The skin is the largest organ of the body. Its numerous functions and attributes also make it vulnerable to considerable wear and tear. Aging skin, as a natural part of getting older, is influenced by your inherited aging skin “genes”. While you may have little control over your aging genes, skin damage is also caused by external factors that certainly are within your control, such as your daily health and lifestyle choices.
Here are 7 habits which harm your skin, speed up your skin’s aging process and make you look older than your age:
1) Lack of sleep
Needless to say: too little sleep makes you look and feel tired. It shows up on the face, with dark circles and bags under the eyes, and sagging skin. Research has shown that while Margaret Thatcher famously slept only 4 hours a night, most adults function best with 8-9 hours. Everyone who works long hours will probably agree that 8-9 hours is almost impossible to achieve. Nevertheless, for a better sleep try to reduce caffeine during the day (with none in the evening), have dinner at least 2 hours before bedtime, and aim to go to bed at the same time each night. If you ever break your routine by going to bed late, try not to compensate by sleeping in the next day, this will help you find your routine again.
2) Cigarette Smoke
There is (at least) one good thing about the smoking ban which came into force last summer (UK) which ensures you a smokeless day at the office and a lunch break in “fresh air”: Whether you are a smoker, or you spend time with a smoker, cigarette smoke harms your skin. Research has shown that cigarette smoke depletes your body of Vitamin C, which is a key ingredient for keeping your skin elastic and hydrated. The lack of Vitamin C significantly increases wrinkles and dryness.
3) Alcohol (ab)use
Alcohol speeds up the aging process of your skin by dilating small blood vessels in the skin and increasing blood flow near the skin’s surface. Over a long period of time, these blood vessels become permanently damaged, creating a flushed appearance and broken vessels on the skin’s surface.
4) Stress
Do you get very stressed at work? Well, you should try not to show it! Stress and worry makes you frown, and after a while the muscles in your face conform to that movement. Try to keep your stress level down and as strange as it may sound, vary your facial expressions during the day. Meditation, yoga or other relaxation techniques might be helpful too.
5) Winter weather
April is upon us and even though (at least for our UK and Swiss readers – and most likely for everyone in between) it is hard to believe at the moment: warmer summer months are not far away. Thank God for that because cold winds and low temperatures as well as heated rooms contribute to aging skin by making skin dry, so make sure to use a good moisturizer at all times. You should also consider using a humidifier at home as well as at the office.
6) Lack of exercise
Exercise helps to tone your muscles and gets your blood flowing. It is the same old story: If you can’t face going to the gym try a regular short work-out at home everyday before you leave the house. You should try to become active in your office as well. If you have the chance, take the staircase and avoid lifts. Get off your seat and do the copying yourself instead of delegating it to others. Leave earlier and walk or cycle to and from work. In addition to the physical benefits, the benefits will show on your face. Having a bright smile and lots of energy will make you look younger, at any age.
7) Sun exposure
Too much sun exposure is very damaging to your skin. It becomes mottled in appearance and once charming freckles quickly degenerate into brown unattractive sun spots. The skin takes on a dry, leathery appearance, and wrinkles and sagging increase. The risk of skin cancer is highly increased as a result of unprotected sun exposure. If you want to avoid aging skin but don’t want to avoid the sun, make sure you use sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher that protects you against both UVA and UVB rays. Remember that clouds do not necessarily protect you from ultraviolet ray exposure, so it might be an idea to use the sunscreen all year-round.
