Just like every other year, many people set their traditional weight loss goals for the year, and, with almost two weeks into the New Year, many have likely already broken them. However, there are some habits you may have that are affecting not only your waistline, but also your overall health and appearance. While some may be obvious, there are others that you may not even have considered. Check out these five habits that may be aging you prematurely.
Eating processed foods.
Other than just providing basic sustenance, processed food provides little actual nutrition to your diet. Enzymes and nutrients, vital for keeping your body, hair and skin healthy, are broken down and often lost in processed or boxed foods. In general, the higher quality your food, the more value will be provided to your health and skin. Fruits and vegetables in their natural, or raw, state are also higher in water content and provide greater hydration to the body.
It’s a pretty well-known fact that smoking speeds up the normal aging process of your skin and causes wrinkles…and not just in your face! Smoking damages collagen and elastin which gives your skin strength and elasticity. And don’t think that switching to electronic cigarettes will fix the problem, either! It’s primarily the nicotine content in cigarettes that causes aging by constricting veins, causing skin to sag and wrinkle by depriving it of nutrients. Since e-cigarettes have a high quantity of nicotine, they also cause premature aging. Make 2015 the year you kick that habit for good!
Not wearing sunscreen daily.
Most of us have no problem throwing on sunscreen before a day at the beach or at a sporting event…but do you apply sunscreen every time you leave the house? Applying sunscreen in the morning should be a part of your normal routine in order to prevent premature aging. Many lotions contain SPF and are a great way to incorporate sunscreen into your daily schedule.
Drinking from a straw.
Performing the same action repeatedly, even something as simple as drinking out of a straw, can cause wrinkles over a period of time. Try to avoid these repetitive motions and forgo the straw the next time you’re out to a restaurant.
Sleeping on your stomach.
You would think that when the muscles in your face relax as you sleep that any lines would fade away. However, if you’re sleeping on your stomach night after night you could be damaging your skin. As you age, the collagen in your face isn’t as strong, so sleeping on the same side of your face each night causes the skin to be repeatedly smashed against the pillow…which over time doesn’t smooth back as easily as it once may have. Try to get in the habit of sleeping on your back or, at the very least, your side.
Need to repair your skin from a bad habit?
Have damage that you need to smooth away? Botox or dermal fillers are great solutions for smoothing and plumping skin that may have become saggy over time. Botox will treat wrinkles caused by contractions of the facial muscles, whereas dermal fillers are used to smooth wrinkles caused by a lack of volume in the face or lips, deepening of nasolabial folds and the appearance of lines below the mouth.
While it’s never too late to start good anti-aging habits, it may be necessary to use a cosmetic procedure like Botox or another injectable in order to smooth wrinkles and overcome damage that may have been done in the past.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation in our Tampa office to address any flaws or defects you want to correct in 2015. Our consultations are complimentary and we are happy to answer any and all questions you might have about the procedure.