Your skin has the incredible ability to protect you and even bounce back despite the many harmful elements it is exposed to. However, if the appearance deteriorates with wear, it can make you look old, tired or unhealthy. Since “distressed” is a look that works best on jeans, it won’t be too flattering on your skin. To tackle this problem directly, you need to be aware of the habits that trigger the premature aging process. More importantly, you should know that you still have a chance to treat any signs of this skin problem.
Changes naturally occur in your skin as you get older. Your skin becomes rougher and more fragile, and sags over the years, sometimes even earlier for some people. As you slowly lose elastic tissue, or elastin, you’ll initially see fine lines. However, what starts out as a faint crease will eventually develop into deep wrinkles if left untreated. What you usually see is only the tip of the iceberg, because beyond it there are ever-shrinking structures that can reach the surface.
Changes beneath the skin are also apparent with age. Fat loss in areas such as the cheeks, temples, nose, chin and around the eyes reduces elasticity. Loss of cartilage accentuates the bone structure, especially in the nose. All of this is part of intrinsic aging, or the natural aging process that occurs over years. This also means that your body produces about 1% less collagen in the skin every year once you reach your twenties.
On the surface, aging skin can appear as dark spots, uneven skin tone, and wrinkles. This is part of extrinsic aging, a process that is triggered by environmental factors and even your own habits.
Prevention is the key to aging beautifully. But the interesting thing is that most of you don’t even realize that what you do every day makes your skin age faster. Aside from the obvious reasons, it’s a seemingly harmless habit that can cause significant harm. Collectively these can age our skin prematurely, and can even be detrimental over the long run.
Poor Sleep Quality
Lack of sleep can accelerate aging. Even staying up all night can give you an idea of what your skin will suffer if you keep doing it. However, the answer is not only in the number of good hours of sleep, but also in the quality of sleep.
Poor quality sleep leads to increased signs of skin aging as evidenced by fine lines and reduced elasticity. The skin’s barrier function is reduced, which means skin recovery is also 30% less compared to people who have good sleep quality. They will also be less satisfied with their appearance. Therefore, beauty rest is not a trivial matter, because stress-induced changes caused by a lack of good quality sleep can have a negative impact on your facial tissues.
Apart from that, health conditions related to sleep debt can also have a negative effect on the skin. This can cause inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It can also worsen allergic and irritant contact dermatitis.
Sedentary Lifestyle
You may be a chill person at home, but being a chill person can be a serious threat to your health. Recent research shows that women who are sedentary are biologically 8 years older. This gives a significant age gap between those who exercise and those who just sit around.
Chronological age does not always match biological age. Research shows that cells age more quickly with a sedentary lifestyle, which means you’re making your skin look older every day if you don’t exercise. Experts observe changes in the structure of DNA, especially telomeres, which shorten with age. This can cause several conditions such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Women who sit longer will have their telomeres shortened more quickly. As a result, the type of aging that is occurring within will eventually come to the surface — and the process is much faster for those who spend more time sitting around with little or no exercise.
Unhealthy Eating
Unhealthy foods can affect your skin. Fatty foods, coffee, and even sugary drinks are not the best choices if you want to have glowing, youthful-looking skin. Fast food can also overload your system with free radicals, which are dangerous substances that can only speed up the aging process. A healthy diet may be a true test of patience and self-control, but it is not only good on a large scale but is also beneficial for the health and beauty of your skin.
Sleep Position
Mechanical compression while sleeping can damage your skin and cause sleep lines to develop. The power of stress becomes obvious on the face when you assume a side or stomach sleeping position. In one study, plastic surgeons noted that after carefully examining the faces of their patients, they noticed a variety of facial lines. Detailed evaluation revealed that this was due to their sleeping position. It was also concluded that these lines can be considered as a factor in the formation of wrinkles.
Dehydrated, Dry Skin
Your skin can become dehydrated without you knowing. To treat it properly, you need to know what distinguishes it from dry skin. Dehydration is a lack of water, not oil, so even oily skin types can experience dehydration. Dry skin is inherited genetically, while dehydrated skin is a condition caused by external factors such as unhealthy diet, weather, and lifestyle. Other causes include temperature, and sunshine. These factors can deplete the water content in your skin, causing the skin to become less supple.
Dry skin, also called alipoid skin, refers to skin that lacks natural oils. This can be caused by a hormonal imbalance or an underactive thyroid, which can inhibit sebum production, causing dull and lackluster skin.
So, what happens if you do nothing?
You will experience the following:
- Dull skin
- Itchy spots
- Fine lines and wrinkles
- Increased sensitivity
Dry, dehydrated skin will be less elastic and more susceptible to wrinkles. This may seem easy to fix, but it’s also a problem that most of you are unaware of.
