Robert M. Wald, Jr., MD - The Aesthetic Institute
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6 Lifestyle Choices That Are Making You Age Faster

6 Minute Read:

A woman looking in the mirror.

The way we choose to lead our lives has a significant impact on our overall health. Our health may either improve or worsen depending on several things, including the foods we consume, the amount of activity we get, and other lifestyle choices. Therefore, we must pay a closer look at our daily routines.

Today, we are here to discuss the most common lifestyle choices that are making you age faster. If you spot any of your own daily routines, this is your call to make some important decisions.

Common Lifestyle Choices That Are Making You Age Faster

As time passes, our bodies innately break down and show signs of age. This is a natural process that cannot be stopped, but a number of different means may accelerate it. Here are some of the most common lifestyle choices that are making your age faster.

1. Smoking and heavy alcohol consumption

Smoking is detrimental to health and adds years to your appearance, which is common knowledge. It has the potential to significantly impair health and cause apparent indications of aging. It prevents new skin cells from forming, contributing to a premature aging appearance. However, if you have been a seasoned smoker for quite a while and your skin is not looking great, you can try some minimally invasive techniques to refresh your skin. Along with quitting smoking, of course.

A woman holding a cigarette.

Smoking is detrimental to both your health and your appearance.

You should avoid alcohol as well. Moderate alcohol consumption may not be as harmful as heavy consumption. But when one consumes alcohol regularly, it might hasten the aging process since it impairs the body’s ability to maintain healthy organs. The skin’s aging process is sped up by alcohol as well.

2. Caffeine addiction

Drinking tea or coffee has many positive effects on the human body. But drinking tea and coffee numerous times throughout the day harms our mental and physical well-being. Your skin and your teeth will suffer greatly as well. If you want to preserve your appearance, make sure to cut down on coffee if you can.

3. Staying up late

You may believe that you no longer need as much sleep as you once did as you age, but experts agree that you still need at least seven to eight hours to maintain good health. Not getting enough shut-eye might impair your ability to manage your daily tasks effectively. It may cause seniors to gain weight, which is another health risk. Furthermore, experts state that if you are a senior and have trouble sleeping despite getting to bed at the right time, you should see a doctor to rule out sleep problems like sleep apnea.

A man working long hours.

Staying up late and working third shifts has been proven to influence your appearance quite a lot.

Not getting enough sleep will also cause you to be more stressed out than usual the next day. It is also one of the leading lifestyle choices that are making you age faster. The presence of constant stress has also been linked to premature aging. Researchers have shown that high levels of the stress hormone cortisol are associated with a wide range of negative health outcomes, including but not limited to cardiovascular disease, hypertension, depression, loss of sexual desire, and impotence. Therefore it should come as no great surprise that stress may wreak havoc on the skin, significantly diminishing collagen over time.

4. A sedentary lifestyle combined with poor eating habits

The main reason why so many people have unhealthy bodies is that they lead a sedentary lifestyle. Problems with your skin might be made much worse by a lack of proper nutrition and exercise. If you want to live longer, make the decision to consume more fresh fruits, drinks, and nutritious snacks. Inadequate physical activity has been shown to cause permanent harm to human health. Lack of physical activity has been linked to various health problems, including type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, cardiovascular disease, etc.

5. Using cheap and harsh cosmetics

High-quality soap, cleansing gels, and face creams may indeed be rather pricey. However, “that dime-a-dozen drugstore stuff” will have adverse effects over time. It will strip the skin of the required natural oils and leave behind a film of residue that will continue to screw with your complexion as the day goes on. Soaps that are at least half-decent should be used regularly, and you should use exfoliants routinely to exfoliate dead skin cells from the face. You should also be careful about what face creams you use.

A woman putting on a face mask.

Using cheap and harsh chemicals on your face are one of the easiest lifestyle choices that are making you age faster to change.

6. Soaking up too much sun

Daily sun exposure causes the most severe and long-lasting effects, particularly for those who do not take precautions against sun damage and get skin cancer due to not using sunscreen. If you live in a very hot climate, you should try your best not to go out from 12 pm to 5 pm when the sun is the brightest. Statistics show that places like California and Florida have higher skin cancer rates. It’s not always possible to avoid sun exposure in areas like this. On top of that, Preferred Movers say that an increasing number of people are stating climate issues as the main reason for the move.

In fact, the sun’s rays are blamed for 90% of environmental skin aging, according to experts. The sun causes proteins in the skin to degrade, resulting in losing a youthful look over time. Prolonged exposure to UV rays might kill off skin stem cells, resulting in less supple skin and more prone to wrinkles. UVA rays might trigger collagen-degrading matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the skin. Collagen is the skin’s primary structural protein. Scientists have indicated that avoiding excessive sun exposure or using broad-spectrum sunscreen may help prevent this form of skin aging. You should always wear sunglasses and a hat with a broad brim while out in the sun for an extended period of time.

Under no circumstances should you think about going on a solarium treatment just to get a few shades darker. This is one of the most bizarre lifestyle choices that are making you age faster. We say bizarre because, in the year 2022, it is so unnecessary. You can use so many sunscreens and body lotions to achieve the same effect without damaging your skin. Solarium treatments can cause all types of skin cancer, and they can seriously fasten your aging.

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Robert Wald, MD
100 E. Valencia Mesa Drive, Suite 300
Fullerton, CA 92835


Phone: 714-312-3549
Fax: 714-738-1862

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