Have you ever thought about why some people age faster when compared to others?
Ageing is a common process and we all age is a well known fact. Ageing refers to gradual changes in skin structure and function. As a result, we could get fine lines, wrinkles, sagging etc on our face and skin. There are 2 types of ageing like intrinsic ageing and extrinsic ageing. The former is influenced by genetic factors, passage of time etc and the latter is influenced by environmental and lifestyle choices we make. The ageing process would get accelerated by certain factors. It is true that by adopting certain healthy habits we would be able to slow down the skin ageing.
Various habits that can fasten ageing are
Excessive exposure to sun:
By photo ageing process, excessive sun exposure can hasten skin ageing. It is learnt that UV rays from the sun would damage the DNA present in the skin cells, breakdown collagen and lead to oxidative stress etc. By this, there would be wrinkles, sunspots and loss of skin elasticity etc.
Smoking:
Smoking is not only harmful for our body but also for our skin. It is known that fibres in the skin like elastin and collagen would provide elasticity and strength to the skin. Blood flow would get reduced and skin would be deprived of oxygen and other essential nutrients etc. This would lead to wrinkles in young age itself.
Poor diet:
Skin ageing would get accelerated when we consume a diet rich in processed foods, unhealthy fats, sugars etc. These foods can result in inflammation and oxidative stress etc. When there is a lack of essential nutrients, then our skin would appear dull.
Inadequate hydration:
By not drinking enough water we could get dehydrated. This dehydration would make our skin dry and flaky. This would increase the chances of getting fine lines and wrinkles etc in us. Point is that chronic dehydration would lead to loss of skin elasticity.
Lack of sleep:
The skin repair process would get impaired if we don`t sleep well. We could get a dull complexion with dark circles around the eyes, puffiness and fine lines etc. Ageing would get accelerated by chronic sleep deprivation.
Stress:
We could get inflammation and there would be breaking down of collagen and elastin if we have excess stress. As a result of stress, we could get wrinkles, loss of skin elasticity etc. It is important to manage our stress by doing meditation, yoga and deep breathing etc. It is known that stress can lead to many health issues like diabetes, blood pressure, heart issues etc
Overuse of skincare products:
It must be noted that over use of skincare products would strip the skin of natural oils leading to skin irritation etc. Skin barriers would get disrupted and cause accelerated ageing in us.
No physical activity:
Blood circulation would get reduced due to a sedentary lifestyle. This would lower the oxygen and nutrients supply to the skin. As a result, we would get a dull complexion and premature ageing.