CLEVELAND – The notion of “beauty sleep” has been around for a long time, but physician-scientists at University Hospitals (UH) Case Medical Center have confirmed that sleep quality does, in fact, affect skin function and aging.
The recently completed study, commissioned by Estée Lauder, demonstrated that poor sleepers had increased signs of skin aging and slower recovery from a variety of environmental stressors, such as disruption of the skin barrier or ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Poor sleepers also had worse assessment of their own skin and facial appearance.
The research team led by Elma Baron, MD, presented their data this spring at the International Investigative Dermatology Meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland in an abstract titled “Effects of Sleep Quality on Skin Aging and Function.”
“Our study is the first to conclusively demonstrate that inadequate sleep is correlated with reduced skin health and accelerates skin aging. Sleep deprived women show signs of premature skin aging and a decrease in their skin’s ability to recover after sun exposure,” said Baron, director of the Skin Study Center at UH Case Medical Center and Associate Professor of Dermatology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in a wrapup article in Science Daily. “Insufficient sleep has become a worldwide epidemic. While chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to medical problems such as obesity, diabetes, cancer and immune deficiency, its effects on skin function have previously been unknown.”
The researchers found statistically significant differences between good and poor quality sleepers. Using the SCINEXA skin aging scoring system, poor quality sleepers showed increased signs of intrinsic skin aging including fine lines, uneven pigmentation and slackening of skin and reduced elasticity.
The news out of Case Western could add up to new CPAP marketing strategies. Medtrade, held this year from Oct 7-10 in Orlando, Fla, is a great place to explore the possibilities with sessions such as:
Tuesday, Oct 8, 2013 – 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Are There Opportunities for Growth with Your Sleep Program?
Speakers: Susean Nichols, President, Millennium Management Services
Track: Sleep/Oxygen & Respiratory
Tuesday, Oct 8, 2013 – 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Tying the Knot: Legal and Regulatory Aspects of DME Joint Ventures with Hospitals and Health Care Systems for PAP and Other Sleep Services
Speakers: Daniel Brown, Managing Shareholder, Atlanta Office, The Health Law Partners, P.C.
Track: Sleep/Oxygen & Respiratory
See medtrade.com for more information. Significant savings are available to providers who register for Medtrade attendance sometime in the next two months through early bird rates. Click here to register for Medtrade in Orlando, Fla.