Getting old is difficult and staying young is impossible, or is it? From tales of the fountain of youth to scrolling through facetuned photos on Instagram, you may have noticed the age old trend towards people wanting to look young. It seems like a new beauty trend is making headlines every few weeks, to hide the wrinkles and brighten the eyes. The US is the world’s largest beauty market, accounting for 13% of a $532 billion industry worldwide. And those sales are expected to grow faster than ever before, according to Business Insider. American women spend an average of $115 for makeup and beauty treatments per month, or $1,380 per year. They also spend an average of $65 per month on creams, lotions, moisturizers, and anti-aging treatments, according to the New York Post.

At Exchange UR Care, we know the truth, you cannot stop aging, but what you can do is change how it affects what you look like. According to editor Bonnie Estridge from the Daily Mail, Penelope Cruz apparently gets anything up to 14 hours a night, while Catherine Zeta Jones and Renee Zelwegger swear it keeps them beautiful. Sleep is the most powerful rejuvenating treatment of them all. We discover the little-known facts of the big sleep.

Why Beauty Sleep?

Our team has heard the age old saying, an hour before midnight is worth three afterwards. But, does it have any substance?

Yes, says Geoff Wright, director of The Hair And Beauty Partnership in London, a clinic which specialized in analyzing scalp and skin problems. Geoff, an expert in chronobiology (the study of the body clock), says: 

“There are set times when our body clock dictates that various processes take place in hair and skin. From 8pm to 11pm is the time for hydration and stimulation, while 11pm to 3am is the time for nutrition and regeneration, and 3am to 5am is the time for resting.”

Of course, very few adults are in bed at 8pm and, as the hormone that triggers sleep – melatonin – peaks at around 11pm, this is the time we should naturally get tired. Seven or eight hours of sleep is ideal for most of us. More than that can mean we wake up looking puffy and feeling sluggish. Chronic lack of sleep, or poor-quality sleep, has an incredibly negative effect on the way we feel – and on the way we look.

When we are asleep, our cells rebuild and repair themselves (the growth hormone functions only at night). If you don’t sleep, this function is impaired. If you sleep badly, you are likely to become stressed, and this can cause the capillaries to tighten up, affecting the flow of nutrients to the skin and scalp and causing the skin and hair to look dull.

Exchange UR Care Can Help

We understand staying young is impossible but looking young is. This is where our team can help! Contact one of our team members now or Click Here to Download Our Free Sleep Sleep Hygiene Tips

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Grand Rapids, MI 49508