5 Surprising Things That Could Be Ageing Your Skin
We bet you’ll be shocked by a few of these simple culprits…
Think you’re well versed in what ages you and what doesn’t?
We’ve asked the experts for some surprising ageing factors. Bet you’re guilty or one (or two) of them…
Ageing culprit: Fad diets
Why? Losing weight might be great for the bod but not always so for the face – in fact, there’s a saying that you have to choose either your face (and keep it plump) or your ass (by staying slim) as you age. Dr. Justine Hextall, Consultant Dermatologist on behalf of The Harley Medical Group explains: “Loss of mid-face fat is a common complaint especially in those who have recently lost weight. Our skin loses elasticity as we age and this process can be accelerated by fluctuations in weight. Ironically despite this volume loss, the lower face can start to appear heavier, often forming slackened skin around the jawline, commonly known as jowls.”
How to beat it: You can increase the tautness of your cheeks with a stable diet. However, if the hollowness has already started, you might have to turn to the needle, with dermal fillers.
“Mid–face dermal fillers can make a real difference here, restoring that youthful volume,” she explains. “It is interesting how small amounts of filler in the right area of the cheeks can bring back that youthful shape.”
Ageing culprit: Lack of lip SPF
Why? Just like you should apply SPF to your face everyday, you should be applying it to your lips too. Sun exposure can cause permanent damage to your lips just like your face – that includes wrinkles and sunspots.
How to beat it: Look for lipsticks, balms, tints, the lot, with an SPF – there’s loads out there that contain it. We love COLLECTION Lip Colour SPF 15 for a hint of a tint and Clinique High Impact Lip Colour SPF 15 for a bold pout.
Ageing culprit: Skipping your workouts
Why? It’s all about our vascular heath – and how it not only keeps your organs healthy, but your skin too. “When we exercise we improve our vascular health and every organ in our body, including our skin, gets a healthier blood supply as a result,” explains Justine. “Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the skin and help to reduce the free radicals floating around in the skin. This in turn helps to speed up skin cell repair and reduce damage. Exercise also reduces stress. If we don’t exercise, our stress hormone ‘cortisol’ can be extremely high and this increases our risk of developing skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, oily skin and also has been linked to a breakdown in our healthy collagen supplies.”
How to beat it: The obvious answer? Get yourself to the gym! But if you can’t face, give your skin a workout with exfoliation. It helps to increase blood circulation, giving the skin that J-Lo glow.
Ageing culprit: Your pillow
Why? We all have a favourite side to sleep on, and the law of gravity means that sweet side will suffer from deeper wrinkles. Also, we’re all guilty of not changing our pillowcases often enough, instead catching some zzz’s alongside bacteria and dead skin cells. Dreamy.
How to beat it: Go luxe with a silk pillowcase; they cause less friction on the skin (plus the hair), preventing wrinkles. Silk pillows are also less absorbent than their cotton counterparts. Try Hairburst’s Mulberry Silk Pillowcase or Illuminage Skin Rejuvenating Pillowcase.
Ageing culprit: Heavy-handed cleansing
Why? It’s late at night and the last thing you want to do is take time to remove your eye make-up. But by rubbing a face wipe or scrubbing away at that mascara, you’re at risk of damaging the delicate eyelid skin.
Beat it: Take your time. Soak the eyelid and swipe with a cotton pad instead of rubbing and look for a gentle eye make-up cleanser that’s PH balanced.
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