Doctor shares what can happen to your face if you don't get eight hours of sleep

Most of us are more than aware that if we want to perform at our best during the day, we should be aiming for at least eight hours of sleep at night.

But it turns out that not getting enough shut-eye doesn't just affect your performance, it can also have a seriously detrimental effect on your face as well.

All was recently explained by Aesthetic surgeon Dr Glyn Estebanez, from Chester, who revealed that four areas of your face's appearance go downhill in the absence of adequate sleep.

He told FEMAIL that when you don't get enough sleep, the PH balance of your skin will be completely altered as your moisture levels will be lower.

"Imbalanced skin is often quite dehydrated," the doctor explained. "This is going to lead to redness and breakouts and we're going to lose that nice glow associated with a well-rested appearance."

You need your skin to be at the right PH in order to have adequate moisture levels - without which, your skin will feel dry and cracked and you'll be more prone to problems like acne.

Alamy / Chris Rout

Dr Estebanez, therefore, recommends that if you've not slept enough, take extra care with your skincare so that you're not suffering the consequences.

The next problem that your face can face (pardon the pun) from a lack of sleep is, of course, dark circles around the eyes.

The doctor said: "When you don't have access to the correct amount of restorative sleep at night, your blood vessels will dilate."

He explained that the skin under your eyes is particularly sensitive because it is so thin, so not sleeping enough could also leave you with premature wrinkles.

The doctor recommends using a cold compress if you fall victim to this problem or skincare that can help hydrate the area.

Alamy / Prostock-studio

On the subject of eyes, the third effect that you may notice from not sleeping enough is puffy eyes.

"When we talk about puffy eyes, we're typically talking about a mild swelling of the upper and lower eyelids," the doctor said.

"Puffy eyes can be caused by a lack of sleep but they can also be caused by allergies, nasal congestion and dehydration."

In this instance, he recommended, if you're looking for a longer-term solution, you could use cheek fillers to sort the problem.

"Often I will place filler on the zygomatic arch (cheekbone) to help lift the tissue and smooth out the malar bag," he said.

The fourth and final problem that you may notice yourself experiencing if you're struggling to dance with the sandman is a lack of elasticity, as we've already briefly touched upon.

Alamy / Viacheslav Iakobchuk

The doctor explained that the reason sleep has such a profound impact in this area is because we secrete the growth hormone during the first few hours of shut-eye.

This is what produces collagen and ultimately effects how elastic our skin is.

"If this breaks down, we're going to start to notice loose skin and wrinkles develop at a faster rate than we'd usually expect," he said.

The doctor said that injectable concealer could be a solution here.

However, it's pretty clear that the cheapest and easiest option is to put your phone away and ensure you get enough sleep.

Topics: Beauty, Skincare, Health

Emma Guinness

@guinness_emma