Soaring numbers of people are suffering age spots, dark patches and wrinkles as a result of traffic fumes, doctors have warned (file photo)
Soaring numbers of people are suffering age spots, dark patches and wrinkles as a result of traffic fumes, doctors have warned.
Traffic pollution is now the most toxic substance for our faces, according to leading dermatologists Dr Hilary Allan and Dr Mervyn Patterson, of national chain Woodford Medical Clinic.
Particles from traffic fumes are able to penetrate deep into the skin, weakening its natural barrier so bacteria and environmental pollutants can get in.
The pollution also damages skin cells – speeding up the breakdown of the collagen that keeps our skin supple – eventually leading to problems with pigmentation and wrinkles.
City dwellers who do not take steps to protect themselves will end up ‘wearing the pollution on their faces’ in a decade, the dermatologists added.
Their warning comes after a new study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology revealed exactly how drastically traffic fumes can cause our skin to age.
People who lived in highly polluted areas were more likely to have age spots and dark patches, it said.
For every increase of 10 ug/m3 in the concentration of nitrous oxide – a measure of airborne pollution – people reported having 25 per cent more dark spots.
On the ground in clinics, Dr Hilary Allan and Dr Mervyn Patterson have noticed a dramatic rise in people seeking help for pigmentation problems.
Enquries about treatment for pigmentation have shot up by 300 per cent in five years in their six clinics across the UK and in Northern Ireland, they report.
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They have also seen a 25 per cent increase in people coming to see them about their dark patches in the same time frame.
And the number of people buying products to target pigmentation has soared by 100 per cent, they said.
Most people seeking help live in London and the South East, with more than 95 per cent of pigmentation cases occurring there compared to areas like Northern Ireland and Derbyshire, they added.
Traffic pollution is now the most toxic substance for our faces, according to leading dermatologists Dr Hilary Allan and Dr Mervyn Patterson, of Woodford Medical Clinic
Dr Allan said: ‘The results of recent studies directly linking air pollution to the appearance of pigmentation and signs of ageing on the skin are very alarming.
‘It is making us entirely rethink everything we know about pigmentation – it is not the sun but traffic pollution that is ageing and killing our skin.’
ONE IN THREE STROKES ARE CAUSED BY AIR POLLUTION
Almost one in three strokes are triggered by air pollution, alarming research revealed.
The worldwide study named the environmental hazard as a major cause of one of the leading causes of death for the first time.
Air pollution, both inside from cooking fires and outside from traffic fumes, ranked among the top ten causes of stroke, along with better known risks such as smoking, high blood pressure and obesity.
Microscopic particles, much of which is generated by diesel exhausts, have been shown to cause clotting, which can lead to a stroke.
Stroke claims six million lives annually and many survivors suffer paralysis, speech problems and personality changes as a result.
The research was carried out by Auckland University of Technology and published in the journal Lancet Neurology.
‘This study demonstrates that air pollution increases unwanted pigmentation on the skin and is a heavy contributor to the signs of skin ageing.’
Dr Patterson said if air pollution continues to worsen then at this rate, he predicts 90 per cent of those living in heavily traffic-polluted cities will develop unwanted age spots.
He said: ‘With traffic pollution emerging as the single most toxic substance for skin, the dream of perfect skin is over for those living and working in traffic-polluted areas unless they take steps to protect their skin right now.
‘Unless people do more to protect their skin they will end up wearing the pollution on their faces in 10 years’ time.
HOW TRAFFIC FUMES HARM OUR SKIN
Pollution from traffic fumes is known as particulate matter (PM), and is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets, Dr Patterson explained.
He said: ‘Some particles such as soot, dust and smoke are large and can be seen with the naked eye.
‘Other particles are very small and can only be seen by an electron microscope.’
Scientists refer to these tiny particles as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
They are produced by coal fires, power plants as well as car fumes, particularly diesel engines.
The miniscule PAHs are found all over the surfaces of bigger PMs, he continued.
These PAHs can dissolve in oil, meaning they can penetrate through the outer layers of the skin.
Particles from traffic fumes can penetrate deep into the skin, breaking down the collagen which keeps it supple. This causes wrinkles and pigmentation problems such as age spots and dark patches (file photo)
There, they alter the skin’s barrier and disrupt the connections between the surface cells.
Strong bonds between the surface cells of the skin are vital for protecting it from attack by other microbes and environmental agents.
A weakened shield leaves the deeper layers of the skin vulnerable to attack.
And once the PAHs are deep in the skin’s tissue, they contribute to oxidative stress – a process which ages skin cells.
They damage the collagen in the skin – leading to unwanted pigmentation and wrinkles forming.
Dr Patterson said: ‘People with sensitive skin types – now estimated to be in excess of 50 per cent of the UK population – as well as those suffering from inflammatory skin diseases such as eczema, are more susceptible to the effects of air pollution.’
HOW TO REDUCE THE IMPACT FROM AIR POLLUTION
1. Apply high-protection UV sunscreen every day, even when it is cloudy
2. Switch to mineral make-up that is free from unwanted chemicals and high in UVA/UVB protection.
3. Always remove makeup (and all the intermingled pollution) with cleansers and toners.
4. Use skincare products that contain ingredients formulated specifically repair the skin barrier and contain anti-inflammatory ingredients which will stop the skin from ageing
Wear high-protection UV sunscreen every day, even when it is cloudy to reduce the impact of air pollution
5. Avoid exfoliating abrasively. The benefits of physical exfoliation are overplayed and simply remove many of the important ‘roof tiles’ that are an integral part of the our skin’s first defence shield.
6. Avoid products containing glycolic acid or retinol. Glycolic acid disrupts the skin barrier and makes the skin more vulnerable to UV.
Retinoids disrupt the skin barrier, increase inflammation and irritation and leave the skin significantly more UV-sensitive
7. Use serums which contain vitamins A,B,C,D and E. Serums penetrate deeper into the skin.
8. Eat a balanced, healthy diet rich in omega oils and antioxidants that support the skin’s own defence mechanisms
Source: Dr Hilary Allan and Dr Mervyn Patterson at Woodford Medical Clinic