A vacation is good because you can go on the most incredible journey, for example, to another continent. And then there is every chance to be in a real paradise, where no one knows about the winter cold or bad mood from inclement weather. But the first few days of rest can turn into a bit of a personal hell if no effort is made to prevent jet lag.
Experienced travelers know what it’s like to find yourself in a different time zone, when the time difference is not a couple of hours, but all 8-9. Fatigue, loss of tone, poor health and insomnia are the most common signs of jet lag or desynchronosis. They are characterized by disruption of internal biorhythms, or circadian ones, due to rapid jet lag, mainly during air travel. In other words, when you arrive at the place and everything should now be night, but in fact – in the midst of day. And it seems to be the time to have lunch, but there is only one desire – to find yourself in a hotel room, curtain the windows and fall into a deep sleep.
It would be wrong to say that the state of jet lag is manifested by one typical symptom, such as insomnia. Other symptoms are often observed:
- fatigue;
- distracted attention;
- problems with the digestive tract and intestines;
- dry mouth;
- languid appearance and dull complexion.
The hormone melatonin is to blame for such an unpleasant state – it is responsible not only for sleep, but also for the well-established work of our biorhythms. An interesting study was conducted by American scientists. They found that jet lag costs businesses up to $70 billion a year from bad decisions. That is why travelers and business travelers are advised to take several days to adapt after a many-hour flight and in no case make important responsible decisions immediately upon arrival.
The effect of jet lag on appearance
A gray and dull complexion after a long flight is a typical sign of both fatigue and the effects of jet lag. The fact is that when changing time zones, the skin simply does not have time to recover. After all, all restoration work in it takes place at night, from 23:00 to 4:00, when the level of melatonin is at its maximum concentration. And if at this time you are awake, then the skin has no opportunity to carry out “repair” work. As a result, wrinkles, dullness, dryness and peeling, puffiness – nothing pleasant.
What to do?
In order to survive a long flight with minimal losses, it is worth taking note of a few well-known rules and taking them with the utmost seriousness.
before vacation
- You should not tempt fate and sign up a couple of days before the trip for injectable cosmetic procedures. It also makes sense to refuse peelings and any other aggressive intervention. The maximum that you can afford is a light massage, nourishing and moisturizing masks, a day at the spa: a sauna, a contrast pool.
- Pay attention to how much you drink. It is very important. The norm can be calculated by the formula 30 ml of water per 1 kg of weight.
- Pay more attention to what you eat. Try to eliminate heavy, fatty foods from your diet. Choose light snacks, green salads, vegetables, fruits – foods rich in fiber. The lighter the food, the greater the chance that you will be able to avoid dehydration and recover faster from jet lag.
During the flight
Time on the plane sometimes stretches endlessly. And this fact pushes many travelers to spend it in the company of alcohol or, conversely, invigorate themselves with coffee. Either one is a bad idea. As a result, you will get swelling, a stale look and an even greater feeling of “unbalance”. The right decision would be to drink as much non-carbonated clean water as possible and create the most comfortable conditions for yourself to try to fall asleep – so the time will fly by unnoticed, and it will be easier for the body to cope with the time discrepancy when you arrive.
If you can’t fall asleep, try to make a small trip around the cabin every 30-60 minutes. This will help to disperse the blood and prevent swelling in the legs.
For skin, take a can of thermal water into the salon and spray it on your face from time to time, and then be sure to blot it with a napkin. And no makeup, so as not to weigh down the face!
On the spot
- Arriving at your destination during the day, do not rush to close in the room for sleep. Try taking a hot bath, it will help to relax the muscles, and a contrast shower at the end will give vivacity.
- To restore the skin, use moisturizing antioxidants and do not forget about the obligatory UV protection, especially if you flew to hot countries.
- Drink plenty of water and don’t overdo coffee. A light diet and healthy drinks in the early days will help you sleep and get used to the new time zone with minimal loss to the skin and body as a whole.