Healthy Skin & Skating
Photo Credit: Stephan Potopnyk
Competitive figure skaters spend long hours in the cold, dry air on a daily basis, which can take a toll on the health of their skin. Recently I had a conversation with a friend and former skater, Meagan Sudicky, about some of the damaging effects that we’ve experienced from either being at the rink for long periods of time or from the use of heavy makeup for performances and competitions.
One of the many things that makes figure skating unique as a sport is the artistic and performance side of it. It’s an art as much as it is a sport. This means that skaters not only want their fitness to be in top shape for competitions, it also means that we want to look great in order to be performance-ready.
Meagan is a skin care specialist for Rodan and Fields, a wonderful skin care company founded by dermatologists creating products for youthful, glowing skin.
I asked Meagan to share some of her knowledge as well as some of her experiences with skin care as a skater:
K: What kind of experience do you have in competitive skating?
M: The desire to be successful has been always my drive in this sport. Team mates, coaches and of course my parents have all been my motivation to push harder to achieve my personal dream of skating in the light of shows. There are always hurdles such as adjusting to new programs, healing from injuries and landing that new jump and all the ups and downs have contributed to experience gained and also taught life lessons that have now played forward being a coach now.
K: How did you care for your skin while you were competing?
M: Amazingly enough, I was blessed with clear skin as a competitor; I would actually say I was fortunate compared to seeing what my teammates battled with. Someone’s complexion often is a reflection of stress and diet, however it can also be in someone’s genes.
K: Is makeup damaging for your skin? …If yes, how so?
M: Yes! It’s amazing how much skin can absorb. Just think about it… our skin is the largest organ we have, makeup has a lot of ingredients that many are unaware of being damaging and toxic. People may not see the [consequences] of covering skin with a mask of harmful ingredients immediately but in the long run it becomes evident, that’s why dermatology is often turned to for correcting skin issues. It’s obvious makeup is needed to compete or skate professionally in shows and one thing that is common with everyone who wears makeup is how we clean and care for our skin after. Lots of residue is left behind for the pores to further absorb, this is exactly how long term skin issues begin.
K: Spending a lot of time in arenas with cold air can dry out your skin, among other things. What can you recommend as a daily skin care regimen specifically for skaters?
M: I recommend always to staying on a morning and night cleanse, something to rehydrate the skin and help keep it clean. Rodan and Fields is a new premium skin care company to Canada and is the fastest growing in the USA and the 4th most successful. Rodan and Fields caters to all skin types and concerns and all their products work well together. I fully recommend giving their products a try, many of them have been featured on The Doctors talk show and in beauty magazines such as Allure, Flare and Elle and have proven results.
K: Have you had a particular skin damaging experience from being on the ice for hours? If so, what were the steps you took to help heal your skin?
M: My skin damage all began with dryness of the cold atmosphere with long exposure, Eczema would reoccur and it was hard to find a good solution to repair it. So for many years I’ve learned to “deal” with it. I finally found the regimen best for my skin and I cannot live without Rodan and Fields now, I’ve seen my skin clear up and also improve from all skin issues including acne from wearing makeup over the years. I wear no makeup now other than mascara and my skin feels like it can breathe. It’s always important to take care of our skin as we only get one and we all want to feel confident and comfortable with ourselves.
You can find out more from Meagan by visiting her website: theiceshow.myrandf.com
or by email: mlsudicky@hotmail.com