Why Does The Skin On My Face Feel Heavy and How Can I Fix It To Look Younger?

 Heavy Skin on the Face and Neck is something that can be treated. Some individuals are more genetically predisposed to thicker skin, but all skin types need regular exfoliation to be healthy. This is a common concern I see in men and women as they age.

HydraFacialTreatments to reduce pigmentation and thin cheek and under eye buildup.

In order to heal ourselves skin cells have a life cycle of approximately 14 days. It sounds gross, but we are constantly shedding the dead skin cells in order to make room for the new ones. The skin is made of several layers and the bottom layers are the live cells which are constantly reproducing. The dead tissue rises to the surface of our skin and sheds off. Since our skin is very porous, like a sponge, we have an outer film barrier made of oil, water, and dead skin. This film protects us from the traumatic effects of UV rays, keeps bacteria from penetrating our skin, keeps out environmental  debris, and acts as a moisture barrier to keep water in our skin. If we do not have this film on our skin we would dehydrate and look like an old dried up sponge. The draw back of this barrier is that it also traps our dead skin cells and prevents them from  shedding causing our skin to feel "heavy and droopy." This barrier also harbors bacteria which feeds on the the dead skin and causes acne. We need to get rid of this barrier and than replace it with a skincare product that will nourish and protect our skin mimicking the natural barrier. If we take away the natural barrier and don't replace it, our skin will FREAK OUT and overproduce oil in a desperate attempt to recreate the barrier to protect our skin.

Exfoliation is a general term we use meaning to break down the tissue buildup and thin the skin so that we can stabilize our barrier function.There are many ways to exfoliate from a simple at home scrub to a Physician Administered Fraxel Laser Treatment. I prefer a treatment with little down time and can have similar results to a laser in a 4-6 treatment series, the HydraFacial.

What ever exfoliation method your choose, keep in mind that your skin in constantly renewing itself so you also need to exfoliate regularly. Consult your Esthetician for the best plan of action to stay looking your best.