As we all grow older, it’s understood that our boyish good looks fall wayside—no amount of Botox, hair retention, or anti aging products can counter that fact. Sure, a good anti-aging regimen can ensure that you look 10 years younger at 50, but you’re still going to visually age. Memento mori.
The good news is that you have far more control over this pace of aging than you may realize. But it means you have to do far more than adopt a good skin care regimen. You’ve also got to minimize the bad habits that are accelerating things like wrinkles and dark circles.
For a rundown of the bad habits that cause you to look older, we spoke with Dr. Aimee Paik, board-certified dermatologist for Hims & Hers. Here are 10 habits you can cut back on (or eliminate entirely) in order to see substantial, long-lasting results.
1. You’re in the sun too much.
That summer sun is hard-earned by the time it rolls around, but you can have too much of a good thing, and in the sun’s case, too muchhappens quickly. “The sun causes the vast majority of skin changes that people associate with aging,” says Paik. “This includes fine lines, wrinkles, brown spots, leathery skin and blackheads—not to mention that it causes skin cancer.”
So get wise on SPF. Bottom line: “You should protect your skin by applying sunscreen every morning to protect your skin from everyday UV rays,” Paik says. “Reapplication throughout the day is important for sun-intense activities such as hiking, swimming or a day outdoors.” But don’t let that be an invitation to be outside for as many hours as you please, simply because you’re covered in sunscreen. You particularly want to avoid the sun at its highest intensity, which will be between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
2. You’re Vitamin D deficient (especially in winter).
There are studies that show being deficient in vitamin D can increase your risk if skin Cancers and inflammatory skin conditions. But being vitamin D deficient isn’t itself a bad habit. It’s more of a bad situation—and what isa poor habit is knowing that this deficiency is occurring yet doing little about it. A simple vitamin D supplement could do more than boost your mood, it could also give you a brighter complexion, and benefit prevent those aforementioned skin maladies.
The solution isn’t necessarily to run out in the sun, either. That would be in direct contest with the first tip on this list. “Vitamin D production by the skin is always created at its own expense,” explains Paik. “The same UV rays that stimulate production of vitamin D also cause skin cancer. A daily vitamin D supplement is a much safer way of obtaining vitamin D.”
3. You’re sleep deprived.
Sleep deprivation has some severe consequences on your entire body, and you certainly wear it on your face. Paik points out that this is because being poorly rested is a type of stress for the body, and as you’ll see later in this list, stress is best avoided if you want to look your best and brightest. But that’s not the only trickle-down effect that sleep loss has on your appearance: “Sleep deprivation also leads to poor dietary habits which will also contribute to a more aged appearance,” she says.
4. You’re not moisturising.
Yes, we’re nearly a quarter of the way through the 21st century and are still urging folks to moisturize. This is the most baseline, entry-level form of skincare, and you need to be doing it. Moisturiser traps moisture inside your skin, to keep it firm, supple, and soft all day.
5. You’re not active enough.
To keep all of your body functions sharp, you need to stay healthy. We already discussed getting ample rest, and one other tenet of being healthy is staying active. Regular exercise will boost circulation around your body, and in turn boost nutrient delivery to your cells. This improves hair health and retention, as well as ensures regular cellular turnover across the surface of your skin—and thus the brightest, smoothest, clearest complexion possible.
6. You’re too stressed.
Stress comes in all shapes and sizes. It can be a high-pressure job. It can be a quarrel with a loved one. It can be an ongoing illness or a one-off bout. And ongoing stress in any shape or form can have a lasting impact, and not just next-day puffy eyes. It can disappear your hairline at record speeds, or even your skin’s collagen production, which leads to stress lines across the brow, crow’s feet at the eyes, plus duller skin and rougher texture. It can also cause acne due to a flux in hormones, and as you age, hyperpigmentation increases—which means the aftermath of those pimples can stay on your face for half a year or more.
7. Your diet isn’t much of one.
Another tenet of being healthy is having a healthy diet. You didn’t need us to tell you that, but add “aging faster” as one primary reason to cut back on processed junk food.
