7 Things That Make You Look Older Than Your Age

The aging process is one thing every one of us experiences. We grow older every day.

And as we grow older, every part of our body gets affected, including our skin. So, aging signs start to appear all over our skin and we begin to look older.

This process is very normal. However, it becomes very abnormal when you begin to look older than your age. For example, you are in your mid-20s and you already look like you are in your ’30s…that’s a big problem.

Most times, premature aging is a result of what we expose our skin to and how we take care of it.

So, if you feel that you are not looking as young as you should, then grab a chair. Let’s go on this ride together. We will be exploring the different things that make you look older than your age.

Without wasting time, let’s get started.

  1. Drinking alcohol regularly

It feels nice to hang out with friends and gulp down a few bottles of beer or take a few glasses of wine at home, every day, after work. What is not nice is the effect alcohol has on not just your skin, but your whole body.

Have you noticed that no one ever looks good the morning after a night of fun and alcohol? E get why

Alcohol drastically reduces the level of antioxidants in your skin. Antioxidants help to combat aging by fighting off free radicals. When your antioxidant levels are low, free radicals damage your skin cells with ease and your skin becomes prone to inflammation.

It is okay if you take alcohol once in a while. Just makes sure it does not become a regular thing. And, if you must take alcohol, do not drink excessively.

2. Not exercising

I have heard some women say that with all the running around they do every day, they do not need to exercise.

See ehn, that does not serve as an alternative for exercise; that’s just stress.

Exercising has to be intentional. It also does not leave you stressed out when you are done. So, exercise daily. Thirty minutes of daily exercise is enough.

Exercise helps to boost blood circulation to your skin. This keeps your skin looking healthy and young. Also, it increases your muscle tone, which in turn helps to prevent sagging skin.

So, ensure that not a day goes by without you exercising.

3. Stress

Stress can make you look older than your age.

Has someone ever asked you “Are you okay? You look pale”, and then you say “I am just tired. I had a stressful day”, and the person replies with “Yea, it is written all over your face. Just go and sleep”

I think this conversation explains it all.

Now imagine you constantly stress yourself for months… just imagine how your skin would look like. Not so nice. Right?

Both physical and emotional stress is bad for your skin and can make you age quickly. So, avoid being stressed out as much as you can.

Make sure you relax at the end of your day. Watch a movie, take a soak in the bathtub, read a book, listen to music, sleep – just do whatever calms and relaxes you.

4. Smoking

It is common knowledge that smoking affects the lungs, but do you know that it makes your skin age very quickly?

Smoking causes pigmentation, wrinkles, eye bags, dark under-eye circles, and even sagging skin.

Tobacco in cigarettes contains chemicals that damage collagen and elastin in your skin. It reduces blood circulation, and this decreases the supply of nutrients and oxygen to your skin.

The end result is skin diseases like skin cancer. You also get skin that looks as old as your parents’.

If you do not want to look older than your age, stop smoking!

5. Exposing your skin to sunlight

Exposing your skin to the ultraviolet rays from the sun is one of the easiest and fastest ways for your skin to age prematurely.

The UV rays from the sun are very damaging. They stimulate the formation of free radicals, which damage your skin cells and also, collagen and elastin in your skin.

This, in turn, causes aging signs like spots, wrinkles, lines, etc. to appear on your skin even when you are young. It can even lead to skin cancer.

So, treat the sun like it is your worst enemy. If you must go out, you must not just wear protective clothing like hats and caps, your clothes must cover your body fully. Do not forget your sunshades and umbrella.

Also, stay away from the sun between the hours of 12 pm and 4 pm. The sun is at its hottest during that period.

More importantly, get yourself a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. If you can do all these, you will notice changes in your skin in no time.

6. Not following your skincare routine

I cannot emphasize this enough.

There is always a clear and distinct difference between the skin that is taken care of daily and the skin that isn’t.

The reason your skin is looking older is because you do not take care of it as you should.

A morning skincare routine ensures that your skin stays protected from damage during the day. And at night, your skincare routine helps to repair whatever damage has happened to your skin during the day.

This way, your skin stays fortified all day long. So, tell me again, why don’t you have a skincare routine yet?

To learn all about skincare routine, how it helps your skin and what you should do, please click on this article – 7 Things to Include in Your Skincare Regimen

7. Not eating fruits and vegetables

If you want your skin to look healthy and young, then eat fruits and vegetables.

Stop by that fruit seller by the road and buy some oranges, watermelons, apples, coconuts, etc.

Fruits contain several nutrients that keep your skin cells very healthy. Fruits provide you with vitamins and antioxidants which can help to maintain your skin’s elasticity, prevent the breakdown of collagen, and reduce hyperpigmentation and skin inflammation. All these help your skin to look younger.

Vegetables do the same.

Endeavor to eat a balanced meal with lots of fruits and vegetables. You need vegetables like spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, sweet potatoes, etc.

You really can turn things around and begin to look younger than your age, instead of older.

Stop all the bad habits I have mentioned above and make the necessary lifestyle changes. In no time, you will begin to notice changes on your skin.

If you have any questions, leave a comment and I will answer as soon as I can.

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