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A Winter's Tale
As we age, our skin begins to exhibit many changes. However, depending on our skin types, we may not have to wait until we reach our 40's, 50's, or 60's to begin to develop signs of skin damage.
Many of my younger patients have fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, roughness, dullness, and other problems resulting from excess sun exposure, regardless of the time of year.
Winter takes an especially hard toll on the skin. If you enjoy winter sports such as skiing, your face can take a real beating on the slopes. Bright sun and strong winds, as you race downhill, can accelerate the aging process as much as a mid-summer's day at the beach.
Unfortunately, thanks to the bitter cold temps and wind chills this winter, you don't need to be in the mountains to suffer the results.
Cold Mountain
My search for an effective restorative for skin suffering from harsh, drying, winter wind and temperature extremes was motivated in part by a patient named Rifka - a champion skier who spends every free minute on the slopes. Rifka came to me because her face and hands were very rough, dry and reddened from the harsh weather conditions. Although she is only in her twenties, her hands looked like they belonged to someone much older.
Areas of the body that show the earliest signs of aging or environmental stresses are the eye area, the throat, and the back of the hands. But, unfortunately, you don't have to be an athlete for your hands to suffer abuse. Year round, they suffer exposure to drying indoor and outdoor air, damaging sunrays, harsh cleaning chemicals, and many types of bacteria. Many patients express great concern about thinning skin on the backs of their hands and resulting loss of elasticity. Our faces also bear the brunt of constant environmental exposure; it is the one area of body that never has protection from clothing.
About Face and Hands
My goal was to find something very targeted that could help heal Rifka's fissured, cracked skin on her hands and return them to a smooth and plumped up appearance. At the same time, I needed an emollient substance gentle enough for the face, one that would nourish and protect the skin and eradicate the damage from the elements.
One of my passions as a physician and a dermatologist has been the discovery of efficacious antioxidants to prevent and reverse the effects of aging in all organ systems; most particularly the skin.
Like alpha lipoic acid, DMAE, neuropeptides and Vitamin C Ester, discovering the benefits of a unique substance known as polyenylphosphotidyl choline or "PPC" represented a genuine breakthrough. Found naturally in lecithin, a fatty constituent of soy beans, PPC offers a wide range of benefits when taken as a supplement, including enhanced liver function and increased brain activity.
Beauty and Brains
PPC also exhibits classic examples of the brain-beauty connection: in other words, what is good for the brain is also good for the skin, and vice versa. This excellent dietary nutrient has a direct effect on the plasma membranes of our cells. The cell plasma membrane is vitally important. It protects the cell and performs a regulatory function wherein it determines what amounts and types of molecules can enter and leave the cell.
PPC also keeps the delicate membranes of our cells fluid, allowing them to function at optimal levels. By preventing them from becoming stiff and inflexible, it allows nutrients to reach other portions of the cell, while allowing the removal of harmful waste products. Young cells - and therefore young skin - are both characterized by this PPC-dependent fluidity.
The term "polyenyl" in polyenylphosphotidyl choline means there are multiple areas on the phospholipid molecule that have double bonds. The unique structure surrounding the double bonds provides antioxidant activity. When a molecule has double bonds it is called unsaturated, and this particular type of molecule, when applied topically, has natural emollient characteristics that allow it to soften dry skin while delivering powerful antioxidants. In fact, I consider PPC the best kept secret in skin rejuvenation.
My research led to the discovery of using polyenylphosphotidyl choline, (PPC), in a topical lotion, which offers protection to the cell membrane. Found naturally in lecithin, a waxy substance extracted from eggs or soybeans, PPC contains nutrients that offer a wide range of benefits.
Turning Back Time
I gave Rifka the PPC cream and she faithfully applied to her face and massaged it into her hands morning and evening. The fissures and cracks on the hands resolved rapidly and did not come back. Her prematurely-aged hands began to return to a more attractive, youthful look.
The flaking, dry and roughened skin on her face returned to its normal tone but with a difference. Rifka's skin glowed with that special dewy glow that topical PPC imparts.
Unlike Rifka, many of my patients' only exposure to winter weather is on the walk from their car to their office or home and then back again. Yet they too often experience hand and foot dermatitis, dry, reddened, cracked and bleeding hands, feet, elbows and knees.
It is rewarding for me to discover a natural ingredient like PPC and see long- lasting results.
Feet First
One final note. If you are planning a winter escape to the islands, you can restore your feet to summer-smooth, attractive, sandal-ready shape. Just massage a PPC-rich cream into your feet before bedtime, then slip on a pair of white cotton socks. When you awake, your feet will look and feel transformed.
As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Nicholas Perricone, MD, CNS |
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Last update: 01-21-2009 11:14
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