Dangers of not looking after facial skin

Cigarette smoke

Whether you are a smoker, or spend time with people who smoke excessively, cigarette smoke is damaging and ageing to your skin. Cigarette smoke increases skin wrinkles and dryness. This is because cigarette smoke depletes your body of Vitamin C, which is a key ingredient for keeping skin plump and moist.

Sun exposure

Unprotected skin that is exposed to the sun becomes more mottled in appearance. Freckles can turn into brown spots, the skin takes on a dry, leathery appearance and wrinkles and sagging increase. When being exposed to the sun, make sure you use sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Choose sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher and use it all year-round, even on cloudy days as clouds do not protect from ultraviolet ray exposure.

Lack of exercise

Living a sedentary life contributes to aging skin, because exercise helps to tone your muscles and gets your blood flowing. There are also certain specific facial exercises which can reduce facial muscular deterioration due to aging, thereby benefit the skin through better facial muscle tone.

Exposure to cold weather

Cold winds and low temperatures contribute to aging skin by making skin dry, so if you venture out in the cold be sure to use a good moisturizer. It’s important to use moisturiser indoors too, as heated rooms can be very drying to skin. Consider using a humidifier to help keep your skin more comfortable and reduce the aging skin effects of heated rooms.

Alcohol use

Alcohol contributes to aging skin by dilating small blood vessels in the skin and increasing blood flow near the skin’s surface. Over time, thee blood vessels can become permanently damaged, creating a flushed appearance and broken vessels on the skin’s surface.

Stress

Stress and worry cause frowning, and over time the muscles in the face actually conform to that movement. To help reduce aging skin due to stress, be aware of your stress level and try to vary your facial expressions during the day.

Lack of sleep

Too little sleep makes our look and feel tired. One of the first places lack of sleep shows up is on the face, with dark circles and bags under the eyes, and sagging skin.