Are you constantly stressed, not knowing what to do first, and does it seem like fatigue is affecting your health and the appearance of your skin? You're not mistaken. Stress has a huge impact not only on our inner experience but also on our appearance. In an interview with Eva Jankovich, a doctor in aesthetic medicine and plastic surgery, we will look at how we can help our skin fight stress from both the outside and inside.
Dr. Eva Jankovich works at the ENVY aesthetic clinic, where she specializes in aesthetic medicine, plastic surgery, and dermatology. In her practice, she focuses not only on comprehensive skin care but also on modern treatments that can effectively and gently address various aesthetic problems and prevent the first signs of aging.
In the interview with the doctor, we discussed how stress affects our skin and what are the first warning signs that our skin is in "emergency mode". Together we delved into the world of advanced procedures that can slow down aging, hydrate and nourish the skin, and at the same time restore its firmness and elasticity. You will also learn what an ideal morning and evening skincare routine looks like and find out what women visiting aesthetic clinics currently desire most. What are the latest trends in aesthetic medicine?
It is said that stress accelerates skin aging. Is this true?
Yes, stress affects skin aging on several levels. During chronic stress, the body produces an excessive amount of the stress hormone, cortisol, which then acts on all aging processes and accelerates them. Stress activates an enzyme called matrix metalloproteinase, which then breaks down collagen and elastin, which, as we know, are the basic building blocks of the skin.
However, overall, stress also reduces our body's ability to independently produce collagen or hyaluronic acid, which is extremely important for skin hydration. All this together leads to a loss of elasticity, firmness, and hydration. Let's not forget that as soon as the skin is not sufficiently hydrated, it is prone to more acne, it is dry, wrinkles deepen more. Because the skin loses elasticity, new wrinkles are formed and the contours of the skin generally sag.
So, we can also "thank" stress for the loss of elasticity, sagging, wrinkles… Can long-term and excessive stress also worsen various skin diseases, such as eczema, rosacea, dermatitis, and the like?
Yes, it can. When we have chronic stress for a long time, our skin also suffers, and chronic inflammation develops in it. And if the skin is chronically inflamed, it can, of course, lead to the formation of acne, rosacea, dermatitis, and various other damages because the skin cannot regenerate sufficiently.
Let's also not forget that when we are stressed, we excessively use facial muscles. We frown more, we use our forehead more, we clench our teeth, we pull our lips together. The more these mimic movements we have, the more mimic wrinkles are formed – such as the typical frown line on the forehead or wrinkles around the lips.
And last but not least, when we are stressed, we often also have insufficient or poor quality sleep – which means that less melatonin, which is a very strong antioxidant, is produced in our body. If we have too little of it, melatonin stops protecting cells, and the production of growth hormones, which are very important for skin regeneration, also decreases.
Stress can indeed have a very negative impact on skin health, on several levels. The result is that our skin looks old, has more wrinkles, is dry, inflamed, and lifeless.
There are, of course, various techniques to combat stress, but these are more about caring for our mental health. And the truth is also that we can't always just get rid of stress with a magic wand. If we don't want our skin to suffer from it, how can we help it?
Awareness of the presence of stress, which affects almost all of us, should be an impetus to include protective substances in skincare – those that help the skin resist its harmful effects. It is certainly appropriate to include cosmetic products with antioxidants in your daily routine. Almost every woman knows the most common antioxidant – vitamin C, which can brighten the skin, supports collagen production, and also protects the skin from UV radiation. Known antioxidants also include vitamin E, resveratrol from red grapes, coenzyme Q10, or niacinamide.
If the skin is already chronically inflamed, very sensitive, and regenerates poorly, substances that soothe it are recommended – e.g., creams containing panthenol, aloe vera, and the like.
Because stress reduces the production of hyaluronic acid and we need to restore the skin barrier, it is essential to provide the skin with substances that will help hydrate it. The very well-known hyaluronic acid, which strongly binds water and prevents the skin from dehydrating, is excellent. Ceramides, which strengthen the skin barrier so that the water already in the skin does not escape, are also excellent. And light squalane oil, which hydrates the skin without clogging it, is also very good.
Among the substances that can also affect collagen stimulation are peptides (in creams or serums), retinoids (but these need to be chosen very sensitively and carefully), or bakuchiol – which is an alternative to classic retinol. These substances in cosmetics are, of course, less effective than the aesthetic treatments we can perform.
Our tip: Vitamin C along with a complex of B vitamins is one of the ingredients of all our nutritional supplements – whether you choose still Care Water in a bottle or lightly carbonated Care Bubbles in a can, you don't have to worry about the supply of essential vitamins.
What procedures and treatments would you recommend for someone with "stressed" skin?
Here, it is first necessary to determine whether signs of natural aging are already adding to the stress. However, it is very important to explain to women that, unfortunately, there is no single miracle treatment that will solve all their problems. I always say that it's about combining the internal with the external. The "inside and out" approach.
Similarly, individual treatments must be correctly combined. In aesthetic medicine, it is said that one plus one is not two, but three. Because, if we correctly combine two treatments, it has a greater effect than if we did one alone, even several times.
Among the least invasive treatments are so-called "energy-based devices" – devices that use various forms of energy to stimulate collagen production. These can include, for example, microneedle radiofrequency, focused ultrasound, or thermolifting based on tissue heating. Furthermore, there are biostimulants – substances and technologies, of which there are already a large number on the market today. Their common goal is to activate the natural production of collagen in the skin. They are divided according to how strong a collagen effect they evoke, and often also according to the manufacturer or the technology on which they are based.
These treatments are among the current trends in aesthetic medicine. Some of the most powerful technologies can increase collagen production by up to 67%, with visible results appearing after the first treatment – the skin is firmer, more youthful, and clearly revitalized.
According to the latest publications, these biostimulants also affect elastin – skin elasticity. They also stimulate fat tissue, which sags with aging, and regenerate it. This means, for example, that women who have lost a lot of weight or whose face has sunken with aging can regain lost volume and elasticity thanks to biostimulants. At the same time, these devices also have regenerative properties – they reduce scars, improve hydration, and brighten the skin.
An interesting and newer substance in aesthetic medicine are exosomes – substances that trigger reparative processes in the skin. These are extremely suitable for women who have chronically stressed skin, or who suffer from problems with rosacea or various dermatitides.
And last but not least, hyaluronic acid is also injected into the skin – not the filler type. This locks the acid in the skin, the skin absorbs water from the body, and the skin is again hydrated.
We've discussed what the skin needs externally, but you yourself say that it's also about how we treat our skin and ourselves internally. Are there any substances/nutritional supplements you would recommend supplementing with?
There are an extreme number of supplements on the market. However, the most important combo I see with regard to the complexion and skin is definitely collagen, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin C. This is a basic foundation that everyone who wants to maintain healthy skin into old age should use.
But, of course, there's more. In addition to vitamin C as an antioxidant, resveratrol – from red grapes – is also a very good and strong antioxidant. I would also recommend probiotics, but it depends on how a person's microflora is set up. Sometimes, even hyaluronic acid is enough to help correct intestinal microflora, but other times it is necessary to add probiotics to the body.
And as for collagen, it is important to observe what form it is in – it should be hydrolyzed. For the skin, type 1 and 3 collagen are the most important.
Our tip: Try our lightly sparkling Care Bubbles cans for regeneration and beauty, containing a vegan collagen alternative, coenzyme Q10, 74 marine minerals, and 6 vitamins. The vegan collagen alternative you'll find in our Bubbles is an identical copy of human type 1 collagen, and studies have confirmed that it is more effective than any other animal-derived collagens.
Amidst the flood of advertisements and trends that bombard us on social media and TV commercials, can you advise women on what their morning and evening skincare routine should consist of? We've heard it should have 3 steps, but also 10. So, what's the truth?
Let's start with the morning routine. In the morning, the skin needs to be cleansed first – but every skin is different, and it needs to be treated accordingly. If the skin is stressed, we choose gentle cleansing – cleansing gel, foam, ideally without sulfates and alcohol, which could irritate it. After cleansing, always rinse your face with clean lukewarm water – not too hot.
The second step is toner. We choose this according to what the skin needs. We can choose, for example, a hydrating toner. In the third step, it's time for serum. The best ones, in my opinion, are those that are already combined. It's great if the morning serum contains an antioxidant (e.g., vitamin C), hyaluronic acid, or some other hydrating ingredient. Then follows a hydrating cream. It's good if this cream contains, for example, ceramides, which restore the skin barrier. And finally, SPF, which is the alpha and omega of skin care.
So, in the morning: cleanse, tone, serum, cream, SPF.
Now let's move on to the evening routine. In the evening, due to makeup, it is appropriate to do a double cleansing of the skin. First, remove makeup and then wash – ideally with a gentle product, such as a hydrating gel. After cleansing, again apply toner, and the third step is serum – a retinol serum, for example, is suitable. However, retinol needs to be introduced into the routine gradually. If you use it, it is also advisable to apply a richer hydrating cream later to avoid irritating the skin too much. So, finally, a cream follows. Of course, from time to time, it is appropriate to treat yourself to a face mask. But on a normal day, it's 5 steps in the morning, 4 in the evening.
Can you tell us at the end what the current trends in aesthetic medicine are? What do patients most often come to you with?
More and more women are coming to us for consultations, and what troubles them most is skin quality and the first signs of aging. Today, women follow the trend of "pro-active beauty", meaning they try to care for their skin even before a problem arises. This trend also dominates abroad. Or they often come because they desire various "anti-aging" treatments, wanting to look younger.
Perhaps our target audience just isn't choosing us, but fewer and fewer young girls are coming to us who only want bigger and fuller lips or a change in facial contours. The core of patients already think ahead and come for regular visits – protocols. We have a regular relationship with them, where they visit us from time to time and undergo a specific procedure – healing skin treatment, skin hydration with hyaluronic acid, skin firming, collagen stimulation... They simply maintain their skin regularly so that it doesn't age. It can be said that just as people used to go to a beautician regularly, today women may similarly go for health procedures at an aesthetic clinic.
The latest trend in aesthetic medicine for the coming year is expressionality – meaning that everyone wants to keep their unique features. People no longer want to change themselves, they don't all want straight noses, cheekbones, and pointed chins. Today, women come to us more often with the desire to not look different. They just want to look better, rested, less tired. Women want to keep their unique selves, they just want to look a little bit better.
Aesthetic medicine is also a huge science – how to perform a treatment correctly and in a way that is not only beautiful but also healthy and safe. Patients should also keep this in mind, especially if they are choosing various cheaper options.
