Premature aging is the unnatural acceleration of the normal aging process or, in short, when your skin makes you appear a lot older than you really are. It can be in the form of fine lines and wrinkles and dry or sagging skin due to a decrease in elasticity.
Premature aging or extrinsic aging can be caused by various factors such as:
- Going to bed without removing makeup
Throughout the day, environmental dirt and toxins build up on the skin and can seep into the pores causing breakouts and skin problems. The more you fail to remove these toxins, the more damage they do as they prevent normal skin shedding and contribute to the breakdown of Collagen and Elastin which is responsible for youthful skin.
To prevent these problems, cleanse and moisturize twice daily and exfoliate skin two to three times per week. - Lack of Sleep
Skimping on sleep can show up in the form of dark circles and a dull complexion. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body releases Cortisol, the stress hormone. Cortisol unfortunately, can break down skin collage which keeps your skin smooth and elastic. Sleep is extremely vital as it allows stress hormones to drop to normal levels to give cells time to repair and rejuvenate – patching the day’s wear and tear. - Rubbing your eyes
The skin in the eye area is very delicate and has little fatty tissue that becomes less plump as we age. It is very sensitive to stress from facial movement, tugging, pulling and rubbing which can all contribute to darkness and wrinkle development.
Also, when applying moisturizer and makeup, gently use your ring finger (the one before your pinky) to pat the product into the skin. - Sleeping on your side or stomach
Pressing your face into a pillow eight hours a night for years can break down skin and cause wrinkles. To prevent this, train yourself to sleep on your back. - Drinking from a straw
Pursing lips on a daily basis to drink from a straw can create wrinkles from the repetitive muscle movement. The damage occurs over time so it’s never too late to stop. - Not wearing sunscreen
Sunlight that reaches us is made up of long wave Ultraviolet A (UVA) and short wave Ultraviolet B (UVB). UVA penetrates deep into the dermis and ages the skin while UVB causes sunburns to the superficial layers of your skin. Overexposure to either can damage the skin and in some cases lead to skin cancer. To prevent sun damage, it is best to wear a broad spectrum sunscreen that blocks both types of UV rays with at least an SPF of 15 or greater.