

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There’s nothing wrong in investing your hard-earned money on these skincare items. In fact, taking care of your skin is one of the best ways to prevent signs of aging. However, we don’t want you to miss out on one more amazing skincare strategy that’s completely free— getting enough sleep!

How does sleep deprivation affect your skin? Continue reading to find out!

The Different Ways Lack of Sleep May Ruin Your Youthful Skin

The term, beauty sleep, is real! Here are the reasons why:

A night of sleeplessness may cause under-eye circles and eye redness.

Ahhh. This is the biggest skin issue that we’re facing right now. If you’re tired of concealing your under-eye bags and circles, the best thing that you can do is get enough sleep.

While there are people who naturally have dark circles around or under the eyes due to genetics, most of us suffer from this because of sleep deprivation. When you lack sleep, your blood vessel dilate ,which can make the under-eye area look darker.

Dilation may also promote pooling of fluid under the eyes, which causes eye puffiness—another eye skin problem we don’t want to have.

It puts you at risk of acne breakouts.

The rest and recovery of all our bodily functions and organs take place when we’re at sleep. This includes our skin. Unfortunately, our skin can’t get the recovery and healing it needs if we constantly lack sleep. One of the skin functions that will be affected the most is wound healing.

As a result, your skin will be at risk of inflammation which is the biggest trigger of acne breakouts! If you’re prone to acne, you have more reason to get enough sleep.

Not getting enough sleep makes your skin dry.

As the body’s largest organ, the skin serves as our body’s first line of defense. It acts as a barrier between our internal organs and the external environment. One of its roles is to prevent water loss and keeps our body hydrated. This is important in ensuring that all our body systems will function properly.

Unfortunately, the skin may not be able to do its job correctly when you don’t get enough sleep. According to experts, lack of sleep reduces the skin’s barrier function, leading to excessive water loss. Initially, this will cause our skin to dry. With chronic sleep deprivation, the entire body will be at risk of dehydration.

You may suffer from hair loss if you’re chronically sleep-deprived.

Not many of us know this, but chronic sleep deprivation may actually cause hair loss. When we don’t get enough sleep, levels of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in our body are reduced, which may contribute to the thinning of hair.

Additionally, studies established a connection between lack of sleep and higher levels of stress. Physical and emotional stress puts us at risk of telogen effluvium, which is a condition that has hair loss as its biggest symptom.

Lack of sleep will make you look older than your age.

Aging—this is the thing we all hate the most. However, we’re not taking the right precautionary measures to prevent it.

The combination of dehydration, malnourishment, and stress that our body goes through because of sleep deprivation will cause our skin to become more lined and looser.  In short, it causes wrinkles—the most prominent sign of aging.

The Bottom Line

There’s nothing wrong with putting on skincare products and going to spas for treatments. However, we should neglect the most effective skincare strategy of all—getting enough sleep.

Sleep works from within. If you don’t get enough of it, the skin damage will also start within. No matter how much you spend on spa treatments and skincare products, it will all be put to waste if you don’t get the sleep your skin needs.

Lucky for you, sleep is free, and you can avail it every night. Start enjoying it as soon as possible. Start tonight!