Having healthy skin is a reflection of good health because your skin is the largest organ in your body. Unlike most other organs that are inside your body and are protected from external elements, your skin has to deal with both internal and external elements. This means you need to take extra care if you want your skin to stay healthy and young as you age. Though wrinkling is part of the aging process, you may not realize that several activities you do on a regular basis also contribute to it. Here are 7 habits you need to quit right away to keep your skin wrinkle-free.
1. Sleeping On Your Tummy
Getting a good night’s sleep can do wonders for your skin and overall health. It is recommended that you sleep for 7-8 hours to get the optimum amount of rest. However, when it comes to wrinkles, you need to be concerned about more than just your duration of sleep. Sleeping on your tummy can be a cause for wrinkling. Burrowing your face into the pillow puts pressure on the collagen and elastin fibers in your skin. You may not see the effect overnight but over time, fine lines tend to develop on your forehead, cheeks, and chin. Try to sleep on your back, if you can, to avoid wrinkles.
2. Chewing Gum
Most people who’re obsessed with bad breath chew gum for long periods of time. Unfortunately, the chewing motion can result in the appearance of wrinkles on your face. Frequent chewers will end up with a downward turn in the corners of their mouth and a pronounced muscle at the bottom of the jawline. Once these changes take place on your face, they are very difficult to undo. If bad breath is a concern for you, switch to mints and mouthwash rather than chewing gum.
3. Skipping Sunscreen
Dermatologists and skin care experts will advise you to never step out into the sun without sunscreen. Rays of the sun are a combination of different kinds of light with ultraviolet light being one of them. Just a few minutes of sun exposure can cause breakdown of collagen which leads to fine lines and wrinkles. The simple solution is to apply sunscreen every day before stepping out, especially during summers. Choose sunscreens with an SPF of 30 or higher and ones that have zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
4. Drinking Alcohol
Any alcohol you drink is going to dehydrate your body. The result is that your skin looks dull and tired the next morning. If you drink regularly, your skin will lose its elasticity and become more wrinkly due to dehydration. Alcohol also affects the vitamin A levels in your body. Vitamin A is an important antioxidant and is vital for the formation of new skin cells. It also plays a crucial role in the formation of collagen. Loss of collagen is one of the main factors that cause your skin to wrinkle. So go easy on the drinks.
5. Eating Sugary Foods
Having a diet that’s high in sugar and foods with a high glycemic index is going to impact your weight and your skin. Through a process called glycation, the sugar molecules attach to the proteins in your skin, including collagen, causing them to become stiff and malformed. This leads to the loss of facial elasticity and causes puffiness and fine lines. Refined sugars and simple carbohydrates also increase inflammation which results in the production of enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, leading to wrinkles and sagging.
6. Smoking
Smoking is one activity that has absolutely no health benefits, and the list of health issues it can cause is too long to count. However, when it comes to your skin, you should know that smoking restricts blood flow to your skin making it tough for skin cells to get the oxygen and nutrients they need to stay healthy and regenerate. Over time, your skin health suffers making your skin look much older than your actual age. Also, the chemicals in cigarette smoke break down the skin’s fiber and elastin. Reason enough to kick the butt.
7. Going To Bed With Makeup
There’s a good reason why skin experts ask you to remove your makeup before going to bed, no matter how tired you are. The chemicals in your makeup and pollutants that have accumulated on your skin through the day seep into your pores, breaking down collagen and elastin. If you go to bed with makeup often, your skin begins aging faster and the clogged pores can result in breakouts, acne, or other skin infections.
