Oh Dear, Face.

How many times have you heard how important first impressions are? When you first meet someone new, the individual decides within the first few minutes of the initial encounter whether or not you are someone he/she would like to: befriend, hire, become lovers with, or avoid at all costs. As people aren’t able to convey the essence of their true selves during these preliminary stage, the decision made by the other individual concerning your noteworthiness will be significantly affected by your appearance. Though your clothes, your hair, and behavior do play a part in the determination, it is your skin than speaks the loudest.

I blame myself for not taking extra care of my complexion and now I'm stuck with stubborn spots that won't seem to fade away.

These could be the 7 possible reasons why,

1) Due to the air pollution from last year's Cambodia trip? Pimples formed immediately when I arrived back in Singapore. It is said that pollution can be problematic for the skin for several reasons such as, dust can clog pores and increase bacteria on the face, both of which lead to acne or spots, and invisible chemical pollutants in the air can interfere with your skin's natural protection system, breaking down the natural skin's oils that normally trap moisture in your skin and keep it supple. Studies have also shown that pollution can actually cause reactions in the skin that inhibit the way it builds and repairs itself.

2) Hormone changes and Aging? By the 20's/early 30's, your skin starts to loose the 'bloom' of youth and may start showing signs of dryness. As your skin is constantly replenishing itself, the turnover rate slows down to as much as every 28days as compared to about 15 to 18 days when you are younger.

3) Lack of Sleep? Most people sacrifice sleep for what is believed to be more important activities. Without proper rest your body cannot function properly. Your skin will suffer. That is why they call it beauty rest. Lack of sleep will cause dark circles under your eyes, a lack of luster in your skin, and dreariness in your complexion. The ill-effects of lack of sleep are most evident on the skin beneath our eyes, leaving behind dark circles and puffy eye bags. This area of the skin here is the most fragile. It is much, much thinner than the other areas of the skin. It also causes fine lines and wrinkles.

4) Not drinking sufficient amount of Water? Water is an essential element to all facets of your health. A lack of hydration will make a significant impact on your skin. Your complexion will appear dry and flakey in some spots. It is said that feeding your skin will even out both the texture and color in your complexion.

5) Excessive Exposure to the Sun due to sports? Did you know that up to 80% of skin aging is caused by the sun? When exposed to the sun’s UV rays, your skin’s melanocytes produce melanin, the dark pigment that creates a tan. A tan is your skin’s attempt to prevent UV rays from doing any further damage to the sensitive skin cells in your epidermis. However, a tan does not help protect your skin from getting a sunburn in the future. A tan is equivalent to merely an SPF 4!

The UV light exposure (more often UVB, remember, B as in “bad”, UVA, as in aging) from the sun can penetrate deep into your skin and damage collagen (which is the protein that holds your skin together in a firm and smooth way) and elastin supply within the dermis. This results in wrinkles. Once collagen is damaged, it cannot re-build itself.

Have you ever noticed how it seems that when you lay out for days in the sun or the many sessions in a tanning bed to get that healthy glow you seem to lose it pretty quickly? Well, the reason your tan seems to be vanishing so quick is because your skins renewal rate actually speeds up to rid itself of the damaged cells. It's true, the more you tan the more you must tan to retain that look of having been on vacation.

6) Makeup? Though make-up can be a woman's best friend, the accumulation of make up remains which are not cleansed perfectly can cause the appearance of acne and infection on the facial skin.

7) Lack of Exercise? By exercising, it increases circulation and aids the distribution of nutrients and oxygen to the skin. Did you know that sweating also helps to release the dirt from your skin, giving it a healthy glow?

Not being very concern about my complexion in the past because of the relatively good complexion I used to have, I hardly applied moisturizers or skin care products except washing my face with facial wash. However, ever since this problem began, I've been trying means and ways to make those stubborn spots go away. But before one can go away, another one forms and this has made me rather self-conscious.

Oh dear, Face!
Any suggestions or remedies that actually works besides seeing a doctor?