Lifestyle

Your Guide to Anti-aging

Written by Chloe Harwood

Trying to look youthful as you age is not something that should be thought of as a mere vanity exercise. There are many good reasons you might want to maintain a youthful appearance, and plenty of great methods exist to get the job done.

Our skin ages due to several different factors, including exposure to the sun, lack of exercise and sleep, insufficient hydration, smoking, and poor dietary habits.  

How to keep looking young

Looking good means feeling good, so there is nothing wrong with wanting to maintain youthful skin. A positive mental attitude can be a real boost to self-esteem and help us achieve our goals at work and in life in general.  

There are several easy tips to follow for maintaining a healthy, youthful appearance. Giving up smoking and reducing your alcohol intake can do wonders for your appearance. Smoking strips away the benefits that come from oxygen and other nutrients and can result in a pale look or uneven coloring. The chemicals in tobacco can lead to sagging skin and fine lines and wrinkles.  

Excessive alcohol can leave you dehydrated and draw fluid away from the skin. Cutting back can do wonders for your complexion, reducing the red, blotchy appearance that can arise from excessive alcohol intake.  

A healthy diet means a better intake of vitamins and other nutrients that are essential for maintaining good skin. For breakfast, choose oatmeal; it has more vitamins than processed cereal options. Eat plenty of oily fish, such as a salmon and tuna. The B vitamins in oily fish are great for your appearance. The Vitamin E in almonds offers protection from the effects of the sun, while the essential fatty acids in walnuts boost the skin’s elasticity. Avoid food that is high in fat; too much fat in the diet is linked to aging skin.

Proper sleep leaves your body feeling refreshed and daily exercise increases blood flow, leaving the skin nourished in the process. Just remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially when exercising. Water keeps your skin hydrated, and drinking it also keeps you from resorting to the types of sugary drinks that cause sagging and wrinkling.

Other options

Surgery is another option to consider if your skin has experienced damage that a change in lifestyle habits is insufficient to correct. For example, a long-term smoker may have the type of loose, wrinkled skin that would benefit from a cosmetic procedure, giving you a rejuvenated and refreshed look once you have ditched your tobacco habit. For peace of mind, a cosmetic procedure should only be carried out by a professional and reputable provider, such as Oculoplastics Denver, who will be more than happy to discuss any issues or concerns you have prior to surgery. Using an established cosmetic procedure provider also means achieving a subtle, natural look.  

With a few lifestyle changes, it is possible to maintain healthy-looking skin and a youthful glow. For those with more serious, long-term skin damage, however, it is worth considering the option of surgery.  

 

About the author

Chloe Harwood