Home habits that age you
Change now or forever age faster than your years
One of the best things in life is being at home. There, you get to be yourself and do as you please. As the boss, you make the rules and allow yourself to break them. Until something happens and tells you that you have crossed certain lines you are not supposed to. The signs can be as insignificant as not being able to focus for a few minutes or as serious as getting ill. It can be as frustrating as not being able to wear your favorite pair of jeans all of a sudden or having dark circles under your eyes.
We all have bad or unhealthy practices at home. And when we turn them into habits, we put some things at risk, including our health. Constantly doing things that do not benefit our well-being can also speed up our aging process. Here are some practices that could be causing you to look older than you are. Let’s rid ourselves of these bad habits and regularly assess how we can improve at home healthwise instead. After all, it’s always good to know that we can be a better version of ourselves, wouldn’t you agree?
Sleep deprivation.
Instead of just worrying that lack of sleep causes dark circles under your eyes, be concerned about how it makes your skin age faster. In 2013, multinational company Estee Lauder and medical experts commissioned a trial on poor sleepers of a certain age group. Shelley Emling of the huffingtonpost.com featured the study in her article "Sleep Deprivation Linked To Aging Skin, Study Suggests" on the site. In the research, women who did not get enough sleep showed signs of premature skin aging and a decrease in their skin's ability to recover after sun exposure. The team, led by Dr. Elma Baron, also reported that "those who didn’t sleep well exhibited more signs of skin aging including fine lines, uneven pigmentation and reduced skin elasticity." On the other hand, those who got sufficient sleep recovered from stressors like environmental toxins and the sun faster.
Not washing your face.
On their website, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) shared that various things cause our skin to age. While we cannot control the natural aging process, the group said there are things we can do to care for our skin. This includes staying committed to a daily skin regimen. If your regular bath does not involve specifically cleaning your face to remove toxins, it's time to add one to your daily routine. According to the AAD, washing the face twice a day and after heavy sweating helps irritate the skin less. Irritation causes the skin to age. Aside from cleansing it, make it a habit to moisturize your face every day as well. "Even people who already have signs of premature skin aging can benefit from making lifestyle changes," the AAD website said. "By protecting your skin…you give it a chance to repair some of the damage."
An unhealthy diet.
Sweets, alcohol, salty food, processed meat - these are some of the "age-accelerating” types of food that make us look old, according to health. com. Writer Kiera Aaron interviewed AAD fellow Ariel Ostand and learned that while a few indulgences will not age us overnight, "a continuously poor diet can accelerate the aging process of your skin (and teeth) over time." Sugar overload can "kick-start a process called glycation" or what is believed to happen when we eat more sugar than our cells can process. The excess sugar molecules combine with proteins creating AGES or "advanced glycation end products." This damages the skin's collagen or the protein that keeps skin youthful and firm. Alcohol can damage the liver - the organ responsible for expelling toxins the body does not need. If these build up, wrinkles and acne may develop. Salty food like canned foods make us retain water, according to the article, which causes a 'puffy' look. Processed meat like bacon and sausage trigger inflammation in the skin and accelerates the appearance of aging. Eat healthier at home! They say what we eat in private, we show through our appearance in public.
Binge-watching.
You cannot blame Annalise, Meredith, or Mike and his friends if you age faster because you want to finish an entire season of their shows in one sitting. Health.com's Linda Melone shared a study by the British Journal of Sports Medicine that concluded that "for every hour of television watched, adults cut their life expectancy by 22 minutes." Sitting for more than 30 minutes causes our body to deposit sugar into our cells, the article “13 Everyday Habits That Are Aging You” said, which can likely result to you being overweight.
Slouching.
Hands up if you are guilty! According to the same article, "slumping in front of a keyboard for hours on end can cause your spine to form an unattractive and potentially harmful hunched posture over time." Orthopedic spine surgeon Jeremy Smith, M.D. shared that the spine's well-balanced S-shaped curvature stabilizes and supports us. Slouching or poor posture deviates it from functioning this way, he explained, "and as a result, the muscles, disks and bones become abnormally stressed." This state causes pain and fatigue, or even spinal degeneration and a permanent deformity. So even when you are at home, practice good posture and ensure that your "ear, shoulder, and hip should form a straight line when seated."