An Athlete’s Guide to Beautiful Skin

Athletes know how important it is to keep their bones and muscles healthy in order to stay in the game, but sometimes we forget about our skin. Here are a few tips to remember to keep your skin healthy and clean when you are breaking a sweat.

1.       WATER, WATER, WATER

With temperatures hitting 100º F this summer, it is extremely important to stay hydrated. If you are not drinking enough water, your skin will become tight, dry, and flaky. It is recommended that you drink half of your body weight in ounces of water every day. That means, if you weigh 140 lbs., you should be drinking 70 ounces of water daily.

2.      Cleanse before and after your workout

Although you might want to look great for pictures during a competition, wearing makeup while exercising can be very harmful to the skin. Heavy foundations, powders, and concealers can all contribute to clogged pores. When you’re in the zone, breaking a sweat, your pores will open up to release toxins from your body. If you have a heavy face of makeup, those toxins will become trapped in your skin, causing irritation and breakouts.

A good habit to get into is cleansing your face pre and post workout. If you are in a crunch for time, there are a variety of cleansing cloths that are very gentle on the skin and can remove makeup in a hurry.

Post workout cleansing is extremely important too. Due to sweating, your pores will heat up and make it easier to dislodge the toxins trapped in the skin. This is why exfoliation is crucial after working out! There are many different types of exfoliators. Exfoliators will penetrate the skin and remove makeup, dirt, dead skin, and other bacteria from the surface.

3.      Shower within an hour of finishing your workout

Perspiration left on your skin after exercising allows bacteria to grow and spread rapidly. This can lead to breakouts and rashes. Back acne or “bacne” is a common occurrence in athletes and can come up suddenly. This condition occurs when hair follicles or pores become clogged with dead skin or sebum (oil).

It is important to shower off within an hour of finishing your workout to cleanse your skin from your perspiration. A body wash with salicylic acid will help to combat the bacteria and stop the breakouts.

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms without relief, you might need stronger treatment or different products. Make an appointment to see a dermatologist at Greenville Dermatology by calling (864) 242-5872.

Happy exercising!