Dr Tulika Arbat from Nagpur is an MD in dermatology. She has specialised in Aesthetic Dermatology and has received training in Lasers from Paris, France.

The trick to making and keeping a New Year’s resolution is to break it down into easy-to-achieve steps. Keeping your skin healthy and glowing is definitely a series of steps. If a great complexion and healthy skin is one of your goals this year, follow these simple skin care resolutions for success:

• Apply sunscreen daily,even when it is cloudy. Harmful ultra violet (UV) rays can penetrate your skin and cause damage on cloudy days too. Not only can wearing sunscreen helps protect your skin against sunburn, it also help prevent premature signs of aging ? wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots.
• Apply moisturiserwhen straight after the shower. Damp skin is most receptive to a moisturising lotions healing and moisturising properties. Moisturising your skin regularly helps in maintining the defense.
• Exfoliate regularly. Getting rid of dead skin cells keeps your skin looking fresh and bright. But be careful not to overdo it, especially in the drier winter months. Once or twice a week is plenty.
• Remove makeup at night. Take time for a thorough cleansing before bedtime. The skin needs to breathe overnight. And makeup prevents that as leaving it overnight clogs the pores, which may cause blemishes or blackheads.
• Don’t touch your face and stop picking at spots. Although it might tend to alleviate stress, but picking spots only makes them worse. Try your hardest to resist, and you’ll quickly see results.
• Avoid stress – Take out time for yourself and try to avoid stress as much as possible. Have you ever noticed that when you are stressed, you tend to have more breakouts. This is because stress causes your body to produce cortisol and other hormones, making the skin more oily. Practice stress management techniques like breathing exercises,yoga and meditation.
• Exercise regularly. Running, jogging andyoga will give your body the necessary blood circulation, and also accelerate the cleansing process of your entire body. You will notice a glow on your face after working out.
• Try to sleep at least eight hours every night. If you don’t get enough sleep, your skin gets tired just like you – it sags and you get bags. Good sleep is a secret behind good glowing skin.
• Drink plenty water. Dehydration can not only take its toll on your body, but it can cause your skin to appear dull and pale. People who tend to drink plenty water have a glowing skin.
• Maintain good health habits. Remember, the overall state of your health shows up on your skin. Get enough sleep, eat right and exercise regularly for vibrant-looking skin.
• Fix a yearly skin checkup with your dermatologist. Skin problems are treatable and curable when detected early. Perform monthly self-exams and keep an eye for suspicious looking moles and other irregularities.

The ideas and information expressed are solely by the columnist and not by Nation Next.

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