10 Ways to Cut Your Chances of Getting Wrinkles

Though we can’t stop wrinkles from ever forming for good, there are plenty of ways to slow down the process of getting wrinkles. As we get older, our skin loses elasticity and tautness since our levels of collagen reduce. Once a woman is in her late 20s, she breaks down collagen faster than she makes it. This happens even faster once she reaches her 30s.

Sometimes wrinkles creep up on people without them even expecting it. To temporarily banish these lines, some people get Botox injections to soften their appearance. To avoid getting them in the first place, others prefer to limit (or ban) unhealthy habits like smoking and drinking excessively. Here are a few more simple ways you can stall the signs of wrinkles:

1. Don’t stretch your skin when applying makeup. This habit can lead to wrinkles, so avoid pulling your eyes when you apply eyeliner.
   
   
2. Don’t soak up the sun too much: overexposure to the sun accelerates the aging process. When the skin has signs of wrinkles, blotches, roughness, and loss of skin tone, it’s mostly from severe sun damage. UV rays are known to dry out skin and damage its underlying structure (elastin and collagen) which causes premature sagging, bags and wrinkles.
   
   
3. Use sunscreen year-round. This is key to prevent your skin from additional damage. Apply it on all exposed areas, even behind your ears and neck.
   

   

   Drinking too much alcohol can speed up the ageing process.

4. Don’t drink too much alcohol. Consuming too much of it negatively impacts vitamin A levels, an important antioxidant for the skin. Vitamin A is also important in the production of collagen, so when there are lower levels of collagen, the skin loses elasticity. Limit your drinking to avoid speeding up the ageing process.
   
   
5. Get enough sleep. When you deprive your body from sleep, it starts to produce excess cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that breaks down skin cells. When you squeeze in enough sleep, you’ll produce more human growth hormone (HGH) which helps cell growth and regeneration.
   
   
6. Always remove make-up before bed. The dirt, pollutants and makeup builds up throughout the day and seep into pores, which breaks down collagen and elastin. Skipping out on cleansing your face before bed leads to wrinkles.
   
   
7. Eat more fish. Not only does it taste good, fish helps out your skin in big ways. Salmon is high in protein and fatty acids such as omega-3. These fatty acids help your skin stay plump and nourished.
   
   
8. Wear sunglasses. They’ll protect the skin around your eyes from UV radiation. The skin around the eyes is very thin, sensitive and prone to wrinkle formation (also known as crows’ feet).
   
   
9. Sleep on your back. Sleeping on your side and pressing your face against your pillow can cause sleep lines. Overtime, you can develop wrinkles by sleeping this way. Try to make it a habit to sleep on your back.
   
   
10. Get facials. Squeezing in some relaxing facials once a month or bi-monthly can help keep your skin healthy and supple. Facials stimulate and increase the circulation in your face.

Keeping these tips (or at least some of them) in mind will pay off as the years go by. Your skin will definitely appreciate it.