Sweet Danger: How Sugar Affects Your Skin

While added sugar is mostly common in cookies, candies, and sweetened drinks, it is also present in savory food items like bread, ketchup, and sauces. In fact, even foods labeled with “no sugar added” still contain sweeteners like fruit juice concentrate or nectars. These are also forms of added sugar.

Fast facts about sugar

• Sugar is a form of carbohydrate, which is also a source of energy for the body. 
• The term “added sugars” refers to the syrups and sugars added to foods or drinks during production or processing.
• Added sugars go by different names such as corn syrup, cane juice/syrup, high fructose syrup, honey, nectars, fruit juice concentrate and others.
• Sugars are added to foods to give them more flavor and texture. Other reasons for adding sugar include:
  • Helps in food preservation
  • Balances the acidity of certain foods like tomatoes
  • Aids in fermentation (of foods like bread, vinegar, soy sauce, wine, and others)
  • Serves as bulking agent

Excessive sugar and inflammation within the body

The sugars you’ve eaten land in your gut, which is then processed and enters the bloodstream. This can cause your insulin levels to spike, resulting in inflammation. This happens with over consumption of foods with high glycemic index. These include soda, white bread, candy, dressings, and baked good with starches and refined sugars. 

Inflammation can be present in your skin, negatively affecting its clarity. This can contribute to flare-ups, more breakouts, clogged pores, and puffiness around the eyes. High sugar intake can also worsen other skin conditions such as rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis. 

Sugar overload and your skin

Sun exposure, pollution, and environmental factors are not the only ones that can accelerate the aging process. A bad diet, especially a sugary one, is also associated with weakening your collagen and elastin fibers. It also triggers the release of hormones that can cause an overproduction of excess oil.

You should also know that excess sugar binds with proteins in the bloodstream. This results in the formation of harmful molecules referred to as advanced glycation end products (AGEs). They increase the breakdown of collagen fibers, contributing to skin wrinkling and sagging.

Being smart about diet and sugar

It may be impossible to completely eliminate sugar in your diet, but it is best to keep your consumption in check. Sugar in excess can wreak havoc on the body. It can rot your teeth, lead to weight gain, and raise your risk of certain diseases. Excessive sugar consumption can also age skin faster. 

Sugars naturally found in foods like fruits and veggies are okay, as they offer nutritional value. What you should stay away from or at least limit your consumption are foods with lots of added/processed sugars and simple carbohydrates. It is also a good idea to lower consumption of saturated fats and eat more fruits, veggies, and omega fatty acids. 

Addressing signs of aging

If you’ve already noticed signs of aging like lines and wrinkles, but don’t want cuts or needles, non-invasive lifting procedures are worth considering. At Cutis Laser Clinics, we have a number of nonsurgical procedures that can lift and tighten skin. 

• Ultherapy – this uses time-tested focused ultrasound energy to tighten the skin on the face, neck, and upper chest. It helps stimulate collagen production, resulting in a visible yet natural lift over time. Ultherapy can also improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

• Titan Skin Tightening – this uses light energy to heat the skin’s deeper layers, triggering collagen production. Titan Skin Tightening can treat and target skin laxity on the face, arms, legs, and abdomen.

• Exilis Ultra – this simultaneously delivers radiofrequency and ultrasound energies to target specific body parts. It can tighten the skin, reduce fat cells, and promote collagen production. 

Be wise about your sugar consumption to keep it from wreaking havoc on your body. You can also contact Cutis Laser Clinics in Singapore today and schedule a consultation with our aesthetic doctor to learn more about our non-invasive anti-aging treatments.