What Exactly Is Skin Cell Turnover, and Why Does it Matter?

Each inch of your skin contains 19 million cells,about 1,000 nerve endings, 20 blood vessels, and around 600 sweat glands. Thecomplex mix of water, protein, fat, and minerals it contains give your skin itsstrength and glowing, smooth appearance. Many beauty treatments, including chemicalpeels from our Albuquerque-based spa, claim toaccelerate skin cell turnover—but what exactly does this mean, and why is it soimportant for your complexion?

Most of the time, we don’t even realize when theskin is taking care of itself through its own biological processes.

What we refer to as “skin cell turnover” is theprocess of your skin constantly getting rid of dead cells to reveal new,younger cells that replace them and maintain its overall health. This turnoverprocess happens roughly every 28 days for adults and is vital for skin health,as the outer layers are constantly damaged by external aggressors like UVradiation, bacteria, air pollution, and harsh chemicals.

When your skin cell turnover is fast, like it isduring childhood, the skin is smoother, supple, and more radiant, but the cyclebecomes slower and less efficient as you get older. When skin cell turnoverstagnates, you end up with blocked pores, dull skin, uneven texture, acne,hyperpigmentation, milia, and an increased risk of developing wrinkles.

In order to maintain bright, healthy skin, youcan:

• Use chemical or mechanicalexfoliants to scrub away the dead cells.
• Apply products containingstrong ingredients such as retinols that accelerate cell turnover, or vitamin Cproducts to undo damage from free radicals.
• Improve your diet by consuming healthy,vitamin- and mineral-rich foods along with plenty of water to help flush toxinsout of the body and reduce your sugar intake to control inflammation.
• Exercise regularly to enhance bloodcirculation and cleanse the skin.
• Make sure that you’re gettingenough rest. You need at least seven hours of good sleep each night to give yourskin time to repair itself and generate new cells.

If you would like to learn more about thebenefits of chemical peels from The Spa@ Western Dermatology Consultants, callus at 505-855-9267, or submita contact formto request a consultation.