We
all age. There’s no getting around that. But I want to do it gracefully and for
me, that means taking the best care I can of myself and my skin. The last thing
I want is to age faster than I need to. But if you are unaware, you could be
causing premature aging with your hair, skin, and body in all kinds of ways.
So, to learn how to better fight the aging process, we have to take a closer
look at it. What causes it and how are we exacerbating it? Most importantly,
how do we take better care of ourselves so we slow the process?
Dryness
As
many people will tell you, humans are up to 60% made of water. So of course
every inch of us should be properly hydrated. When it isn’t, it becomes dry,
brittle, and more prone to breakage. Dry hair is one of the first places this
can present, and you need to use conditioners and shampoos that moisturize as
they wash in order toprotect your hair. The same goes for your
skin. Avoid any skin care products that have ingredients like fragrance or
sulphates that can dry it out and cause it to age prematurely. Products rich in
natural moisturizers are key. For my skin, I am a big fan of products
containing hyaluronic acid. It’s an
incredible moisturizer!
The sun
For
both your hair and skin, few things can be quite as damaging as the sun. For
one, prolonged exposure to the sun dehydrates you much worse than any bad skin
care product could. What’s more, UV rays essentially bake out the ingredients
in the skin that help it stay as elastic and oversee its self-repair processes.
When you go out in the sun, make sure you’re wearing a hat to protect your
hair, and use sun lotions thatprotect from both UVA
and UVB rays, not just one of the varieties. There are even products that can protect your hair from UV rays
to help prevent dryness and damage. And most importantly, don’t forget sun
exposure is the single leading cause of skin cancer, giving you even more
reason to be careful of it.
Gravity
None of us is immune
to gravityand the same can be said for our bodies. As far as skin is
concerned, you can cause deep, asymmetrical wrinkles when we allow gravity to
work more on one side of our face than the other. That’s why, if you want
younger looking skin, you should avoid lying on your side as much as possible.
Side sleeping can cause wrinkles to form on your chest as we age. I’ve been
trying to sleep on my back more often lately!
Stress
Stress
ages you in all sorts of ways. Mentally, stress has been shown to lead to a
higher risk of memory loss and even conditions like dementia. What’s more, the
production of the stress hormone, cortisol, can get in the way of sleep
dramatically. When we don’t sleep, our body doesn’t have the opportunity to
recover and repair a lot of the damage it undergoes. That means that muscle
pain can be exacerbated, our skin can start to wrinkle a lot sooner, and much
more. It can become a vicious cycle. You are stressed so you don’t sleep well
and then you become more stressed from lack of sleep!Managing your stress
through exercise, meditation, or even simply finding a hobby does the whole
body a lot of good, not just your mood. After all, the mind and body are
inextricably linked.
Strain
Physical
strain puts a lot of pressure on our body, as well. As far as your skin is
concerned, many of us are already be somewhat aware that being overly
expressivecan cause your face to
age faster. “Laughter lines” and “frown lines” aren’t just an urban myth.
Too much work causes our skin’s natural elasticity to break down. You can avoid
being overly expressive, but is that really realistic? It has also been shown
that deep massages can help restore some of that elasticity and thickens the
deepest layer of the skin where these wrinkles first begin to appear. It’s a
much better option than walking around trying not to smile or frown!
Collagen (or the lack thereof)
When
talking about the skin’s natural elasticity and its ability to heal itself, it’s
about some very specific components of the skin. Collagen is the main reason
our skin stays youthful, with elastin playing a supporting role. When it breaks
down, our skin starts to show the signs of aging because it can’t repair itself
as well. This leads to skin becoming rough, uneven, and crepey. You can learnhow to get rid of crepey skin, by using creams that
boost your natural collagen production. Ingredients like aloe, Shea butter,
vitamin C, coconut oil, and vitamin E can all support the production of both
collagen and elastin. There are plenty of pads and serums that contain a mix of
these ingredients that can help you target specific areas where your collagen
has started to break down, too.
Smoking
There
are plenty of bad habits that we pick up that can accelerate the aging process.
Though it’s thankfully on the decline due to the popularity of vaping, other
substitute treatments, increase on cigarette tax, and many states banning
smoking from many public places, smoking is still one of the most widespread
causes of premature aging.Studies on identical
twins, one a smoker, one not a smoker, have shown just how drastic a
change it can make, too. Yikes! Smoking gets in the way of producing collagen.
What’s more, it causes the skin to become thinner, which means that wrinkles
show a lot sooner and the skin’s elasticity is compromised.
Drinking
Alcohol can be just as bad as smoking. In moderation, such as a single glass of wine a day, it
can be good for you. In fact, it can stop the breakdown of cells and production
of free radicals, which can lead to visible signs of aging. A glass of wine a
day has even been shown to improve your chances of retaining your memory later
in life. However, going over the recommended limit, even only once a week, has
been shown to deplete your body of vitamin A and other nutrients that help keep
it more youthful. It’s also another collagen inhibitor, causing wrinkles to
appear much faster than they normally would. Even more, it dehydrates the body,
including the skin, and causes inflammation, leading to puffiness and redness.
Sugar
You
are what you eat, right? There are plenty of good foods, including salmon,
leafy greens, and nuts that contain ingredients such as omega-3 fatty acidsthat can slow down the
aging process. On the other side of the scale, however, there is sugar. Sugar
leads to a process called glycation in the body, producing what are known as
AGEs (or advanced glycation end products). As these gather up in the body, they
damage the proteins they find a home beside, including collagen and elastin.
Springy, resilient collagen becomes brittle and weak, leading to those
wrinkles. Of course, high sugar intakes have been shown to have a very direct
link to weight gain. I have such a sweet tooth I’ve been working to get under control
for years! It can be tough!
Inactivity
A
lack of exercise is another big factor in early aging. Exercise is also key to
the repair process of the body, and even the most superficial signs of aging
can be fought by working out the specific areas of the body which they appear
on. For instance, for face and neck wrinkles, you can even dofacial exercises. Much like massages,
these help test out and give a boost to the elasticity of your skin. Exercises
such as looking up and down, chewing, and turning your head from side to side
can even help you prevent and fight back against issues like turkey neck.
Exercise is good for your mental health too and can help combat stress.
Pollution
Unfortunately
some causes of aging are outside of our control. Plenty of pollutants can be
just as harmful as some of the other things I have mentioned before. Allergens,
dust, bleaches, and so on can cause our skin to become irritated and inflamed,
which can lead to dehydration and early aging. However, this issue can be exacerbated
by the skin care products and make-up you use. Make sure you do a little
research on the products you use to make sure they don’t contain harmful
ingredients like fragrance, BHA, or parabens. What’s more, never go to sleep
with your makeup on andensure you wash thoroughly every night. Otherwise, you’re more
likely to clog up your skin, leading to breakouts and inflammation.
By
addressing the root causes of aging, especially premature aging, you can retain
your youthfulness for a lot longer, be healthier, and have a better quality of
life.
