7 Vegetables that Feed Your Skin

Did you know that your diet can significantly affect how your skin looks?

It’s true.

In fact, a poor diet is just as bad for your skin as cigarette smoking – it can cause inflammation, triggering oxidative stress that damages collagen and DNA. Some of the worst foods for your skin include those that are high in sodium, sugar, and simple carbohydrates. Basically, anything that is overly processed and filled with artificial ingredients spells doom for your skin.

Vegetables Are Here to Save the Day!

That’s the bad news. The good news is that if you eat a healthy diet consisting of loads of fruits and vegetables, you can actually reduce wrinkles and acne.

So which vegetables should you be eating more of? Here are our top picks:

1. Bell Peppers

Did you know that women who eat green and yellow vegetables on a regular basis tend to have fewer wrinkles? It’s true! Bell peppers contain carotenoids, which are antioxidants that decrease the skin’s sensitivity to the sun. Bell peppers are also a great source of vitamins C and E, which help with collagen production. Now there’s a reason to cook more fajitas!

2. Broccoli

Broccoli, which is in the same family of green leafy vegetables like cabbage, spinach, and brussels sprouts, is packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It’s an especially good source of vitamins A, C, and E – vitamin C stimulates collagen production, and vitamin E helps to repair damaged skin. Broccoli also contains vitamin B complex that keeps skin glowing and protects against premature aging.

3. Kale

Kale is considered to be a superfood, and for good reason too! Known as the queen of vitamin A, kale contains over 100 percent of the daily value of vitamin A and C. Vitamin A plays a crucial role in repairing skin damage, and prevents further damage caused by free radicals. Kale also has anti-inflammatory properties, meaning that it helps skin look radiant. Try eating more raw kale salads!

4. Spinach

Much like kale, spinach is also a superfood that feeds your skin. This leafy green vegetable is jam packed with nutrients and antioxidants. In fact, spinach is loaded with lutein, vitamins B, C, and E, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant that protects and repairs your skin. It also neutralizes free radicals, helping to prevent skin damage. Instead of using iceberg lettuce for salads, try using spinach.

5. Tomatoes

Okay, so some people consider tomatoes to be fruits, but we consider them to be vegetables. Either way, they’re super good for your skin! Tomatoes are actually the best source of the anti-aging antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene prevents free radical damage and improves skin cellular function. It also aids in collagen production, which helps to prevent wrinkles from forming. All the more reason to eat more BLT sandwiches!

6. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes aren’t just for Thanksgiving! They’re filled with beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that fights aging. It fights free radicals, which cause premature aging, and it also acts as internal sunscreen. What’s not to love? Plus, sweet potatoes are jam packed with fiber that helps to detoxify the body, promoting radiant, youthful skin. Swap out regular potatoes for sweet potatoes next time!

7.  Squash

There are all different kinds of varieties of squash, and they’re all great for your skin! Both winter and summer squashes contain loads of essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A and C as well as iron and riboflavin. Squash also protects against the damaging effects of sun exposure and it prevents dehydration. If you consume squash regularly, your skin will be hydrated and younger-looking.

Supplement Your Vegetable-Rich Lifestyle with a Med Spa Treatment or Two

If eating more vegetables isn’t enough to help you look younger, then there are two innovative med spa treatments that can help you turn back the clock – Clear + Brilliant and IPL photo facials.

Clear + Brilliant

Clear + Brilliant is great for boosting the effects of a healthy diet.

Clear + Brilliant fights the early effects of aging, leaving skin with a more youthful appearance. But this cutting-edge skincare technology works even greater magic, including:

• Reversing the early signs of aging
• Reducing pore size
• Giving skin a youthful glow
• Beautifying skin tone and texture
• Correcting pigmentation problems

Clear + Brilliant works its magic by revitalizing skin from the inside out. Its non-invasive laser technology gently resurfaces the top layer of the dermis by creating millions of microscopic treatment zones in the skin. Sounds complicated, right? But it’s really just about replacing damaged skin with healthy, younger-looking tissue. The result? Smoother, softer and youthful-looking skin.

The treatment itself is simple. Each Clear + Brilliant procedure takes about thirty minutes. A topical numbing agent is applied to the face forty minutes prior to the procedure. This is removed right before treatment begins. The actual laser session lasts a quick ten minutes, and most patients experience only a warm tingling or prickling sensation with little or no discomfort. To ensure proper contact with the skin and uniform application to all treated areas, Clear + Brilliant technology uses a patented intelligent Optimal Tracking System. Directly after the Clear + Brilliant laser treatment, a cooling face mask is placed on the treated area for 10 to 15 minutes to reduce any residual sensation of heat.

Most people need little to no recovery time following a Clear + Brilliant procedure. Some people, however, may experience for the 12 hours following treatment slight redness and swelling, along with mild pain. But any discomfort following a Clear + Brilliant treatment is generally so mild that it can easily be managed with over the counter pain relief medications. To further encourage recovery, most medical professionals recommend that patients avoid exposure to direct sunlight for the two days following treatment and wear an SPF 30 or higher sunblock.

IPL Photo Facials

Combine diet and exercise with IPL photo facials and you’ll be looking radiant.

IPL photo facials, which use a broad spectrum light source that penetrates multiple layers of skin, are most ideal for people who have:

• Fair, untanned skin
• Shallow acne scars or large pores
• Fine lines and wrinkles caused by aging
• Irregular pigmentation caused by sun damage, aging or medication
• Brown spots or facial redness
• Broken capillaries and spider veins

IPL photo facials work by using a broad-spectrum light source that penetrates multiple layers of skin. This type of photo facial primarily targets the lower layers of skin (dermis) while leaving the top layers of skin (epidermis) unaffected. The heat generated from the light promotes healing of the skin within, treating a number of different dermatological issues.

The treatment process itself is straightforward. Before the IPL treatment a medical professional will apply a cold gel to the target area, and you’ll be required to wear protective eyewear. The treatment, lasts around 20 minutes, during which a medical professional will gently apply the IPL hand piece to your skin so that healing light rays can be delivered to the skin’s surface using precise pulses. Most IPL procedures are virtually painless, but more sensitive people might experience mild discomfort – a feeling not unlike a rubber band being snapped against skin. Photo facials typically require little to no recovery time. Following treatment, you can return to your normal activities.  More intense IPL treatments, however, may produce sunburn-like symptoms for up to two weeks after the procedure.

IPL photo facial treatments call for five treatment sessions spaced three weeks apart to obtain desired results. In some cases those results can be seen after only the first treatment! And skin continues to improve with each successive treatment.

Use LaserAway for All Your Med Spa Needs

Get your 5 veggies a day, and then come to LaserAway. We’ll finish what Mother Nature started, ensuring the effects of your healthy diet will be seen for years to come.

LaserAway is proud to offer the most medical spa service options of any national skincare provider. LaserAway hires the most highly-trained staff experienced and certified in administering laser and other dermatological procedures. What’s more, LaserAway uses the most innovative techniques and cutting-edge laser technology. LaserAway aims to make your photo facial experience comfortable, enjoyable and satisfying. If you want to schedule a free, no obligation consultation, please email the LaserAway staff at LaserAway.net or call us at (888) 965-2737. LaserAway looks forward to uncovering a new, more radiant you.