A natural way to rejuvenate skin from within
What can we do naturally to protect and even improve the cellular health, elasticity and volume of our skin as we age – without expensive clinical treatments?
Well one of the most promising options is heat shock therapy because it can kickstart repair and renewal processes in our skin, and elsewhere in the body, with a whole lot of benefits attached.
What is heat shock therapy?
When we put our skin under enough stress from a more intense heat – thought to be above around 40 degrees celcius – we cause it to release some very helpful proteins.
They’re called heat shock proteins and they kickstart a defense mechanism prompting cells to go into repair mode.
We know that damaged proteins speed up the aging process and therefore the signs of aging on our skin and elsewhere in our bodies. So we want to do as much as we can to help repair them so they’re not accumulating and clustering which is what tends to happen more and more as we age.
And these accumulated damaged proteins are linked to age-related disease and to the visible signs of aging on our skin.
But when our skin and our bodies are subjected to heat and heat shock proteins are released as part of a protective mechanism, scientists believe they stabilize damaged proteins and give the cell time to repair or renew them.
How can we trigger heat shock proteins?
The release of heat shock proteins is a big part of the reason why sauna bathing is thought to be so good for us along with its cardiovascular effects.
A large study of more than 2000 male sauna users in Finland carried out over a 20-year period found those who used a sauna two to three times a week had a 24% lower risk of death over the study period compared with those who had one session a week. Those who used it four to seven times had a 40% lower risk of dying.
Spending 20 minutes in the sauna compared with 10 minutes also significantly reduced the risk of heart failure.
Sauna therapy four to seven times a week was also found to reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s by 66 per cent compared to those who used the sauna once a week.
A scientific review paper published in 2018 by scientists in Melbourne, Australia, which anaylsed forty clinical studies, said there is evidence that heat therapy through sauna bathing can induce ‘profound physiological effects’.
By raising our core temperature we activate our thermoregulating pathways through the hypothalamus in the brain which controls our hormone system and it leads to an increase in our heart rate, causes our blood vessels to dilate and sends our sweat glands into action.
This has multiple physical effects similar to exercise including improving cardiovascular fitness and function, lowering blood pressure and also helping us regulate blood sugar levels by increasing insulin sensitivity.
Heat and our skin
For the skin we have the double whammy of improved circulation and blood flow helping deliver more oxygen and nutrients to skin cells, and those all-important heat shock proteins having a collagen-boosting and regenerative effect.
So saunas, whether you’re using a traditional one or an infrared sauna, are one of the best ways to gain those whole body benefits of heat shock therapy, including to your skin.
It’s worth noting though that saunas are not recommended in pregnancy and you should take medical advice before using them if you have a medical condition including heart problems.
I use the sauna at my gym at least twice a week and I use an infrared blanket at home too.
But to add to the anti-aging skin benefits I also use the NIRA Pro laser every other day precisely because it’s designed to trigger the release of heat shock proteins in our skin by heating up the water in the dermis above that 39/40 degrees celcius point where heat shock proteins are thought to be released.
While I use a sauna primarily for whole body benefits, including to my skin, my greatest goal with something like the Nira is to amplify the effects of the sauna, slow skin aging and maintain skin elasticity and volume for as long as I can.
Other ways to get the benefits
Another option for treating just your face with heat would be something like a facial steamer. Panasonic make one, shown above, which is specifically designed to trigger the release of heat shock proteins through fine steam particles which they say are better able to penetrate your skin.
Steam rooms are less well studied when it comes to health benefits but are still heating your body and skin to temperatures that theoretically should trigger the release of heat shock proteins.
The great thing about saunas or steam rooms if you have access to them is they’re heating the whole body and so you can enjoy head to toe benefits.
Hot tubs are being explored for their health benefits too and even hot baths with a 2017 study showing that people who spent an hour immersed waist deep in water heated to 40 degrees celcius saw between 23–39% increases in heat shock protein expression.
Of course it’s possible to have too much of a good thing – and the longer we spend in intense heat the more we open ourselves up to dehydration and other issues. Like all things this is about balance and finding the right and safe amount of heat for you if this is a route you want to go down and staying hydrated.
Heat can also have a drying effect on the skin and I’ve adapted my skincare routine to preserve my skin’s natural moisture and I lean a lot on oils to both protect my skin and keep it hydrated.
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