Can you feel that cool breeze in the air? Have you had your first Pumpkin Latte? Yes, it’s Fall. Maybe the season isn’t showing it’s colors so much here in the Lowcountry yet, but we all know it’s that time of year… how? It’s football season!! Whether you are cheering on Carolina or Clemson, pulling for the Panthers, or your own home team, everyone has a case of Football Frenzy this time of year.

With the weather cooling down and tailgate tents going up one thing that is easy to forget is to HYDRATE. We don’t mean with your favorite cocktail, but with actual water. You would be amazed at the effects dehydration, not only has on your health, but also for your skin!

Dehydration occurs when a person loses more fluid than they take in. The common rule of thumb is to drink 8 glasses of water a day… but we also all know we aren’t made from cookie cutters and that doesn’t simply work for each of us. The standard to go by is to drink half of your body weight in ounces per day (If you are 150 pounds you should drink 75 ounces of water daily, or about 9.5 cups of water). We mentioned that your favorite cocktails don’t count, what about your daily tea or coffee? Unfortunately, no. Due to acidic levels and caffeine content water is actually used by your body to metabolize and digest these tasty goods.

Without water most organs cannot function properly: think liver and kidneys. Your skin is the largest organ on your body it needs hydration as much as the rest of you, even from the inside out. Healthy skin contains up to 20% water (dehydrated skin and dry skin are two different ailments, inside vs outside). If you are seeing uncommon signs of acne or unusually dry, worn, wrinkled skin, check your hydration… you could be not getting enough water in your daily diet. Increasing your water intake can simply reduce these symptoms and others as well (such as aches & pains, headaches, and fatigue).  If you feel like adding additional water to your diet doesn’t help visit your dermatologist to eliminate any serious conditions.

Continuous dehydration can also cause premature aging in the skin. When dehydrated skin loses its ability to retain moisture it affects the flow of fluids and nutrients within the skin’s cells, eventually, if not treated, these cells can become damaged. Without proper hydration your skin looses collagen- it literally dries out. Want the best kept anti-aging secret? Drink more water! Many of the latest beauty treatments and creams have collagen, which is a great ingredient (especially if you’ve neglected your hydration for too long), but the best way to replenish and sustain your natural collagen is to stay hydrated.

While cheering on your favorite teams this season, enjoying the cooler weather and all year round remember to carry that water with you (even if it’s between the cocktails)… it will do wonders.

Happy Fall from all of us at Germain Dermatology!

Marguerite Germain