11 Mistakes You Make that Age You.
Aging gracefully comes easier to
some, while not so easy to others. Sometimes it's a factor of just
having good genes, but often they are the decisions we make during our
lifetime that determine how fast we'll appear to age. You may not
realize it, but most people commit mistakes every single day that make
them age faster than they should, harming their skin and quickening the
appearance of old age. Here 11 mistakes we all make that age us.
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1. You try to do too many things at once (Multitasking)
If your
to-do list is longer than your arm and you are dealing with the stress
of juggling many projects or tasks at once, you're doing yourself a
disservice, says Raymond Casciari, Chief Medical Officer at St. Joseph
Hospital. Several studies have shown that day-to-day stress triggers the
release of free radicals in the body, which damage cells and quicken
the ageing process. The good doctor suggests focusing on one task at a
time.
2. You rarely pass on dessert.
Other than
being an obviously unhealthy habit, having a sweet tooth may be adding
years to your face, as sugar molecules attach themselves to protein
fibers in our cells, a process known as glycation. This can lead to an
ashen look, dark circles around the eyes, a loss of facial contours,
wrinkles, puffiness and bigger pores. So if you want to hold on to that
youthful glow, don't over-do the sugar.
3. You get less than 5-6 hours of sleep a night.
Not getting
enough sleep doesn't only give you black bags under your eyes, but has
been linked, through several studies, to a shorter life span. According
to Dr. Casciari, the founder of a sleep lab at St. Joseph Hospital,
getting about 7 hours of sleep is optimal. So if you find yourself
nodding off, low on energy or finding it hard to focus, you're probably
not sleeping enough, and it may age you faster than you'd like.
4. You spend most of your day sitting.
Sitting and
leading a sedentary lifestyle are some of the worst problems for aging
people in the modern world. Most people do very little physical
activity, and the result is an increased risk of kidney disease,
cardiovascular disease, cancer and of course obesity.
Studies show that people who exercised 150 minutes a week or more lived 10-13 years longer on average.
5. You don't use any eye creams.
The skin
around your eyes is thinner than the rest of your face, and that is why
it usually starts showing signs of aging sooner. Keeping the eye area
moisturised can take years off your face. The best creams contain Retin
A, which is a form of vitamin A. But you can also add antioxidants,
hyaluronic acid and vitamin C.
6. You only use sunscreen when on vacation.
If you only
use sunblock at the beach, you may actually be doing more harm to your
skin while running errands and driving than a whole day spent on that
beach. Skin damage accumulates, and the sun's rays are the #1 reason for
ageing skin. Dr Taylor, associate professor of dermatology, recommends
that you use an SPF between 30-50 for daily protection.
7. You wear too much makeup.
This is not
a judgement, just a fact. Many make-up products are oil based, and can
clog your pores and cause outbreaks. Overusing skin products with
fragrances, alcohol agents and chemicals that irritate, may cause
premature lines and wrinkles.
8. You sleep with your face against the pillow.
Sleeping on
your stomach of side with your face mashed into the pillow may create
wrinkles and make your aging process look like it's going faster. Our
facial skin gets less flexible with time, and so as we lay on the pillow
night after night, our skin may not spring back and smooth the lines
you had, and so the pillow can leave permanent marks on our face. So
sleep on your back or invest in a satin pillowcase that'll keep your
skin smooth.
9. You keep your house very warm.
When you
turn up the thermostat or light a fireplace because it's cold, it's
tempting to making it hot and toasty inside. But the problem is that the
thermostat, and also the fireplace, suck moisture out of the air in the
house, which leads to dry skin. If this goes on, as indeed in cold
climates it may, it will lead to damaged skin with ageing effects.
So invest
in a humidifier, and set to 40-60% humidity. This will free your skin
from the itching, scratching and even flaking that comes with dry air.
Another way to go is placing a wet towel over a radiator or a bowl of cold water in the room.
10. You purse your lips
Drinking
your beverages through a straw can help you avoid staining your teeth,
but just like squinting can give you wrinkles around the eyes, so can
pursing your lips give you wrinkles around the mouth.
By the way, this also often happens when you smoke a cigarette.
11. You've stopped eating fat altogether.
Some
amounts of fat are required to maintaining a youthful appearance and
feeling, according to Franci Cohen, nutritionist and exercise
physiologist from Brooklyn, NY. Heart healthy omega 3 fatty acids, which
you can find in oily fish such as mackerel or salmon, as well as nuts
like walnuts and flax seeds, will keep your skin plump and supple. This
will prevent wrinkles, while also boosting the health of both your brain
and heart.
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