Aging is unavoidable process. One day you wake up and look in the mirror to realize that you aren’t going to be in your 20s forever. Wrinkles start to appear, some age spots are visible, and you find that your skin isn’t as elastic as before.
Some people age faster than others. You may see people who look like 35 but are actually still 24. This is caused by premature aging and is connected to lifestyle. It’s not funny if this happens to you, right? Here are some some factors that cause people look older than they really are:
Overexposure to the sun
The radiations from the sun can ruin the collagen fibers in our skin. If the collagen fibers are ruined, skin becomes hard-looking and dried out. It makes your skin looks old. A little exposure to sun is good for your skin as it helps with vitamin D, but make sure that your skin, especially facial skin, is covered. Don’t forget to use sunscreen before you go out from your house.
Use a hat, wear long sleeves and use sunscreen if you plan to out in the sun for long.
Smoking
Smoking is never good for your health. If you look closely, smokers usually look older than their age. There are two major reasons why they look older than they actually are.
First, constant use of the muscles to pull a drag off of a cigarette. When you pucker your lips, thin lines appear above the upper lips and corners of your eyes.
Secondly, the low levels of vitamin C in smokers’ blood. Low vitamin C will decrease collagen production for the skin. When collagen disappears or damaged, the skin will begin to sag.
So, if you’re still smoking, let’s quit now before it’s too late.
Dehydration
Drinking enough water is the best thing you can do to your body. It’s essential to keep your digestion, immune function, and mental performance at optimum levels. Water also has ability to keep your skin hydrated and clear. When you don’t drink enough water, it causes dehydration and your skin will look dull, dry, and saggy. Wrinkles on your face look more defined and it makes you look older.
Did you drink your 6-8 glasses of water today?
Sleep positions
It might sound irrational, but your sleep position also contributes to the wrinkles on your face. When you sleep on your side, your face pressed to the pillow. It will forms small lines and wrinkles that will become permanently etched on your face. Sleeping on your side will cause wrinkles to appear on your cheeks and chin area. If you don’t change your pillowcase regularly, the bacteria from it can cause acne on your face.
Try to sleep on your back as much as possible, because it will prevent you from pressing your skin and the bacteria on your pillowcase.
Lack of sleep
Sleeping is a time when your body repairs the skin and produce new cells. Deep sleep is one of the few times your body makes growth hormones. Lack of sleep also can form dark circles under your eyes and dull-looking face. Even if you always have sleepless nights because of work or something, try to schedule it so that you get between seven to nine hours of sleep every day. If you have trouble falling asleep, turn off your electronic devices and lights in your room as it will help you to fall asleep faster.
Poor Nutrition
Consuming too many processed food is not good for our body, as it contains too much sugar that contributes to dark circles under the eyes and wrinkles. In order to fight the effects of premature aging, your body needs sufficient antioxidants. You can find this in fresh fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants such as beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and vitamin E can reach into the deepest layers of the skin and neutralize the damage that is caused by sun exposure and free radicals.
Excessive alcohol
Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to permanent dark circles under the eyes, bulging eyes, bloated face, and dull facial skin. Excessive drinking breaks down the tissue in the skin and causes permanent damage. Drink it moderately to keep you away from severe skin problems.
Exaggerated Facial Movement
This is something that we might not realize. Sometimes to show that we’re talking or listening enthusiastically, we use our facial muscles to smile, frown, or wrinkling our forehead. But the intensive and repetitive use of facial muscles while talking will create lines on the face. Usually people have horizontal creases across the forehead or near the eyes. It will also make your laugh lines more prominent.
Skin Care
We’re not talking about expensive treatment at dermatologists or beauty centers. We’re talking about essential facial treatments that you need to do every day: washing your face and moisture it. It’s important to wash your face at night before you sleep, because it will remove oil, dirt, and dust from your face. Oil and dirt can produce blackheads and make your skin lost its glow. You also need to moisture your face regularly, because it will keep your face from dehydration. Some moisturizer products also have anti aging agents, which is important for you who’re in 30s.
Not Being Positive
It’s normal for people to have sad feelings once in a while, but it’s not good to keep it. When you are sad, you tend to sport a frown on your face, which can form lines and wrinkles. Unhappy feeling also can cause you to have negative aura.
Think happy thoughts and be positive.
Genetics
Of course this is something that you cannot control. Genetic factors also contribute to premature aging. If your parents or older brothers developed grey hair or age spots in their 20s, then you may tend to have the same. But this does not mean that you cannot slow down your aging process. Balance your diet and quit bad habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol. Take better care of your skin.
Remember that aging is a natural process. You may avoid it as much as you want but it will eventually happen. But, you can slower your aging process if you take care of your health, live a healthy lifestyle.
