The Not So Sweet Truth About Sugar!

How sugar affects our skin and how we can treat it?

Added sugar is the single worst ingredient in the modern diet. Not only does is cause weight gain, and health issues it effects our skin as well, didn’t know that? Well read on to learn all about how to sugar proof your skin!

Sugars are carbohydrates, like all carbohydrates they provide a source of energy for the body. During digestion, sugars such as lactose and sucrose are broken down into simple sugars. These simple sugars then travel through the blood stream to our cells. Here they provide energy to create proteins or get stored for later use.

There is no nutritional difference between sugars, and your body will use all types of sugars in the same way. Sugar occurs naturally in all foods that contain carbs, including fruit! They are an essential source of energy, but too much added sugar (like cakes, sweets, and soft drinks) can have an adverse effect on the body and your SKIN!

Did you know that Glycosylation is possibly the single biggest contributor to cross-linked wrinkles?

Within our skin sugar is responsible for the process called Glycation. Glycation is the cross-linking of proteins and sugars to form non-functioning structures within the body. As we age the storage of excess sugars in the body shift to the connective tissues of the skin. These excess sugars pool around healthy skin cells and crystallise, causing a weight on the collagen, reducing elasticity and normal cell proliferation When this process happens, premature aging happens!

Sugar increases blood insulin levels, which in turn triggers the process of enzymatic and hormonal reactions causing inflammation within the gut and skin. Glycation increases the number of inflammatory cells in our bodies, and this inflammation damages our skin. This creates the appearance of crosslinked wrinkles, causes a loss of elasticity and the destruction of collagen due to glycated fibres that become less elastic with reduced regenerative abilities leading to skin damage.

Glycation also causes the formation of free radicals and oxidative stress which accelerate aging! Even though one of the most affected proteins during Glycation is collagen (hence why the skin sags and becomes wrinkled) sugar is also a powerful dehydrator. It affects our sebaceous flow and water levels in the skin. With a boost in oil production and a lack of water in the skin we not only have problems with a loss of elasticity, wrinkles, lacklustre skin but also the increased possibility of breakouts!

Sugar and refined carbohydrates can cause a surge of hormonal insulin, this can contribute to an increase in testosterone levels which can in-turn play a role in acne. As it also dehydrates the skin and stimulates oil production, pores can become clogged and bacteria can flourish. We also know that it causes inflammation within the skin and this can lead to sensitivity flare ups. For chronic skin conditions such as Acne or Rosacea cutting sugar out of your diet as much as possible will reduce swelling, redness, sensitivity, and reactivity of the skin.

As Glycation occurs in the body it also produces free radicals. Free Radicals are linked to aging, they are unstable atoms that cause damage to our cells. So, having a high sugar diet produces massive amounts of free radicals.

So what can we do to prevent this?

It would be almost impossible to remove sugar 100% from our diets, but there are ways we can reduce our sugar intake and consume healthy amounts. Avoid processed sugars, opt for more nutritional options such as coconut or date sugar. Choose unsweetened almond milk instead of dairy, reduce your intake of fruit juices (they are high in sugar).

Try and stay away from high sugar foods such as white bread, pastas and white flour, fruits like grapes, bananas and apples are high in sugar also. Opting for berries and green leafy vegetables will be more beneficial.

DMK Treatments

When it comes to treatments and Home Prescriptive products DMK have numerous products that can help reverse the signs of Glycation and encourage the skin to function optimally. It is of course important to maintain a healthy balanced diet as well as have professional treatments to effectively treat Glycation, Acne, Rosacea, and Aging within the skin.

On very thickened, wrinkled skin we have various DMK professional treatments that are fantastic. We have our Signature DMK Enzyme Therapy & Pro Alpha Six Layer Peel to name two.

Our Enzyme Therapy can help to strengthen the structural integrity of the skin. During a 1.5-hour treatment our enzyme masks work to stimulate lymphatic drainage, boost circulation – which brings fresh oxygenated blood to the area, and this encourages new collagen production. We also trigger enzymatic activity within the skin, there are many enzyme and coenzyme (vitamin) activities that occur naturally within the skin that control its normal functions. If for any reason, whether environmental or internal these activities are disturbed we can start to see the signs of aging.

DMK believes that the origin of all skin conditions is disharmony in skin function (such as Glycation). Our therapists offer customized treatments that match your body’s chemistry. During every DMK treatment our therapists use the concept of Remove, Rebuild, Protect & Maintain to restore balance, and enhance optimal skin function.

“There are no secret formulas, no special techniques from abroad and no miracle scientific breakthroughs that alleviate all skin conditions, including ageing.” – Dr. Danné Montague King, Founder of DMK.

Pro Alpha Six Layer Peel – this is a unique advanced resurfacing treatment from DMK. It is for those who want to significantly reverse the signs of aging.

In just 10-14 days you can see dramatic results. The Pro Alpha Six-layer Peel is an integrative aesthetic approach to skin restoration. This professional treatment revises damaged skin and works to re-establish the skin’s structural integrity.

The Pro Alpha Six-layer Peel is an exclusive blend of AHAs and BHAs, applied systematically in layers. The strength of the formulation is tailored by your therapist to suit your skin colour, texture, sensitivity, and skin condition. This treatment is unique in the fact that it REMOVES and REBUILDS at the same time. In just 10-14 days, old damaged skin tightens, lifts and peels away to reveal plump, younger-looking, smoother skin.