What is the relationship between skin and pollution
Skin and pollution is a closely related pair as the health of our skin is affected by the level of environmental pollution within which we operate every day.
Pollution is defined as contamination of the home and outdoor environment by chemical, physical, and biological agents that change the characteristics of the earth’s atmosphere.
The skin, as the organ responsible for protecting the viscera from interference by the external environment, is by definition the structure most affected by ‘sick’ variation in the environment.
The most exposed parts of the body are certainly the face and hands. But in the warmer months, during which we get exposed more, the risk also involves arms and legs.
The negative effects that polluted air causes on the respiratory system are well known; but those affecting the dermatological level are, however, greatly underestimated. Pollutants such as ozone, sulfur, lead and nitrogen oxide are deposited on the epidermis, forming a patina that clogs the pores, limiting sebum escape as well asskin oxygenation.
What are the effects of pollution on the skin?
- premature aging;
- Appearance of dark spots;
- Dull, uneven complexion;
- Dry, brittle and balding hair.
Air pollution comes into direct contact with the skin’s cellular organisms, reducing their oxygenation and production of elastin and collagen, which are essential for cell renewal. Because of this, there is anacceleration of the skin aging process, which manifests itself through the appearance of wrinkles, reduction of cell tone and elasticity.
As if that were not enough, smog can combine with UV rays generating what is known as photopollution, a phenomenon that has several negative effects on the skin, including hyperpigmentation, the cause of a dull yellowish complexion.
The most important transcutaneous penetration route is through hair follicles, regardless of the molecular size of the pollutant under consideration.
Hair can also be affected by stress andenvironmental pollution. They may in fact become dry, weak and brittle and, in some cases, fall off. In particular, environmental cigarette smoking is also associated with androgenic alopecia (baldness).
Finally, we often forget that important pollutants are found indoors. We live them constantly, just think about the kind of food we eat, the way we cook it, the kind of work we do and the environment in which we do it, the location of our house and the materials with which it is built.
A polluted environment exerts its deleterious effects on tissues and organs through the formation of malefic substances and free radicals.
Skin and pollution: indirect involvement
One factor that is often overlooked is that skin involvement can also be indirect, by the dermis, the vascularized layer of the skin, which receives, through it, the pollutant particles that we have inhaled or ingested and have gotten into the bloodstream.
Different pollutants interfere with each other, enhancing the deleterious effects on the skin: e.g., a smoker’s skin ages earlier and more intensely if it is also exposed to the sun.
High levels of environmental pollutants, especially cigarette smoke, are associated with the occurrence and aggravation of acne.
Skin and pollution: what to do to protect yourself
First, start with nutrition: a diet of antioxidant-rich foods, such as red fruits and leafy greens, helps stop the damaging action of free radicals on skin cells.
Paying close attention to the facial cleansing routine is another tool in our possession to remove dirt and impurities formed by the accumulation of pollutant particles, even when not wearing make-up.
In general, it is essential to make sure to deeply cleanse the skin and remove all traces of impurities released by polluted air. The use of a scrub or exfoliating treatment can be helpful in combating the appearance of blackheads and dark marks, while at the same time removing dead skin cells, which can make the skin appear tired and dull-looking.
It is important to always apply sunscreen, throughout the year, to protect the skin from UV damage, since, as we have seen, these make the impact of pollution on the skin even more harmful.
If you believe that environmental pollution has adversely affected the health of your skin by causing any of the negative effects described above, see a dermatologist as soon as possible.
We are waiting for you in Rome, Via Cola di Rienzo, 212 at our Prati Dermatology Medical Office for a checkup. Call 06 45471658 and make an appointment.
