What Causes Wrinkles?
Wrinkles? Tell Me Something New…
We all know what causes wrinkles?
Don’t we?
We’ve been told thousands of times that the main causes of wrinkles are:
- The sun
- Smoking
- Drinking too much alcohol
- A nutritionally poor diet
So that’s all we need to know, right?
Wrong! While it’s true that the above factors play a huge part in skin aging and the formation of wrinkles these aren’t the only reasons why your facial skin may be showing the signs of aging.
So let’s take a look at what causes wrinkles and find out some surprising reasons that may be causing your face to age.
1. Overeating
Many people will tell you that being overweight is good for the face as a little bit of ‘plumpness’ helps you to look younger. Fat plumps out the skin so it makes sense?
While it’s true that a large weight loss can age your facial skin by causing sagging, research has shown that people who consume fewer calories age better in several ways. The secret is to not gain a lot of weight in the first place.
We are not talking about getting skinny and gaunt either as that can also age the face. Quite simply studies have shown that those who eat a low calorie diet made up of lean protein, unrefined carbohydrates, healthy fats and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables look better for their age.
Overeating and in particular eating too much animal fat can affect hormone production and the metabolism. This in turn increases the formation of free radicals within the body and these attack the body’s cells. When the skin cells are attacked in this way wrinkles form.
The theory that eating less slows the aging process is nothing new and many respected naturopaths have written books on this subject over the years.
The concept also suggests that a lower calorie diet can be good for your entire body as well as for your skin, helping to prevent age related diseases and increase longevity.
2. A Fat Free Diet
So if fat is an enemy to the skin then it makes sense to avoid it completely – right? Wrong again! But to clear up the confusion we need to differentiate between good fats and bad fats.
It’s quite simple really bad fats are found in:
- Fatty cuts of meat
- Processed foods
- Fast foods
- Cookies
- Cakes
- Certain cooking oils
- Deep fried foods
- Many potato or corn based snacks.
Good fats are found in:
- Oily fish
- Cold-pressed vegetable oils
- Avocadoes
- Nuts
- Nut butters
- Seeds
And it’s obvious that it’s the good fats you need to be eating more of if you want healthy looking skin and less of the bad fats.
A totally fat free diet deprives your body of internal lubrication. If you follow a very low or no fat diet for 6 months you may well experience signs that all is not well internally including very dry skin, scaling skin and dry, lackluster hair.
Slimmers mistakenly believe that they need to remove fat completely from the diet in order to lose weight but the fact is your skin needs fat in its good form to look good.
3. Environmental Pollution
We all know that the sun and wind can cause wrinkles but air pollution as a factor for skin aging is less well known.
Air pollution has become a serious problem in many towns and cities in recent years and the concept of fresh air is becoming something of a myth in some areas.
A toxic cocktail of pollutants fill the air with substances such as gas fumes, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide clogging up our towns and cities.
These substances can put a strain on our bodies and for the skin this means bad news.
If you live in a heavily polluted area you can counteract environmental pollution and protect your skin and your body by eating a nutritiously balanced diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and taking an anti-oxidant rich vitamin supplement.
4. Running And Jogging
But running is healthy, it helps you to maintain a healthy weight it’s good for your heart?
While the above is true it is also a fact that running can age the face prematurely.
Many serious runners may have a body to be proud of but it is a sad fact that they may also have a face that looks haggard and sunken. It can take a while for the ‘runners face’ to develop but by the mid-forties many serious runners will notice a marked aging to the face.
The effects are twofold in that running is without a doubt an excellent way to lose weight and keep trim.
So the face become thinner as a result of weight loss however the constant pounding of the feet when running, jolts the entire body and this lifts the facial skin away from the underlying bones and muscles of the face.
This causes damage to the skin’s elastic fibers and combined with the loss of padding to the face through weight loss facial aging is accelerated.
The health benefits of running and jogging are not in doubt however here are other ways to keep fit, maintain a healthy heart and stay trim such as swimming cycling, walking or playing active sports.
5. Yo-Yo Dieting
Maintaining your weight at a relatively constant level throughout your lifetime makes sense if you want to combat the signs of facial aging. Weight gain causes the skin to stretch and weight loss following weight gain causes the skin to become loose or slack.
Many people fall into the trap of yo-yo dieting, binging until they reach a weight they are unhappy with and then starving themselves to slim back down again. Constantly repeating this pattern can prematurely age the face.
If you need to lose weight it is important to do it very gradually. If you have more than a few pounds to lose you need to aim to lose just ½ a pound per week.
Obviously when you start a weight loss program you will lose more in the first couple of weeks but after that you need to take it slowly.
Finding your optimal healthy weight and maintaining it is the key to avoiding this problem.
Help For Your Face – Tighten, Tone, Revitalize
If you have read the following and are worried about damage you may have caused to your skin don’t panic! There is a lot you can do to help yourself by making some simple lifestyle changes.
You can also try facial exercises to help target problem areas on the face.