Genetics are important when it comes to having youthful-looking skin as you age, but experts argue that your habits are the real deal that can make or break you in terms of your skincare goals.
So much of what we do that proves beneficial to the skin is cumulative. Applying serum one night a week and expecting it to make a difference isn’t realistic, nor is using a skin device a few times or eating more veggies and expecting miracles to happen overnight. But breaking bad habits and adopting new ones always works in the long run. It doesn’t take a ton of commitment or money to create new habits and see results, either.
As Dr. Anil Rajani shares, giving up just five surprising habits can give you younger-looking skin.
Before you buy another serum or book another Botox appointment, make sure you aren’t doing these five things that can make your skin look older.
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1. Late-Night Scrolling
Staying up late to scroll Instagram, Facebook, YouTube — whatever your site of choice — is a no-no if you want youthful-looking skin. For starters, the blue light from screens affects your melatonin production, which negatively affects your sleep. Not getting enough sleep, of course, gives you that tired look you are trying to correct at your dermatologist’s office. Being sleep deprived has even been linked to having paler skin and more wrinkles and fines lines, including in areas around the mouth, which tend to get that “droopy” look you may be trying to avoid.
Although you can see signs of aging from simply not getting enough sleep, adding in blue light from screens worsens your skin because exposure to this light accelerates the aging process and increases hyperpigmentation on the skin, according to studies.
2. Smoking
There are zero upsides to smoking cigarettes — in fact, it’s so bad for your health and skin that Dr. Rajani says it “doubles your skin’s age.” In studies that followed twins, one of whom smoked and one who did not, the twin who smoked experienced more aging in their skin over time, even when the twins worked at the same company and lived in the same latitude (which means they, more or less, were exposed to the same amount of sunlight). If you are routinely breathing in secondhand smoke, this is extremely bad for your skin, as well, and can cause signs of premature aging.
Kick this habit as soon as possible and try to reduce your exposure to secondhand smoke.
3. Sugar Addiction
If you look at the labels of most of the foods you are eating, particularly processed foods, you may be shocked to learn just how much sugar has been added to those foods. Sugar can damage your collagen and elastin through a process called glycation, which is when the sugar in your bloodstream attaches to proteins that start producing free radicals that are harmful to your skin cells. The more sugar that you eat, the more this process occurs, and the more damage you can inflict on your skin.
Collagen and elastin are important to create youthful structure to your skin, and eating too much sugar undos all that hard work you’re doing to maintain these proteins in the skin.
4. Tanning and Sun Exposure
One of the biggest things that impacts how fast your skin ages is photo damage from the sun. The sun isn’t all bad — vitamin D is important, but smart sun exposure is different from exposing your skin directly to the sun without protection. Wearing sunscreen daily and covering your body with hats or clothings when you’re in direct sunlight is a smart move that can protect your skin from cancer and premature aging. It’s also a great idea to stay out of the sun during peak UV hours, which is typically mid-day.
If you are worried about not getting enough vitamin D, Dr. Rajani recommends taking vitamin D supplements.
5. Gel Manicures
One place on the body that often exposes a person’s age is their hands. Even if you are taking drastic steps to reverse signs of aging on the face, hands that have hyperpigmentation and thin, dry skin can make you look older. Getting a manicure makes your hands look polished and pretty, but regular gel manicures that expose your hands to UV light from lamps will cause photo damage and age the skin faster.
6. Not Wearing LED Masks
Did you know LED masks with red light therapy can actually reduce the risk of sunburn and sun damage? Red light therapy has also been shown to stimulate collagen production, reduce inflammation in the skin, repair and regenerate damaged skin cells, and improve skin tone and texture. If you aren’t using an LED mask yet, consider incorporating this device into your routine. You’ll fine red light therapy in a few different price points, from the Omnilux Contour Face ($395) to the Megellin LED Light Therapy Machine ($199).
