Wrinkles are a part of aging—and life. While we know to expect wrinkles as we get older, some of the battle has nothing to do with age. Your beauty routines and habits can impact wrinkling as well. See the bad habits that affect your skin's aging process so you can cut them out ASAP.
Smoking
Smoking is the most common cause of wrinkles. "There have been studies
of twins that showed proof of this in stunning detail," says Joel
Schlessinger, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon
and founder of LovelySkin.com. "So skip cigarettes and lose the wrinkles!"
Your Diet
If you want to keep your skin healthy and young, the old saying that you
are what you eat is definitely true. Eating too much sugar and
high-glycemic foods doesn't just impact your weight—it could make you
look older, too. "Through a damaging process called glycation, sugar
molecules attach to the proteins in your skin (including collagen),
causing them to become stiff and malformed," says Roshini Rajapaksa,
M.D., a gastroenterologist, balanced health advocate, and co-founder of
TULA. "This results in a loss of facial elasticity, as well as contours,
puffiness, and fine lines. Refined sugar and other simple carbohydrates
also trigger inflammation throughout the body by causing insulin levels
to skyrocket. Inflammation produces enzymes that break down collagen
and elastin, which leads to sagging and wrinkles." So cut down on
refined sugar and simple carbohydrates—your skin will thank you!
Drinking
All alcohol dehydrates the skin, explains James C. Marotta, M.D., a
dual-board-certified facial plastic surgeon. This means your skin will
appear less plump and fresh the morning after you drink alcohol. Over
time, your skin will lose elasticity and form wrinkles due to a lack of
hydration. "Additionally, alcohol can have a huge negative impact on
your vitamin A level, which is a very important antioxidant for your
skin and body, and it is vital in the regeneration of new cells. Vitamin
A is also extremely important in the production of collagen. When you
have lower amounts of collagen, you lose elasticity in your skin," says
Marotta. Collagen and elasticity keep your skin supple, taut, and
looking young.
Chewing Gum
"Gum chewing produces a type of wrinkle that I see quite often on the
lower mouth," says Schlessinger. Additionally, it causes other issues in
the mouth structure. This is an easy habit to give up in the name of
preserving your skin.
Not Removing Makeup
When you sleep in your makeup, you're basically asking for wrinkles. The
makeup and environmental pollutants you accumulate during the day seep
into your pores, breaking down collagen and elastin. This can speed up
the aging process and leave you with fine lines and wrinkles. Cleanse
and moisturize your skin every night before bed.
Picking
Stop picking at pesky zits, and let them come out on their own or use
natural products to help eliminate them. Any time you pick or pull at
your skin, you're causing damage and creating irritation, scars, and
yes, even wrinkles.
Stretching Your Skin to Apply Makeup
This practice creates wrinkles—and is generally frowned upon in the
makeup world. "You should do your makeup how everyone else is going to
see you, and hopefully it's not with your mouth stretched opened and
eyebrows lifted so you can put on your mascara," says makeup artist
Donna Kelly. "Don't pull on your eyes and stretch them so you can put on
your eyeliner. It's about moving your whole face when you're applying
makeup, not stretching it so it's flat."
Skipping Sunscreen
We've all been told to never skip the sunscreen, but it's often tempting
when many of us spend our days indoors. Even a few minutes of sun
exposure can lead to a breakdown of collagen, though, and that leads to
fine lines and wrinkles. "Wear sunscreen every day, rain or shine, so
that you don't get sun damage. Choose an SPF 30 and one that has zinc
oxide or titanium dioxide," says Debra Jaliman, M.D., a New York-based
dermatologist and author of Skin Rules.
Sleeping
If you sleep on your face, you can get sleep wrinkles from the pillow.
"It's best to sleep on a satin pillowcase that slides across your face,"
says Jaliman. "The other alternative is to sleep on your back."