Habits guide a person’s life, make him successful, beautiful, healthy, and happy, or vice versa. How can eradicating some seemingly harmless habits help delay the onset of old age? Aging is inevitable. It brings with it physical discomfort an increased risk of developing certain diseases, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.
The skin also undergoes some metamorphoses. It becomes thinner and drier, the first wrinkles age spots appear, elasticity and smoothness are lost, and the complexion fades. Aging is a natural and irreversible process. But sometimes, it happens that its signs overtake the human body ahead of schedule due to certain factors. What’s to blame? Let’s take a look at the popular habits of people that accelerate the aging process.
Which Habits Fasten Aging Process?
Here is the list of habits that may make you age faster.
1. Smoking
Smoking is unhealthy in every way, and that’s a fact. In addition to the general harm, this habit accelerates age-related skin changes. Harmful chemicals systematically deprive cells of oxygen, which leads to the destruction of collagen. As a result, the skin becomes loose, sagging appears. Even the process of smoking contributes to the appearance of wrinkles around the mouth.
Regardless of whether a person smokes himself or is in close proximity to a smoker, cigarette smoke affects his youth and health. Only giving up passive and active smoking will help preserve the beauty of the skin for many years.
2. Alcohol Abuse
Bad habits do not make us younger. Alcohol is a natural diuretic, so drinking too much of it causes dehydration. The skin loses the moisture it needs, becomes more vulnerable, and looks older. The abuse of alcoholic beverages causes a deficiency of such useful substances as vitamin A and C.
They are responsible for the glow and natural beauty of the skin. The conditions are even worse for the people who abuse alcohol and other harmful substances. Long-term abuse can cause serious diseases, such as cancer. Thus, experts recommend getting treatment immediately without delay.
If you or your loved one need treatment, you can get same-day admission to nearby rehab. Medical care is readily available in such rehabs where you can get admitted the same day. Contact a nearby emergency drug rehab to overcome addiction without wasting any further time.
3. Holding Grudges
The moral side of bad habits plays an important role in the health and youth of the body. Forgiveness is a grace that heals the soul and body of a person. Holding grudges is bad for your mental health, as well as for your own beauty. How does it work?
The inability to forgive and let go of the situation causes a person to systematically stay in an oppressive state of stress. It increases the production of the hormone cortisol- responsible for stress. And its excess leads to an increase in weight, an increase in blood pressure and sugar levels. In addition, frowning during resentment provokes wrinkles on the forehead.
4. Direct Sunlight
Oddly enough, an excess of direct sunlight is almost the worst thing for the youth of your own skin. Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays on human skin weakens its cells, which leads to discoloration and the appearance of roughness. This contributes to the appearance of pigmentation, a decrease in elasticity, and firmness.
Do you also need to get rid of the habit of sunbathing? Before going out under the scorching sun, you need to put on a hat or cover your body with light clothing made from natural materials. For exposed skin areas, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen. To give the body a light beautiful tan, you can also use special coloring agents.
5. Lack of Sleep
Even one night of poor sleep can make a person look tired, overwhelmed, and exhausted. In some cases, a sleepless night even leaves a mark on the skin in the form of dark circles under the eyes or sagging bags. How do people’s habits of not getting enough sleep affect the condition of the skin?
Lack of sleep at night damages the skin in several ways:
- The first of these is an increase in the level of the hormone cortisol, which can aggravate the course of inflammatory processes.
- The second is a decrease in the formation of collagen, which is responsible for the elasticity of the skin.
Pay special attention not only to the quantity but also to the quality of sleep. Don’t sleep on one side all night. This contributes to the appearance of wrinkles on the face, as well as on the chest and neck. It is better to use smooth satin or silk pillowcases.
6. Cravings For Sweets
Bad eating habits threaten not only obesity. A diet high in sugar can speed up the aging process, making skin look dull and wrinkled. This is due to a process called “glycation”, in which sugar damages the protein collagen and elastin.
Excessively sweet foods, as well as the use of sugary carbonated drinks, can lead to various types of obesity, diabetes, and heart attacks. Eliminating sugar from the menu is quite difficult, especially if you have a sweet tooth. But replacing products with the addition of refined sugar in favor of natural sweets will definitely benefit beauty and youth. These can be fresh fruit, dark natural chocolate, or a small amount of honey.
7. Physical Inactivity
Bad habits can hide behind inaction. Living at home increases the risk of developing a variety of ailments, including obesity and diseases of the cardiovascular system. Putting a little effort into transforming a passive lifestyle into an active form is really worth it. Make exercise and outdoor activities an integral part of your daily routine and reap great benefits in old age.
Physical activity helps tone muscles by increasing blood flow to body tissues. The faster the blood flows through the vessels, the more nutrients our skin receives. This has a rejuvenating effect. Plus, regular exercise will not only make you look but will also make you feel younger at any age.
You can stay young by giving up the habits we mentioned above in the article. These habits may be the culprits of fast aging; thus, it is better to get rid of them.