People spend a lot of money on anti-ageing treatments without realising that ageing is preventable to some extent. Admittedly a lot of it is genetically determined, but a significant part of it ispreventable and it all boils down to lifestyle and avoiding age-accelerators.
Scientists often study centenarians (people who have lived a 100 years or more) in the hope that they may find the secret to their longevity. Much of their attention has been focused on the diet and exercise but there is also one commonality and that is the absence of unhealthy habits or lifestyles that exposes the body to age accelerators such as:
- Smoking (nicotine)
- Excessive alcohol intake
- Excessive caffeine intake
- Stress
- Insufficient sleep
Smokers are at increased risk of developing wrinkles
Since we’re talking about the skin, it’s worth mentioning that smokers are are more likely to develop wrinkles. The use of the perioral muscles around the mouth results in wrinkles, creases and lines around the mouth. Notb only those, but wrinkles may also develop around the eyes due to smokers scrunching up their eyes to avoid the smoke. There are other contributing factors too, such increased carbon monoxide blood due to smoking that can induce the formation of free radicals and nicotine constricting blood vessels and reducing blood flow to the skin. Cigarette smoke also contains benzopyrene which is known to inhibit the body’s absorption of vitamin C which, you may remember, is important for the synthesis of healthy collagen. It has been found that persons who smoke ten or more cigarettes a day for a minimum of 10 years are statistically more likely to have deeply wrinkled, leathery skin than a non-smoker. And, if you’re a smoker and you don’t protect your skin against sun damage you’re really asking for trouble (see sun protection).
Learn helpful tips for healthier better looking skin from Dr Lim Kah Beng’s book, Steps to Skin Beauty. It is out of print but available for loan from National Library Board.