Aging is natural. But when it comes to the aging of the skin, there are many external factors that can play a role. Exposure to sunlight, an unhealthy lifestyle, and adverse weather conditions are some of them. However, with some changes, we can keep the skin looking fresh and prevent it from aging. With some antiaging products, healthy lifestyle, and food habits, we can restore the youth of the skin and successfully prevent premature aging.
What causes aging of the skin?
The aging of skin depends on several factors, such as your lifestyle, genes, food and skincare regime. Normal aging of the body is a factor that leads to aging skin. But in addition to that, excessive sun exposure, pollution, and loss of the fatty tissue, which is between the muscle and the skin, can also play a significant role in the aging of the skin.
Some other factors that can cause the skin to age prematurely are stress, facial movement, and sleep position.
What are the signs of aging skin?
With age, there are a lot of changes that the skin goes through. It starts to get rougher, there is a development of benign tumors, it loses elasticity, becomes fragile, and can become bruised easily. The signs of aging become evident on the skin with time, and these can include the following:
- Losing of fat under the skin in areas such as cheeks, chin, nose, temples, and around the eyes. This can make the eyes look sunken and make them appear skeletal.
- There is also loss of bone in areas around the chin and the mouth. This usually starts happening after the age of 60, and this can lead to wrinkling of the skin around the mouth.
- Loss of cartilage can lead to a drooping nasal drip and change in the appearance of the nose.
In addition to aging, there are certain external factors also that can make the signs of aging skin evident. Although these are secondary factors, they can still play a significant role. As the skin loses its elasticity, there can be drooping of eyelids and eyebrows caused by gravity. It also makes the skin under the cheeks to loosen. Double chin also starts to appear, and the ear lobes start to look longer.
Lines caused due to facial movements also start to appear more clearly when there is a loss of elasticity in the skin. This usually happens by the time we reach our 30s and 40s. These lines can start to appear horizontally on the forehead and vertically on the area above glabella. They can also start to appear as curved lines showing on the temples, around the mouth area, and upper cheeks.
Preventing premature aging of the skin
Sure, there are many antiaging products in the market that can help you fight the signs of aging. But like they say, prevention is always better than cure. While you cannot do much about preventing the aging of the skin due to aging, there is a lot that can be done to prevent the skin’s premature aging due to environmental and other external factors.
These preventive measures include the following tips which many dermatologists recommend to their patients:
- Protection from the sun
Sun plays a huge role in the premature aging of the skin. Therefore, it is extremely important to make sure that you are protecting your skin from the harmful rays of the sun, even if you are stepping out of the house to run a quick errand. You can give your skin the necessary protection by seeking shade wherever possible, wearing clothes that can cover your body completely, wearing sunscreen that is at least SPF 30, and is broad-spectrum and water-resistant. Sunscreen should be applied to all the parts of the body that you cannot keep covered with clothes. - Avoid tanners
Getting a tan from sunbathing, tanning bed or tanning equipment installed indoors is equally harmful to your body. All these emit UV rays that can make your skin age prematurely. Therefore, you must stay away from the tan. - Avoid repeating facial expressions
Making a facial expression leads to the contracting of underlying muscles. Continuously contracting the same muscles over some time leads to the formation of permanent lines. To reduce lines that are formed due to squinting can be prevented by wearing sunglasses. - Make sure you follow a balanced food regime
Several studies point to the benefits of eating vegetables and fruits in preventing skin damage and premature aging of the skin. Meals that are loaded with sugar or carbohydrates can speed up the process of aging. - Exercise regularly
Studies have shown that regular exercise can give a boost to the immune system and improve the circulation of blood in the body. This can make your skin appear more youthful. - Be gentle on the skin while cleansing
Roughly scrubbing your skin can irritate the skin. Irritated skin can lead to premature aging. Therefore, to remove all the dirt and pollution, gently cleanse your skin with a face wash. While removing makeup also go as soft as possible on the skin. - Wash your face regularly
Make sure that you cleanse your face at least two times a day. Also, when you sweat profusely, it is essential to wash your face afterward. Sweating can irritate the skin. Therefore, it is important to wash your wash as much as possible after you have sweat a lot. - Moisturize your skin every day
Keeping your skin moisturized helps in trapping water in the skin. This helps in keeping the skin youthful. - Avoid skincare products that burn
If a product makes your skin sting or causes a burning sensation, it can mean that it is causing skin irritation. Irritated skin can lead to premature aging.
These tips can prove to be beneficial even if signs of premature aging have started to appear. These are lifestyle changes that can help you have healthier skin and delay its aging process.
Best antiaging products that you must try in 2020
The cosmetic market is flooded with products that make tall claims about their effectiveness in making your skin look younger. But when it comes to taking care of your skin, nobody would want to experiment. Picking the best for your skin is the only way to ensure that your skin stays looking younger and healthy. So, here are some of the best antiaging products that many dermatologists recommend.
Natural remedies to fight aging skin
The problems of skin aging can be solved with these products, but it might not be easy to overlook their potential side effects. Thankfully, several natural remedies can work like antiaging products and leave behind no side effects. These include the following:
- Lemon juice
Lemon contains vitamin C which is an effective and strong antioxidant. It works like a bleaching agent that makes it an effective remedy to fight freckles and spots caused due to aging. To make use of this remedy, simply squeeze a lemon and apply the juice on your skin. Let it be on the skin for around 15 minutes before washing it off with water. You can repeat this every day. To get even better results, take half teaspoon milk cream and one teaspoon egg white to the lemon juice. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and apply it on the skin. Let it dry for 15 minutes before rinsing it with cold water. Another effective antiaging remedy is lemon juice combined with honey. The soothing effect of honey on the skin fights irritation and the signs of aging. Add one teaspoon lemon juice and with one teaspoon honey. Mix both the ingredients well. Massage the skin with the mixture and let it dry for 20 minutes. Wash it off using warm water. - Coconut milk
Coconut is loaded with essential minerals and vitamins that are required to keep the skin healthy. It can also moisturize the skin thoroughly and allow it to be soft. Take raw coconut and grate it. Now squeeze the milk out of the grated coconut and apply it to your face. Let it stay on the skin for around 20 minutes and then wash it off using warm water. - Papaya
The fruits come loaded with vitamin A. Therefore, it works as an antioxidant and keeps the skin healthy. Papain, the enzyme found in papaya removes the dead skin cells from the skin surface and makes it firmer and more elastic. Make a papaya mask by mashing some pieces of the fruit. Apply this paste on your face and let it dry for 15 minutes. Rinse it off using warm water.