5 Top Reasons Some People Look Older Than Their Age

It happens to everyone eventually. One day you look in the mirror and realize that you aren’t going to be 25 forever. You will suddenly see a wrinkle, an age spot, or some scaly, dry patches that were never there before. This is when most people decide that they must start taking care of their skin.

Unfortunately, most of the skin damages we see during 40s upwards happens as a result of bad/ improper care of the skin.

Below are 5 top causes of premature aging of the skin that you should avoid.

1. Overexposure To The Sun

Exposure to the sun is one of the biggest factors causing premature aging of the skin. This is why you see cowboys or construction workers with major aging of the face.  Sun exposure accounts for about 70 percent of the skin aging process. The radiation from the sun ruins the collagen fibers in our skin via oxidation. Once the elastic fibers of collagen become hard and brittle, their basic structure is destroyed in a process called solar elastosis, and the skin becomes hard-looking and dried out.
This accelerated oxidation process also damages the genetic material in the cells of our skin and causes an abnormal division of the cells. This means excessive sun exposure can increase the risk of skin cancer as well as leading to tough, hard, rough, wrinkled skin. Although we all need some sun exposure for vitamin D, you don’t need to exposure your delicate facial skin to the sun. Wear a hat and sunglasses while you get your early morning sunshine, and avoid sun exposure when radiation levels are at the highest — usually between 10 and 3 p.m.

2. Excessive Sugar Consumption

If you have a sweet tooth, you most likely will show the signs of aging more quickly than you would like. When your blood sugar levels spike, it starts a process called glycation. This process can cause permanent damage to the collage of the skin. Once collagen becomes damaged due to glycation, your skin begins to show this damage via fine lines and wrinkles. Skin begins to lose its natural elasticity and firmness and begins to sag. Limit your sugar consumption, and find other ways to sweeten your life, such as fresh fruit.

3. Smoking

There are two major reasons why smokers look older than their age. The first things to show are the fine lines where the skin is very thin, such as the corners of the eyes and above the upper lip. This is due to the constant use of the muscles to pull a drag off of a cigarette. When you constantly pucker your mouth, those lines begin to make a permanent crease, like folding a piece of paper over and over again. The second reason lies in the lower levels of vitamin C in smokers’ blood, which is more than 60 percent lower on average when compared to non-smokers. Vitamin C is vital for the production of collagen in the skin, which keeps the skin supple and smooth. Once collagen disappears or is damaged, the skin begins to sag. Quitting is hard, we know, and there are a million good reasons to do so. Here is one more. Find a way to quit. Today.

4. A Low-Protein Diet

A low-protein diet means that you are basically living on simple carbs, which your body turns into sugar. This can cause the connective tissues of the skin to become rigid and hard. Your body needs protein to make tissues that support the skin and keep it soft. Without protein, your body cannot produce elastin fibers, collagen, and hyaluronic acid, all of which are vital for the appearance of fresh, youthful skin. Eat more protein, especially complete proteins, for younger-looking skin.

5. Depression

You might not think that your state of mind has anything to do with the aging of your skin, but it does! Prolonged feelings of depression have been found in studies to cause a shortening of our telomeres, which are the very ends of our DNA strands. When our telomeres become shorter, this affects the DNA in every cell in the body, stopping the division of cells and premature cell death. This causes an accelerated gain of cells in the tissues of the body where cells divide rapidly and provide new growth. This would be the skin and hair. Depression also interferes with hormone production, increasing stress hormones.  Many people with depression also neglect themselves in other ways, such as not eating properly, not getting enough sleep, and neglecting their personal hygiene. There are numerous ways you can naturally deal with depression. Try some of the many herbal supplements available (such as St. John’s Wort), or see your doctor if your depression is severe or has lasted longer than six months.