How To Avoid Early Aging
Americans are known for being concerned about looking youthful. It is more and more common for people to get plastic surgery. In 2018, about 18 million people underwent some sort of cosmetic surgery and it is on the rise. Obviously, we want to avoid spending money at all costs, so I found some tips for you to do or not do to avoid premature aging.
1. Protect yourself from the sun
Sun protection is very important if you want to avoid early aging. When you are outside (even in a car), you should have any exposed skin covered in sunscreen. Your sunscreen should be at least SPF 30 but preferably higher and water resistant. You should have a hat on and sunglasses. Sunglasses help to avoid wrinkling around the eyes. If you are at the beach (where you may be in the sun for hours), bring an umbrella or find a shady spot.
2. Don’t use tanning beds
Tanning beds are known for causing skin cancer and causes premature aging. The UV rays accelerate how quickly your skin ages. It is safer and your skin will thank you if you just use a self tanner. Self tanners come in sprays, gels, creams, lotions and wipes. This won’t protect you from the sun, so still put on sunscreen.
3. No smoking or don’t start
If you smoke, stop. If you are thinking about it, don’t do it. Smoking causes lung cancer and early aging. Your skin will look dull and sallow. Smoking breaks down collagen and constricts blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients to your skin. Even your nails will change colors into a yellow.
4. Have a good diet
Studies have found that eating fruits and vegetables every day helps prevent aging. On the flip side, an abundance of sugar and carbs will cause aging. This doesn’t mean you can’t have sugar or carbs but you should have a more balanced diet. Some good foods to eat to help you look younger are olive oil, green tea, tomatoes, ginger, bone broth, avocados, fish, dark chocolate, etc.
5. Limit your alcohol and caffeine intake
As you know, alcohol causes dehydration. You can probably feel it when you get hungover. Also, drinking dilates your blood vessels. Caffeine also dehydrates. They both are diuretics. If you can’t limit your caffeine, try to drink a lot of water to keep your body hydrated.
6. Avoid doing repetitive facial expressions
Relax your face. If you are frowning or smiling a lot, you are increasing the chances of wrinkles in those areas. Of course, you can’t really just stop yourself from smiling. So, avoid doing unnecessary facial expressions. To reduce facial tension, do facial exercises, yoga, meditation, and take hot baths.
7. Exercise several times a week
Exercise is important for many different reasons. For one, it improves your circulation and boosts your immune system. It is proven that exercise slows down aging. Since you increase blood flow, oxygen and nutrients carry out the waste from skin cells, making your skin look much healthier. Adults should work out 3 to 5 times a week.
8. Be gentle with your face
You should wash your face every time you are sweating heavily. Limit washing to twice a day. But when you do wash your face, make sure to gently do it. It is bad to pull on your skin. It can really irritate it. When you are taking off your makeup with a wipe, it may feel like you have to scrub it off but you really should take the time instead of just rushing it. Do not use products that sting your face. That is a sign you should not be using that product. Irritating your face can cause you to look older.
9. Use moisturizer every day
Use a moisturizer every day. Moisturizers trap water into your skin, giving you a more youthful look. You can even get moisturizers that have sunscreen in it. It’s a two in one. But that still would mean you would have to reapply it every few hours.
10. Use a retinol cream
Retinoids (a chemical compound of Vitamin A) are prescription face medications that help you skin appear youthful. They work by minimizing fine lines, increase production of collagen and blood vessels, decrease age spots, and smooth out rough patches. Some examples are Retin-A and Renova. Doctors suggest that you should start using this anti aging remedy in your 20s. This is only if you have noticeable damage. If not, you should consider waiting. You should apply your retinol cream every other day to avoid overusing it and any negative side effects. You may experience burning or redness. Retinoids may take months before you start noticing a difference, so remain patient.
11. Stay hydrated
Hydration is key. Studies have found that the amount of water people consume will affect their skin hydration and biomechanics. The amount of water you consume a day may vary by the day. It is based on your activity, gender, age, size, and weather. Women should drink about 2 liters a day. Men should drink 3 liters a day. Kids should drink 1 1/2 liters a day. Without water, you may notice that your skin will look dull, clearer wrinkles, and more prominent pores.
12. Sleep
Sleep is so important for our health overall. You may look different if you are not getting enough sleep. You can have dark circles under your eyes, more fine lines, drooping corners of your mouth, and puffy red eyes. As you age, you will need less and less sleep. As a newborn (0 to 3 months), you would need about 14 to 17 hours a day. As a teenager (14 to 17), you would need about 8 to 10 hours a day. As a college student (18 to 25), you need 7 to 9 hours a day. As a senior (65 +), you will need 7 to 8 hours a day.
