How to prevent premature aging
Getting older is a part of life. The aging process is an inevitable component of the human experience. When you are young, aging is very exciting. Most children and adolescents are very excited to get older. Most birthdays during youth are celebrated with excitement and anticipation. However, as we get older, our excitement for each coming birthday tends to dissipate. Instead, many people in their thirties, forties, and older dread the aging process.
There is no way to stop yourself from getting older. Every person ages; it’s just a fact of life. However, there are definitely ways to make the aging process smoother and peaceful for yourself. Many people complain that the worst part of the aging process is the way your looks change over the years. Wrinkles, sun spots, fine lines, sagging, and other natural visible signs of aging are generally regarded with dread. As you grow older, your physical appearance does change. However, there are simple methods you can take to slow down the visible aging process and prevent yourself from aging prematurely over the years.
1. Limit Your Alcohol Intake
Alcohol is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, consuming certain types of alcohol, such as red wine, once in a while actually comes with its own positive health benefits. However, drinking a copious amount of alcohol on a regular basis leads to visible signs of premature aging.
Over time, drinking alcohol excessively causes your skin to become dehydrated. This dehydration leads to deeper wrinkles and more fine lines. Also, excessive alcohol consumption promotes collagen loss, which causes your skin to lose its elasticity as well as become discolored. If you want to protect your skin and keep it looking young, limit your alcohol intake carefully.
2. Cleanse Gently
You might not think that how you clean your skin has any bearing on how quickly and gracefully you will age. However, it is important to maintain a healthy and gentle cleansing routine in order to help your skin retain its youthful appearance.
Cleaning your face too harshly or too frequently is not healthy for your skin and causes unattractive skin damage and increased signs of aging over time. Limit your face washing to twice per day and only use a gentle soap and lukewarm water when you wash. If you must wash your face more than two times per day on occasion, skip the soap completely if possible.
3. Stick to an Exercise Routine
Keep your body in shape to help your skin retain its smoothness, firmness, and elasticity. Try to create an all-purpose exercise routine that combines cardio with strength training at least five times per week. Once you create a routine, stick to it. Your skin will be less likely to sag and you will have less wrinkles as you age.
4. Don’t Forget Your Hands
Many people focus so intently on making sure that they take care of the skin on their face that they forget about the rest of their body. It is important to create a healthy skincare routine for your hands, neck, shoulders, and other body parts in order to keep all of your skin looking as young as possible for as long as possible. Always include your hands, neck, and shoulders in your moisturizing and sun protection routine.
5. Sleep Long and Well
How long and how well you sleep every night can actually affect how quickly you begin to age. Your body works to repair itself while you sleep. It needs seven to eight hours of quality sleep in order to effectively repair your skin and keep it looking young.
Adults who get too little sleep or do not sleep very well on a regular basis tend to develop wrinkles, fine lines, and other visible aging signs more quickly than those who sleep better and longer.
6. Eat More Antioxidants
Antioxidants are basically the food version of the fountain of youth. Foods that are rich in antioxidants, such as berries, dark chocolate, artichokes, and carrots, help repair skin damage and prevent premature signs of aging.
7. Drink Water
Water is one of the basic necessities for life sustenance. If you don’t drink water, you won’t survive due to the vital nature of water in supporting humans’ most basic life functions. However, many people drink enough water to survive but not enough to prevent premature aging.
Hydrating your body from the inside by drinking water helps keep your skin hydrated as well. Drink at least six to eight cups of water every day in order to allow your skin to retain its elasticity and firmness.
No one wants to get wrinkles and fine lines in their skin. Fortunately, you can hold off this visible part of the aging process for as long as possible by making simple changes to your lifestyle that benefit the health of your skin.
