By Hope Mitchell, MD
The Truth Contributor
It often starts with a glance in the mirror. A patient will come to me, gently touch her cheek, and say, “Dr. Mitchell, I don’t really see wrinkles, but something is changing.” She points out a dark spot that lingers longer than she’d like or a sagging of the jaw line, or mentions that her skin doesn’t have the same glow it once did. Sometimes it’s the under-eyes, where volume loss creates shadows or darkness that concealers can’t quite cover.
For those with melanin-rich skin, aging doesn’t always announce itself with fine lines first. More often, it shows up as those stubborn dark spots or uneven patches that seem to appear out of nowhere. While melanin does give a measure of natural protection and can delay the appearance of wrinkles, it also makes one more prone to discoloration when the skin is stressed.
That stress may come from unprotected sun exposure, acne, inflammation or even lifestyle factors like lack of sleep and poor nutrition habits. I often remind my patients that hyperpigmentation is not just a cosmetic nuisance. It can be a visible sign of both skin aging and underlying skin damage. Ignoring it means ignoring what your skin is trying to tell you.
September, which celebrates both Healthy Aging Month and Self-Care Awareness Month, is the perfect time to start paying closer attention to your health, including your skin health. There are many key components of healthy aging, including physical and mental health, but lifestyle factors and preventive care are equally important.
Healthy aging is not about turning back the clock, it is about amplifying internal and external factors that make vital contributions to skin health. Nutrition rich in healthy fats, protein, fiber, fruits and vegetables will help support gut health which influences skin and even hair health. Adequate sleep, an average eight hours nightly, is also important as not only do skin cells renew and repair themselves during this time, but brain and immune function reorganize and strengthen during sleep. Stress management, especially with physical exercise and drinking plenty of water daily, round out some key ways to support healthy skin from an internal standpoint.
The most important external factor that contributes to healthy skin is daily sun protection with sunscreen that contains spf 30-50 to protect from the damage of harmful ultraviolet rays. Everyone, including those with darker skin tones, should wear sunscreen daily. Melanated skin is not immune to skin damage that leads to skin cancer, uneven skin tone and premature aging appearance. Smoking harms just about every organ in the body including the skin. In addition to common cancers, smokers have a higher risk for COPD, artery disease, heart attack, stroke, type two diabetes, poor wound healing and, yes, dull, gray, wrinkled skin with loss of collagen and elastic fibers needed to preserve firm, healthy skin.
A patient once asked me, “Am I doing something wrong?” when her dark spots became more noticeable. The answer was no, she wasn’t failing her skin. Her skin was simply showing signs of its aging journey. Together, we shifted her routine to include daily sunscreen, a pigment-correcting serum, and a retinoid at night. Over time, not only did her spots improve, but she felt more empowered knowing she was actively supporting her skin’s health.
This month serves as a gentle reminder that caring for your skin is caring for yourself. Sunscreen each morning, a nourishing routine with ingredients that address discoloration, enough sleep, and stress management are not luxuries. They are acts of self-preservation.
Your Self-Care Prescription starts here:
Wear your sunscreen every single morning, even if the sun hides behind the clouds. This is the number one way to protect your skin from damage and slow hyperpigmentation or uneven skin tone.
Nourish yourself beyond products: prioritize appointments, nutrition, sleep, hydration, exercise and manage stress. Your skin will thank you.
Add an appointment to see a dermatologist to the annual physical exam.
And most importantly, be patient and gentle with yourself. Healthy aging is not a race. It is a journey of care and consistency.
Join Dr. Hope Mitchell for Rooted In Truth, a candid conversation about hair loss on Thursday, September 18, 5:30-6:30pm at Mitchell Dermatology, Perrysburg.