How Does Sugar Affect Your Skin? The Bittersweet Truth About Sugar!

How Does Sugar Affect Your Skin? The Bittersweet Truth About Sugar!

Sugar! Oh, how sweet it tastes on the tongue. But have you ever stopped to think about how does sugar affect your skin? Yes, that adorable granulated treat can have a negative effect on the health of your skin. 

We all like occasionally indulging in satisfying our sweet cravings, but it’s essential to be aware of their potential effects on our skin.

While a late-night binge has ruined many well-intended fitness regimens, excessive sugar consumption can trigger uncontrollable acne breakouts. Taking care of your skin goes beyond skincare products alone. A poor diet can exacerbate issues like dermatitis and accelerate the aging process.

Intrigued enough to know the role of sugar in skin health? Let’s all understand together. 

Impacts of Sugar on Skin

Sugar plays a very important role in impacting skin health. Excessive sugar consumption can have several negative impacts on your skin. Here are a few key effects to be aware of:

Sugar Causes Wrinkles

How does sugar affect your skin? 

As your skin ages, many things can cause wrinkles. While wrinkles are a common occurrence for most people, taking preventative actions early in life can greatly lower your risk of getting them.

Excess glucose in the skin’s fibers causes glycation, leading to the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) and ultimately resulting in wrinkles.

These AGEs can impact skin elasticity and gradually causes the skin to droop as we get older. Because of this less elasticity present on the skin, the skin is more likely to become fragile and thinner. 

People that are more into sugar consumption increase their chances of AGEs and developing wrinkles. This presence of AGEs is beyond just wrinkles. Still, wondering how sugar affect your skin? Doctors at Shifa International Hospital say that AGEs are also seen liked to diabetes and cardiovascular conditions like heart diseases. 

Suggested Read: Botox Injections to Get Rid of Wrinkles

Sugar Causes Acne

If you’re currently facing frequent flare-ups and breakouts, it’s possible that the effects of sugar on your skin could be to blame. Numerous studies and doctors have explored the correlation between dietary choices and acne, shedding light on the impact of sugar consumption on skin health.

Dr. Mahvish Aftab Khan who is one of the top dermatologists in Pakistan says that the consensus among scientists and dermatologists is that factors such as diet, pollution, and external elements can influence the occurrence of acne on skin.  

How does sugar affect your skin and causes sebum? Dietary patterns like those with too much sugar are just one factor that is thought to be associated with high sebum production. 

Acne vulgaris may become more prevalent on the skin as a result of increased sebum levels on some people’s skin, which can also cause more acne. If you have acne, cutting less on sugar may help avoid outbreaks, but there may be other things to take into account as well.

Suggested Read: Different Types of Acne

Sugar Stimulates Oil Production on Skin

Sebum a.k.a. The oil produced by your body’s sebaceous glands coats the skin and keeps it moisturized and protected. 

Some of the studies suggest that one of the answers to how sugar affect your skin is that the excessive consumption of sugar may be associated with high sebum production that causes excess oil on the skin. 

Besides extra oil on the skin is bad for it, and excess sebum is also really bad for the skin as it can increase the risk of acne in some individuals which indicates reducing sugar may itself help with acne. 

Suggested Read: Salicylic Acid for Acne-Prone Skin

Sugar Can Increase Inflammation

Inflammation is typically a beneficial immune response our body employs to combat infections or viruses. However, when it becomes persistent, chronic inflammation can give rise to various adverse effects within the body.

According to recent work on skin health and finding answers to how does sugar affect your skin, eating meals high in sugar might cause an inflammatory reaction that can aggravate inflammatory skin disorders including psoriasis and eczema.

It is advised to those with skin conditions to reduce sugar intake in order to control the inflammation of the skin.

Bad inflammation caused by sugar intake cannot only worsen the skin but is also really bad for overall health as it develops diabetes. It is also a key risk factor in many other health conditions like cardiovascular diseases, depression, and even dementia.

How do I Reduce my Sugar Intake? 

After knowing the answer to how does sugar affect your skin, reducing the intake of sugar never means that you have to cut down on all the sugar that you consume. Instead of this, a better approach is to teach yourself where the added sugar is hiding and make an effort to switch it with healthy food options. 

By doing that, not only does your skin thanks you, but you can reduce the risk of many other health conditions. Here are some of the ways that can help you reduce your sugar intake.

Avoid Added Sugar

The best trick to avoid the consumption of sugar is to close your ears when you hear the names juice, honey, concentrate, or nectar.  

The best part is that as you learn to avoid hidden sugar, you’ll naturally reduce your sugar intake in other foods rather than having to give up desserts to do it. This also gets easier after getting the answer to how does sugar affect your skin. Added sugar or hidden sugar is not very difficult to be identified. It can be present in your food in the form of: 

• Breakfast cereals 
• Ketchup
• Salad dressing
• Low-fat yogurt
• Bread
• Fruit juice

Eat Less Processed and More Natural

There are a number of foods that are ultra-processed and have little nutritional value. These are packed with artificial flavors, sugars, and sweeteners. Try and avoid these. Some of examples include: 

• Candy
• Ice cream
• Sugar-Sweetened-Beverages
• Frozen Meals

Cutting all the processed food from your diet obviously should not be the approach, but taking them in moderation is the key. Try and swap them with healthier options like fruits, vegetables, and foods containing high-quality food. 

Say No-No to Sugary Drinks

Sugary beverages are well-known for their addictive properties, making it a challenge for individuals to eliminate soda and fruit juice from their diets. Unfortunately, these drinks are typically calorie-dense and offer minimal nutritional benefits.

It is best to restrict sugary beverages as much as you can because it is so simple to consume too much of them. Less than four ounces should be consumed every day, according to medical authorities.

When to See a Dermatologist?

Sugar is actually very difficult to stay from, but it can be really bad for the skin. I am sure you must have learned the answer to how sugar affects your sin by now. Consuming it in moderation is the only way to save your skin from getting damaged. If you feel like cutting your sugar intake is not making a difference, then it is best to visit your nearest dermatologist to get your skin checked.