|
It’s a dermatological theory that lack of sleep impedes lymphatic activity, which is critical to the body’s ability to drain off toxins and reduce swelling,1 so, without enough sleep you wake up with a puffy face. However these results suggest that although prolonged sleep deprivation does result in a much saggier, puffy face, the first 24 hours of sleeplessness seems to tighten up the skin.
1. Min-Wei Christine Lee, MD, a clinical instructor at the University of California, San Francisco
When we talk about how we look after a bad nights sleep, we often talk about looking ‘rough’. These results are interesting then, as the subjects’ skin appeared to get smoother. As you can see from the results of other tests, by the end of the study the skin became saggier and the moisture content increased as the skin became puffier. This then could explain the smooth appearance, as the puffiness ‘ironed’ out the wrinkles.
No-one will be surprised at the results of this test! There was a marked increase in the appearance of dark circles under the eyes. This is due to water being retained in the fatty pad below the eye. It is much more pronounced here because the skin is very thin and also sits on top of underlying purple muscle and blood vessels and therefore appears darker.2
2. Dr. Rhoda S. Nairns, clinical professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine. 2005:Feb; Scientific American |
