Growing old is inevitable, and looking forever young takes commitment. Considering the many factors that can potentially harm our skin, several things (however minor they may seem) can lead to premature aging. Below, the bad habits you need to avoid:
1. Eating too much sweets
Desserts are hard to resist. But according to experts, too much sugar can cause dull and brittle skin. They go straight to our bloodstream, forming advanced glycation end products, also known as AGEs, that can do damage to surrounding proteins such as collagen and elastin (these are responsible for keeping our skin firm and supple, FYI).
2. Rubbing your eyes
It’s a bad habit that you need to stop, stat. Constantly tugging, pulling, and rubbing your eye area will cause the surrounding skin to darken. This could even lead to premature wrinkles. Yikes!
3. Sleeping on your side and/or stomach
We’re mostly aware that sleeping less than eight hours a day takes a toll on our health, but what some of us don’t know yet is that the sleeping position matters, too. According to dermatologists, pressing your face into the pillow for hours while sleeping on your side or your stomach can break down your skin molecules and lead to—yup, you guessed it!—wrinkles.
4. Sipping through a straw
Surprised? So are we. Pursing your lips to drink through a straw can in fact form creases around your mouth, carving deep lines that’ll most likely stay there for good.
5. Skipping sunscreen
We cannot stress this enough. Just think of all the harmful UV rays that your skin is constantly exposed to. Sun damage can lead to brown spots and extremely dry and saggy skin. To avoid this, make sure that you apply sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.
6. Going on a crash diet
When a party is coming up or a beach vacay is drawing near, we all want to lose pounds in a hurry, tempting us to undergo a crash diet. This, however, is never a good idea. It reduces your energy level, messes with your concentration, and makes you feel depressed and irritable. Also, it causes wrinkles and sagging since our skin isn’t given enough time to adjust to the weight loss.
7. Cigarette smoking
It’s a major cause of premature aging. Cigarette smoking not only damages your lungs, it also speeds up your aging process. The harmful smoke depletes your body of Vitamin C which causes skin dryness and formation of wrinkles on the face.
8. Excessive alcohol consumption
Alcohol intake can leave permanent damaging effects on your skin. It not only causes dehydration in general, it also robs your body of Vitamin A that is essential for cell renewal.
