[Doctor Bellevue Column 66.] Sleep, the Easiest, Cheapest, and Most Effective Way to Become More Beautiful

Hello?

The beginning of natural beauty,

A clinic open 365 days a year,

is 'Bellevue Clinic Doctor Bellevue'.

The reason she became PuaBao

"Doctor, my skin has been really bad lately. Every time I look in the mirror, my face looks like an extra from a zombie movie."

K, a long-time client of mine, sighed as she walked into the consultation room. Her face, which was usually well cared for, definitely looked different. Her complexion was dull, and the dark circles under her eyes were enough to remind me of PuaBao.

"Oh dear, have you been sleeping well these days?"

The question I asked as soon as I saw her condition. Sure enough, she shook her head and said,

"Sleep? What's that? Is it something you eat?"

Her witty answer made me laugh before I realized it. But the hidden concern behind the joke was nothing to laugh about, so I had to hold it in.

Sleep deprivation does more than just make you tired; it has a serious impact on skin health.

Today, I’d like to talk about this basic idea. Everyone, sleep is like the reset button for our bodies. For the skin in particular, that time spent sleeping should be thought of like time spent at a skilled aesthetic skin care shop with a great touch. While you sleep, your skin does an enormous amount of work: repairing the stress and damage it received during the day, creating new cells, and synthesizing collagen. Think of it as tiny, passionate skin care specialists working inside your body all night long. In fact, that’s exactly right!

During sleep, the secretion of growth hormone increases. This growth hormone plays an important role in promoting skin cell regeneration and collagen production. Collagen is essential for maintaining skin elasticity and hydration. Therefore, getting enough sleep can have an effect similar to applying a highly concentrated anti-aging serum to your skin every night.

On the other hand, what happens when you don’t get enough sleep? First, secretion of the stress hormone cortisol increases. This stress hormone triggers inflammation in the skin and promotes collagen breakdown. As a result, the skin becomes rough and dull, wrinkles form more easily, and skin conditions such as acne or atopic dermatitis can worsen. It’s like putting your skin into a martial arts match every night.

In addition, lack of sleep increases water loss from the skin. During sleep, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) decreases, which allows the skin to retain moisture more effectively. But if you don’t get enough sleep, this process doesn’t work properly, and your skin can become dry and sensitive. It’s like having an IV for hydration hooked up to your skin, and then someone comes along and pulls out the hose.

Sleep deprivation also has a particularly large impact on the skin around the eyes. Dark circles appear under the eyes, and the eye area becomes hollow. This happens because blood circulation is not smooth. It makes the skin under your eyes look as if it has depression. Fatigue throughout the body, stress, and lack of sleep all cause dark circles.

Doctor, then what should we do from now on?

▶ First, it is important to establish a regular sleep routine. It’s best to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. It’s like giving your skin an exact schedule. You can say, “Okay, I’m going to sleep now, so it’s your time to work hard for 8 hours!” and then go to bed.

▶ The quality of sleep is also important. During deep sleep, our bodies carry out regeneration and repair most actively. So you need to pay attention not only to the amount of sleep, but also to its quality. Avoid using your smartphone or tablet before bed, and creating a comfortable and relaxing sleep environment helps. If the bedroom temperature is low, wear pajamas; if you prefer to be bare-skinned without anything bothering you, take off the pajamas too. If your body is warm, it’s hard to sleep well. Avoid pillows or bedding that irritate the skin, and when it’s dry, it helps to run a humidifier or hang laundry in the room while you sleep.

▶ Your sleeping position also affects skin beauty. Sleeping on your side can put pressure on one side of your face, making wrinkles more likely to form. People with insomnia tend to repeatedly try to sleep with their eyes tightly shut, which makes forehead wrinkles between the eyebrows form more easily. If possible, it’s better to lie on your back and look at the ceiling while sleeping. (-> This may be difficult for people with back problems.)

▶ While lying in bed, slowly exhale so that there is no unnecessary tension in your eyes, lips, shoulders, abdomen, hands, or feet, and gently say to yourself, “Relax, you worked hard today too. I’ll take care of you.” I find this kind of self-hypnosis very effective for relaxation. It also helps me fall asleep better in practice.

▶ Skin care before bed is also important. It’s best to wash your face thoroughly and apply an appropriate amount of night cream before going to sleep. It’s like giving your skin a nutritious late-night snack. However, if too much oil goes in through ampoules, serums, creams, and so on, it can clog pores, so be careful. Try using a small, simple selection of functional cosmetics and switch them from day to day to find products that suit you. It’s extremely difficult to find the one that fits your skin among countless products, but once you do, it can be very helpful. There will be ingredients each person needs, so I won’t recommend specific products. For now, remember that the most important thing in cosmetics is the 'ingredients'! Don’t obsess over brands.

▶ Finally, hydration. It’s good to drink a moderate amount of water before going to sleep. But be careful not to drink too much, as it may disturb your sleep because you have to go to the bathroom during the night. If you keep waking up because you need to urinate, it’s better not to drink water before bed. Be sure to use the bathroom at least once before sleep.

Everyone, remember this. Sleep is the cheapest yet most effective beauty treatment. Seven to nine hours of sleep every night can have an effect on your skin similar to going to a luxurious, top-tier spa. Give your skin the rest it deserves. When you look in the mirror in the morning, you might even hear your skin whisper, “Thank you.”

That’s all for today.

Thank you for reading.

This has been Doctor Bellevue~!

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