What you need to know to prevent premature skin aging
Skin is the largest organ in the body. It is the body’s outermost layer of protection from external harms such as temperature, moisture, toxic and germs.
Thus, it is important to optimally keep the skin healthy, especially from premature skin aging.
As the name suggests, premature skin aging starts showing its signs even before old age. The symptoms include facial wrinkles, fine lines and black spots.
Kompas.com listed nine factors that accelerate skin aging:
1. Excessive sun exposure
Excessive sun exposure can trigger the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines on the face regardless of age. However, it can be avoided by applying sunscreen to the skin when you plan on going outdoors. The ideal sunscreen is one that has an SPF level of 25 and above.
2. Sleeping position
Sleeping postures have a big role in skin fatigue. Sleeping sideways, while might feel comfortable, has the potential to damage the skin. This is because the cheek has to support the entire head weight, and the pressure can cause wrinkles or fine lines.
Try changing sleeping position more often to reduce damage to one side of the face.
Read also: Could a lifetime of exercise be the key to slowing down the aging process?
3. Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption
A number of studies have shown that smoking is associated with premature aging, specifically facial wrinkles. Habitual alcohol consumption shrinks blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the skin. This causes early appearances of fine lines and wrinkles.
4. Sleeping with makeup on
Fatigue might make some people forget to remove their makeup before going to sleep. However, this habit will trigger the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines and pimples.
Use wet wipes to clean makeup before going to sleep every day.
5. Stress
Stress majorly impacts not only the mind but also the skin.
Reduce stress with a hobby, hanging out with friends, or going on a short vacation.
6. Lack of sleep
Not getting enough sleep can trigger the appearance of wrinkles on the skin. Lack of sleep can also cause other skin problems, such as eye bags and dull skin.
Read also: Anti-aging field ‘explodes’ in pursuit of healthy old age
7. Diet
Those with an overly sweet tooth should restrain themselves. Excessive sugar intake will cause glycation in the blood, which damages collagen in the blood vessels, causing wrinkles and fine lines to emerge. Eating processed foods too often can also affect the skin.
Try to consume fresh vegetables, fruits rich in vitamin C and olive oil for healthy skin.
8. Too much exercise
Regular physical activity nourishes the body, but too much exercise can also have detrimental effects, namely damaging skin cells and loosening muscles. Thus, wrinkles and fine lines appear.
9. Unclean and dehydrated skin
Washing your face at least twice a day hydrates the skin, thus slowing down its aging. The skin also needs to be hydrated internally by drinking plenty of water every day. (iru/kes)
Read also: Combining endurance, resistance training fights aging and cardiovascular disease: Study
Originally published at www.thejakartapost.com on December 23, 2018.
