5 Main Causes Of Premature Skin Aging

Most of us do not notice it but the steady increase in the instances of lifestyle diseases is putting a heavy burden on our skin. It’s large surface area makes the skin prime for the accumulation of harmful toxins easily penetrating its structure and impairing its function. Here is a list of lifestyle choices that contribute to premature aging of the skin and some tips to avoid them.

1. Stop smoking With in the region 4 thousand unknown chemicals that make-up cigarette smoke, there is a very real risk that the toxins accumulate together in the skin eventually causing a medically known phenomenon called “smoker’s face” which is characterized by wrinkled, gray-yellow, dry skin. Your best bet is to stop smoking and to stay away from smokers who share secondhand smoke that is just as toxic. Another harmful side effect of smoking is in the reduction of Vitamin C, an essential mineral involved in countless body regulating and healing processes and it is strongly recommended that one increases their Vitamin C intake while in the process of quitting from cigarette smoking.

2. Alcohol Alcohol is a very potent diuretic that depletes the body of its water content faster than you can replace it. Dry, dehydrated skin is responsible for causing wrinkles. Alcohol also dilates small blood vessels right under the skin which over time causes a permanent flushed appearance much like sunburn. Once again, the best way is to avoid alcoholic beverages whenever you can; your skin will thank you for it.

3. Get your 8 hours a night! Lack of sleep, whether intentional or medical, makes us susceptible to fatigue as the body does not have sufficient time to repair damaged areas, a regulative process when one sleeps at night. Common symptoms like dark circles and bags under the eyes imply accumulated damage that was not repaired due to sleep deprivation, and this continues to build-up, if unattended, until the body can’t repair the damage. The best advice is to always try to get around 8 hours of sleep each night. Many people work night shift and have no choice but to sleep during the day, limit the stresses that your body experiences by turning off lights and drawing your curtains when sleeping during the day to create the same feeling of sleeping at night. Doing this will correct the body’s off-key cycle eventually adjusting its typical healing mechanisms to what is fit for you.

4. Are you stressed? Stress is the primary reason for all those fine lines on your face, nothing else is as drastic at making you look older than your years. If stress is unavoidable, which is largely the first tip to escaping from it, ensure that you get a healthy dose of stress-busting activities like going for a walk. Try to make some time for some exercise that will allow you to vent all your worries, like boxing, running or just going to the gym, yoga, biking, hiking to name just a few. If nothing appeals to your sensibilities and spending on spa treatments isn’t high on your priorities, you can create a relaxing atmosphere at home with just a few scented candles, gentle music, and low lighting. All that it takes is a little creativity and out-of-the-box imagination. There are more activities out there that can help you to achieve healthy, glowing skin but it is always sensible to trim down the baggage by letting go of needless social vices.

5. Sun Exposure UV rays from the sun can have a huge impact on our skin and ages it incredibly quickly. Our skin gets tanned by its production of melanin which is actually our skin’s natural protection against the sun. These signs of aging are caused by the sun:

Wrinkles Wrinkles are the most common sign of aging. We are all guaranteed to develop some wrinkles naturally as we get older due to our expressions and creases in our faces, but the problem can be made a whole lot worse by regular sun exposure and not wearing sunscreen.

Liver Spots Call them what you will liver spots, sun spots or age spots are all the same thing - small patches of pigmentation caused by too much exposure to the sun. An uneven complexion can be equally as aging to the appearance as wrinkles, and pigmentation can be prevented by looking after your skin, limiting sun exposure and wearing sunblock. If you sunbathed a lot in your youth then you will more than likely develop some form of pigmentation, even if you can’t see it yet.

Keratosis The sun is also to blame for causing actinic keratosis. The dry lesions if left untreated can become precancerous. AK’s tend to affect those who also suffer from wrinkles and pigmentation as the cause is the same. Caught early it is treatable.

Make it a point to put health and wellbeing ahead so you can develop the necessary drive to resist these temptations. All it takes is a little knowledge and a lot of hardwork.