New research at the University Hospitals Medical center in Cleveland, Ohio demonstrates that poor sleep quality impacts both skin function and signs of aging.
The study showed that poor sleepers had increased signs of skin aging and slower recovery from a variety of environmental stress factors, including disruption of the skin barrier and ultraviolet radiation.
Likewise, when asked to assess how they perceived their skin and complexion, poor sleepers also had a considerably worse opinion of their skin and facial appearance than those who did not have sleep issues.
This study is the first to conclusively demonstrate that inadequate sleep is correlated with reduced skin health and accelerated skin aging. Sleep deprived women show signs of premature skin aging and a decrease in their skin’s ability to recover after sun exposure.” Said Dr. Baron director of the Skin Study Center at UH Case Medical Center.
“Insufficient sleep has become a worldwide epidemic. While chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to medical problems such as obesity, diabetes, cancer and immune deficiency, its effects on skin function have previously been unknown."
The study results showed a significant difference in skin quality between volunteers reporting good quality sleep and those who reported poor, with the SCINEXA scoring system skin aging assessment showing increased signs of intrinsic aging in individuals with poor sleep patterns – specifically a slackening of the skin and less elasticity.
The SCINEXA scoring system gives a lower score to better skin and the results showed that volunteers with good sleep patterns had an average score of 2.2 compared to those with poor sleep patterns who scored an average of 4.4. Likewise, the research also found that those individuals with good sleep patterns recovered quicker from environmental stress factors to the skin such as sun burn, with the study also showing the moisture retention was around 30 percent more efficient in individuals with good sleep as compared to poor sleepers.
First proof that poor sleep affects skin aging
“this research shows for the first time, that poor sleep quality can accelerate signs of skin aging and weaken the skin’s ability to repair itself at night,” said Dr. Daniel Yarosh.
“these connections between sleep and skin aging, now supported with solid scientific data, will have a profound effect on how we study skin and its functions. We see these findings as yet another way we can direct our scientific research toward the real needs of our customers who want to look their best.
