Stress, environment, and genetics can cause various types of skin problems. While some skin issues can be controlled, others are more difficult to control and these may seem impossible to control. Skin problems can be mild or severe and there can be triggers that give rise to skin problems. Skin problems are more apparent on the face which can hamper confidence and can have an impact on day-to-day life.
Causes of Different Skin Issues
The causes of skin issues depend on the problem. Premature aging is caused due to exposure to the sun for long periods. The sun’s rays damage your skin and cause fine lines, crow feet, and wrinkles to appear. Your genes can be responsible for premature skin aging. Smoking can affect your skin and cause premature skin aging as well. Lifestyle habits can affect your skin. Your skin can get damaged if you don’t sleep properly, if you eat a diet high in sugar content, if you drink too much coffee and if you take stress.
Acne is caused when the bacteria, oil, and dead skin is unable to come out of your skin through the pores. Certain medicines can cause acne. When there is a change in hormones, then acne can develop too. If you eat certain types of foods, such as a diet high in carbohydrates or sugars, then you are more likely to develop acne. If your parents had acne, then there is a high chance of you getting acne too.
Uneven skin tone is characterized by dark spots and age spots that stand out on your skin. Hyperpigmentation occurs due to exposure to the sun’s rays. Your hormones can cause hyperpigmentation as well. If your skin was damaged at any point then it can lead to hyperpigmentation too. Hypopigmentation can occur due to a decrease in the production of melanin. Another cause of age spots, is your skin being unable to replenish the cells that die. Uneven skin tone can make your skin to appear dull.
Dull skin is caused because your skin is dehydrated and not nourished properly. This can lead to premature skin aging too. Not taking time to exfoliate your skin is another reason why your skin can become dull in appearance. Not sleeping enough affects your skin and makes it look dull and lifeless. When your skin is not moisturized, it becomes dull. Another cause of dull skin is your environment. Stress affects your skin and the more stress you take the duller your skin will be.
Dry skin causes premature skin aging and there are various causes of it. If you have skin conditions such as eczema then you are more prone to dry skin. If you use harsh soaps then you can develop dry skin which can lead to other skin problems too. Other factors like weather, heat and even hot showers can affect your skin. They can take away all the moisture and lead to dry skin.
Ayurveda’s View on Skin
Ayurveda states that the imbalances of the body are reflected on the skin. That is why Ayurveda does not view skin problems as something that can be dealt with individually. Ayurveda is about how everything in your body is interconnected and how your skin gets affected because of what is going on in your body. This is why just knowing about the symptoms of the skin problem and then treating the symptom does not provide long-lasting results. Understanding the imbalances within and working to balance those does wonders and has a positive effect at a much deeper level.
Pitta is responsible for how your skin is. Your skin’s texture, colour, temperature, and radiance are the responsibility of pitta. Pitta takes care of what is applied to the skin such as oils, creams, powders, soaps and so on. It takes care of what your skin comes in contact with such as allergens and dust as well. There are many places where pitta resides and one of these places is your skin. Hence, when there is any type of imbalance your skin is the first one to show it. When you balance your pitta your skin does not show any troubling signs and is soft and beautiful.
Your liver, blood, and the digestive tract are connected to pitta as well which means if there is an imbalance in these organs then you will know by looking at your skin. The reason is that whenever there is an excess of heat or food is not able to get digested in your body, then there is an accumulation of toxins in your body. The skin serves as a place where the excess can be taken out. When this happens, you can experience a range of skin problems. These can be itching, rashes, and other mild problems. Else, they can also be severe skin conditions such as eczema.
Ayurveda states that your emotional balance and your environment has an impact on your skin as well. That is why in certain seasons you can expect your skin to flare-up more often than others. Environmental factors such as pollution and irritants can negatively impact your skin which further aggravates pitta because of the imbalance that is present. That is why, in Ayurveda, the entire matter must be considered instead of one problem solely. This helps to understand the problem more deeply and effectively and can help you get the answer that truly matters and makes sense.
To support pitta, you should focus on your diet. You should eat easily digestible foods and those foods which help to detoxify. Whole foods are recommended and healthy foods should be incorporated by you to ensure your pitta becomes balanced. You can eat cooling foods as well as this will ensure pitta is balanced. Foods to avoid include spicy food, sour foods, and foods with a high level of acidity. You should avoid eating chocolate and drinking alcohol to balance your pitta as they can further irritate your skin.
Apart from your diet, you can focus on exercise in the evening or early in the morning. To balance pitta, moderate exercise is recommended because intense exercise can cause an imbalance. For instance, hiking, yoga, and walking should be done moderately. You can practice meditation daily and you can do some yoga too. You can do sheetali pranayama and nadishodhana pranayama daily to balance pitta. Don’t forget that having a routine is quite helpful as well to be relaxed and to balance your doshas. You should have fixed meal times and try to wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day.