Main Causes of Premature Skin Aging
Environmental factors can significantly accelerate the natural process of skin aging. Here are eight main causes of premature aging:
a) The Sun
b) Heat and Infrared Radiation
c) Blue Light
d) Smoking
e) Air Pollution
f) Confectionery
g) Stress
h) Lack of Sleep
a) The Sun
It is responsible for 80 to 90% of the signs of skin aging.
Sun rays are responsible for about eighty to ninety percent of (external) signs of skin aging. For this, the term photoaging is also used in English. Now you also understand why I emphasized that sunscreen is truly the best anti-wrinkle cream. If you want to avoid wrinkles for as long as possible, you can take a big hit with it.
It is also important that you choose a product that protects against both UVB and UVA radiation. Because we now know that it is precisely these UVA rays that cause skin damage. And this radiation also partially passes through clouds and glass.
In the past, we didn’t really know what the sun did to the skin. But I feel like the new generation understands that beach-frying doesn’t age well. Still, we continue to be surprised that there are still many people who spend a lot of money on cosmetics, and on the other hand, lie unprotected in the sun or regularly go under a tanning bed to get a tan.
Applying sunscreen isn’t just important when you’re at the beach or on vacation in a sunny country. You should actually do this every day to maintain beautiful skin. Because sunlight is everywhere; even behind the glass. Check out these impressive shots of the two halves of a driver who has spent years on the road and a secretary working by the window. Then you can really see what years of sun exposure do to the skin.
Sun spots or age spots
Wrinkles are not the only sign of skin aging. Pigmentation spots also age the skin. Now there are many different types of pigment spots. But the most common are discolorations from sun exposure. We also call them age spots.
b) Heat and Infrared Radiation
When we talk about skin damage and skin aging caused by the sun, we are usually talking about UVB and UVA radiation. But the sun emits even more types of radiation. Like visible light and infrared radiation (heat). And this radiation also has an effect on the skin. An example. Research has shown that bakers’ arms often wrinkle more than the rest of their bodies. These poor people make loads of bread and pastries from the hot ovens every day.
c) Blue Light
Do you have to apply sunscreen in front of the screen?
We already talked about UV radiation and infrared radiation above. But then you also have something like blue light. Blue light is part of the sun’s visible light. But it is also used in screens. And we spend way too many hours behind that these days. We now know that sunlight causes skin aging and skin damage; even behind the glass.
Skin damage from blue light?
A lot of research has already been done on this subject. I examined it myself. And let’s start with the bad news: There are studies showing that blue light can actually damage skin cells. Blue light causes free radicals, among other things. But from this it is still difficult to say exactly what we see on the skin. In studies, blue light was tested on loose skin cells, not on people’s faces, for example. Light sources that emit relatively large amounts of blue light have also been frequently used. Now I’ve also come across research on the impact of exposure to tablets or smartphones. This didn’t make me happy at first, because the one hour tablet was already good for a significant increase in free radicals in a skin cell.
However, the question of whether we can simply translate these results into everyday life remains unanswered. Many people have been using their screens at full power long ago or are using a night filter (night shift). And we don’t know the effect of that yet.
What can you do yourself against blue light?
Not required:
Is it a good idea to protect your skin against the screen face with special blue light filters or products? These filters don’t actually exist yet. We are working on new filters.
Necessary:
Protect yourself against these free radicals. And indeed all antioxidants are suitable for this, for example vitamin C, E and niacinamide. Make sure they are in your cream. And don’t forget your diet. So: eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
And this is smart too:
Turn off your screen more often, especially in the evening. Because blue light also has an effect on sleep. And it remains one of the best recipes for a good night’s sleep, a healthy and fresh look.
d) Smoking
More boils and more matte skin than smoking
Smoking really ages you faster. Maybe he’s showing you surgery pictures of identical twins, where the woman smokes? This clearly shows that cigarettes can be preserved. In summary, cigarette size advantages provide:
More free radicals → skin cleansing
Collagen destruction → more armor
Delayed cell regeneration → dull appearance
Decreased blood texts → gray skin
But the good news: when you smoke, you usually experience it right away. Even if you have smoked for a long time. More oxygen will be carried in the blood again, and it will recover in the blood to be evacuated. Thus, you have given your cheeks a healthy color again.
e) Air Pollution
You age faster if you live in a polluted city
As for when he was born: You’ll live faster in a dirty city house. Because a dirty living environment can also accelerate the skin aging process. This is evident, among other things, from studies in China. In it, they compared the skin of women from different places of residence. What happened? Women living and working in the most polluted industrial community suffered more from pigmentation spots and trends. They also looked less shiny and less healthy.
So what exactly happens on the skin? Harmful preservatives in the air can cause the following skin changes:
More Free Radicals
Demonstration in inflammatory factors
Altered sebum production
Pigment formation
Increased sensitivity on the skin
Now, naturally we live in a city of million deaths in China. However, if you have a particularly sensitive item, it can be important for your travel to Amsterdam or living in New Zealand. Because many studies show that there is more to the maddening part of a broken skin protection.
What can you do to counter the effect of air pollution on your skin?
Not required:
You do not need separate feeding products. The most important thing is that you keep the enclosure in good condition.
Necessary:
Use light skin cleansing that keeps your skin’s protective layers strong. Cleaning twice a day is very important. Regular maintenance also helps keep you in shape.
Extra Important:
High defenses appear in your cream and sunscreen. Thus, you provide your skin with an extra safety net against free radicals. There are no special vitamins or filters against the air filter.
f) Skin Aging Due to Sugar Consolidation
Sugars damage collagen
Not only external evaluation has an effect on the skin, but also damages can occur from negativities. For example, through food. Then I zoom in on the candies. Sugars can bind collagen and elastin in their bodies, causing them to harden and become damaged. Now, by the way, this is actually a normal process that starts when you’re barely past twenty. We invite glycation (or clumsiness) to this. But this process ages you (faster).
Do you have to cut out all the candy right away? No, because remember that your body also only needs sugar (carbs). Sugars are also found in many good products; from fruit and bread to potatoes and even medicines. It is almost impossible to finish this way, and they also energize in size. However, the more sugar you have on your menu, the more sugar can potentially cause glycation in your body.
Healthy eating leads to less nutrition (in women)
Fortunately, there’s nutrition that keeps you young, too. And I mean youth as I observe 😊 A large study conducted in Rotterdam in the Netherlands has found that eating healthy can actually lead to fewer wrinkles.
Vitamins and antioxidants
Less dominance was measured in countries that ate a lot of fruit, vegetables, and fish, and also ate little meat, sugar, proprietary oil, and alcohol. Researchers think the interpretation lies in the amount of vitamins and antioxidants on this menu. These substances help the skin against harmful external influences.
No effect in men
Making two comments at the same time. This is especially true for women. Because this effect on the skin was not seen in men. There is still no explanation about it.
g) Stress
Chronic stress causes skin to look older and grayer
You’ve probably heard, or even seen, that people suddenly aged ten years after a difficult period. Now you shouldn’t associate me with that decade, but it’s true that you can see the results of chronic stress and anxiety on your skin, too.
Stress causes many changes in your body. Like a decrease in collagen and elastin. The natural process of cell regeneration is also under pressure. And the production of substances that keep the skin oily and moist is reduced. This makes your skin’s protective layer less effective. Not only will more moisture escape, but the skin will become more vulnerable to all sorts of external nuisances. Now you can understand why your skin looks more dull and dry when you’ve been heavy or heavy for a while.
h) Lack of Sleep
The term beauty sleep does not appear out of nowhere.
Do you sleep less than 7 hours a night? Or do you wake up every morning with the feeling that you are not fully rested? Unfortunately, you can often see this on the skin. And I’m not just talking about dark circles under your eyes. I recently came across another study on this. It was first applied to Korean women who slept eight hours each night for one week and only four hours the second week. Scientists found that in the second week, skin moisture, wrinkles and especially skin elasticity deteriorated.
Too little sleep in the long run causes skin aging to accelerate. Sleep is essential for proper relief from sun damage or skin irritation.
Silk Pillows and Correct Sleeping Position
If you choose to sleep on your face or side, you have more chances of creasing. These sleep wrinkles are the result of repeated compression and pressure on the skin of the mattress and pillow. The best way to counter this is to lie on your back. And then we hope you stay that way all night… To help you with that, there are now quite a few beauty pillows that promise you dreamy skin.