10 innocent habits that are aging you

Most if not all of us don’t want to age and if we do, we want to age like fine wine. Unfortunately it is not always the case.

According to Britannica, longevity is the span of life of an organism. Aging is the sequential or progressive change in an organism that leads to an increased risk of debility, disease and death. 

The older you get, the lower your production of human growth hormone (HGH) gets, which in turn affects your skin negatively.

To identify what could be accelerating your aging, here are 10 habits you may have that are contributing to it.

Stress

Stress, anxiety and worrying constantly can have quite a negative impact on your body. According to researchers, jobs that involve a lot of stress do harm your DNA. Stress damages and kills certain cells in your body which speed up your aging process. Stress also increases your blood pressure and causes lack of sleep, all things that make one look older.

Loss of HGH

Your pituitary gland produces the human growth hormone that together with collagen, is responsible for maintaining your skin and muscle composition. The older you get, the slower your production of collagen becomes. This then causes you to have loose and thin skin. While you can’t control this, study shows that certain combinations of amino acids do stimulate the production of HGH which in turn leads to production of sufficient collagen which then leads to firmer, thicker skin. 

Insufficient sleep

Not getting enough sleep can have some adverse effects on your health such as gaining weight, loss of focus, poor memory and even sallow skin. Make sure to always get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Make sure to also avoid sleeping too long on one side as this can cause wrinkles on that side of your face.

Inflammatory foods

Meals such as processed foods, white bread, red meats, vegetable oils and margarine do cause chronic inflammation and are bad for your skin as they will speed up the formation of wrinkles. To prevent early aging, stick to foods such as avocados, olive oil, salmon and flaxseeds as they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Fruits and vegetables are also great as they help with the production of collagen that helps the skin.

Smoking

Smoking decreases the amount of oxygen that reaches your skin cells which then leads to pale and unevenly colored skin. Smoking can also lead to a skin condition known as psoriasis. Second hand smoke isn’t much better either as it leads to the breaking down of collagen, leading to loose and saggy skin on your face and upper arms and breasts.

Lack of exercise

Having a moderate exercise regimen is not only good for your heart and lungs, but it also rejuvenates your skin. Make sure to have regular short and sweaty workouts and not only will you lose weight, but you will also reap anti-aging benefits.

Happy hour

Alcohol is known as a natural diuretic which means that the more you drink the more dehydrated you get. This can have quite a negative impact on your skin because the alcohol takes the excess moisture out of your skin. Excessive alcohol also causes acne, wrinkles and development of fine lines, all things that make you look older.

The wrong makeup

While makeup is a great tool to hide your imperfections and make you look flawless, the wrong type of makeup can age you. If your foundation is too heavy it will settle into the fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes and mouth making you look older. Always opt for a light formula that will simply enhance your skin’s luminosity.

Sunbathing

Sunbathing really does feel great but it can be bad for your skin. It increases your risk of cancer. The harmful UV rays also weaken your skin cells and blood vessels. This cause your skin to appear leathery and can even make your skin more prone to bruising. Make sure to always apply sunscreen to protect your skin from this.

Neglecting your eye health

The skin around our eyes is quite thin and has very few oil glands making it susceptible to early aging. It is advisable to start caring for your eyes at an early age by applying an eye cream daily. The best eye cream should contain peptides, which help stimulate the production of collagen and effectively helps prevent formation of fine lines.