We’ve all heard about the benefits of beauty sleep and it’s little wonder why our most peaceful pastime is so heralded. Sleep is essential for rebooting both our bodies and minds and aids repair and recovery for a radiant awakening come morning.
When it comes to your beauty routine, sleep may be the closest thing there is to a fountain of youth. Your body repairs itself and recovers while you snooze, and that leads to a long list of benefits for your looks. The key is to get enough shut-eye — 7 to 9 quality hours each night.
“If you’re getting fewer than 6 hours, it’s likely affecting your appearance”, says Dr Low Chai Ling, founder of SW1 Clinic. Start getting 1 to 3 more hours of Zzz’s, and you could see some improvement in as little as a day. Keep it up, and “within 2 to 3 weeks, people will notice that you’re sleeping better by the way you look,” Dr Low says.
And as well as ensuring internal well-being and optimal overall condition, sleep also does wonders towards keeping our skin healthy as at night skin is safe from external factors like sun or wind, skin cells are regenerating and you’ll get maximum impact from anti-ageing ingredients.
Like it or not, Beauty sleep is real. Experts agree that quality rest is not just good for your general health – but does wonders for your skin. Here are 5 reasons why you ought to be hitting the sack before midnight, and a few cheats to help you fake it till you make it.
1. Fewer Wrinkles
Skin makes new collagen when you sleep, which prevents sagging. “That’s part of the repair process,” says Dr Low. More collagen means skin is plumper and less likely to wrinkle. While the magic number may differ between people, Dr Low believes that only getting 5 hours a night can lead to twice as many fine lines as sleeping 7 would. It also leaves skin drier, which can make lines more visible, she says.
Fake it: Nothing says tired like a lined complexion. Activate your collagen production factories with BBL Forever Young. It turns a sleep deprived, sallow complexion into a fresh and radiant one by stimulating all the skin renewal processes that have turned sluggish with lack of shuteye.
2. A Glowing Complexion
Your body boosts blood flow to the skin while you snooze, which means you wake to a healthy glow. Skimp on sleep and your complexion can look drab, ashen, or lifeless. According to studies, sleep deprivation causes a decrease in blood flow to the skin surrounding your face. As a result, skin becomes dull, and you don’t get those rosy cheeks anymore. No wonder Sleeping Beauty awoken with pretty flushed cheeks while the walking dead look …well dead.
Fake it: A poor skin circulation is the root of all evil. Not only will your skin look dull, poor circulation means you will be unable to bring nutrients and oxygen to your cells as well as you would want to. Toxins tend to accumulate as you are unable to clear them away optimally. To improve the oxygenation of the skin, experts recommend using oxygen therapy applied directly onto the skin. Delivered in quick blasts to the skin in facials such as O2 Blush, this enhances the health and vitality of the skin cells, bringing life and glow back to a tired visage.
Read More: How Not to Look Your Age (But Better)
3. Brighter, Less Puffy Eyes
Dark circles or bags under your eyes are tell tale signs of too little sleep. Get enough shut-eye and you’ll have less puffiness under your eyes, advises doctors.
“Stay well-hydrated and elevate your head with an extra pillow at night, too. That can also help reduce swelling” Dr Low advises night owls who battles with peri-orbital issues such as tired looking eyes and puffiness. Plenty of rest can also minimize dark circles. When blood isn’t flowing well — which happens when you’re low on sleep — it can collect under eyes and become visible, since the skin there is so thin. Discoloration under eyes can also be caused by breakdown of collagen in the skin under the eyes. Thinning skin can lead to the appearance of dark eye circles which is worsened with lack of sleep.
Fake it: Improve the quality of your neglected undereye skin with Revitalift. Special microinjections of skinbooster hyaluronic acid will thicken, firm and brighten dark eye circles.
Read More: The Best Ways to Get a Handle on Love Handles
4. Healthier, Fuller Hair
Hair loss, breakage, damage, and even growth can all be affected by lack of sleep. Hair follicles (where hair growth begins) gain nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from blood flow. Since blood flow decreases when we’re short on shut-eye, “hair gets less food, it weakens, and it has difficulty growing,” Dr Low says. Lack of sleep can also lead to a vicious cycle of adding stress to your system. Stress then causes an increase in the hormone cortisol, which can cause you to lose hair.
Fake it: Reduce hair loss and improve overall hair and scalp health with Revage 670. This low level scalp light improves the circulation of the scalp, helping you to fake a good night’s rest so your follicles stay strong and recharged.
Read More: 5 Skincare Hacks to Solve Dry Skin Prone to Acne
5. Happier, Healthier Appearance
Being short on sleep can cause the corners of your mouth to droop, making you look sadder than you do after a good night’s rest. When you’re tired, your facial expressions change in subtle and consistent ways. We tend to furrow and frown more. When people say, ‘You look tired,’ it can be because of these expressions.
Red, swollen eyes, dark circles, sagging eyelids, and paler skin can also signal to others that you’re exhausted. People who don’t get enough rest are also seen as less healthy than when they’re rested.
Fake it: Instead of walking around with a resting bitch face, consider freshening your expressions with a sprinkling of BOTOX. BOTOX when applied skillfully can leave you looking natural and happy, the perfect antidote to the devastating ill-effects of late nights.
Read More: 5 Best Ways to Banish Skin Redness Forever