Aging is a natural process that cannot be stopped. No matter how much we aim for forever 21, it is nothing more than a fantasy. However, there are ways to slow it down. Or in fact, stop it from happening too fast; that is premature aging.
There are some major factors that damage our skin and age it faster. If we understand the underlying causes, it will be easy to tackle them too.
1.Sun
Make hay while the shines; but don’t make your skin wrinkle! More than time, it is the sun that makes us older. As much as it is important to go out in the sun for some vitamin D and strong bones; the sun has ultraviolet rays that damage the skin. Our skin contains collagen fibers which make our skin elastic and fresh. The solar radiation increases the destruction of those collagen fibers, making them rigid and fragile- this process is called solar elastosis.
Loss of collagen results in thin, sensitive and wrinkled skin. The harmful rays from the sun cause oxidation in the skin cells, causing genetic mutation and resulting in skin cancer.
Sun blocks are not overrated. Make sure you apply sun block daily, even if you don’t stay in the sun for hours, even the slightest exposure to ultraviolet rays can causes damage. When you are back home from a day of sun exposure, apply aloe vera to your skin as it helps in rebuilding collagen. Eat citrus fruits as they also rebuild collagen, and eat vegetables such as spinach and kale as they are rich in antioxidants.
2.Carbohydrates
Eating bread for breakfast is fine and cake once in a while is amazing! But too much carbohydrate and too little protein is the gateway to a wrinkled, acne prone skin. A diet rich in sugars causes the skin elasticity to decrease. Protein on the other hand is important in production of hyaluronic acid elastin and collagen, which give the skin a healthy look and makes it tight and elastic.
3.Smoking
We have seen the picture of black lungs in our science books, but smoking is something that ruins every part of your body; the face is no less. The nicotine in smoke causes your blood vessels to constrict, this restricts blood flow, therefore causing less oxygen supply and less vitamin supply to the skin.
4.Stress
Stress kills you more than anything. Constant worry, anxiety and stress damage the skin cells to a lot of extent. According to a research in 2012, DNA section called telomeres in people with work related stress have looked shorter, which means that the cell death in such people is higher, which increases aging. Stress also damages your brain cells, increases blood pressure, and ruins your sleeping habits.
5.Bad Makeup
Using Makeup is normal. But makeup that is of cheap quality or applying makeup for too long will ruin your skin. Swap your foundation for a lighter foundation and remove it as soon as you come home. Use makeup only if you REALLY need it. Remove makeup before sleeping no matter how tired you are after a party, otherwise get ready for premature wrinkling of the skin.