Doctors Recommend These 10 Anti-Aging Tips
What You Can Do To Keep Your Youthful Glow
Admit it: We’d ALL like to be teenagers again.
It was the time of our lives with no bills, no wrinkles and no responsibilities.
Now the pressures of life chip away at our youthful glow. On top of that, certain things we do in our daily routines might be accelerating the aging process–and we don’t even know it!
So what can we do to slow down the aging process and bring back the look & feel of our youth?
Our friends at Eat This, Not That have 10 tips you can start doing today:
1 – Add Some Vitamin A to Your Routine
One of the easiest ways to turn back the clock is to make topical retinoids part of your skincare arsenal. While they can be irritating to certain individuals with sensitive skin, they can also provide a serious line of defense against wrinkles. ‘An easy at-home regimen would be using a retinol cream,’ says Dr. John Kahan, a surgeon who treats patients at Beverly Hills Med Spa. ‘Retinol is a form of vitamin A and it helps with fine lines, uneven skin tone, dark spots, and texturized skin.
2 – Avoid Excess Weight Gain
Don’t let those little indulgences turn into extra pounds; if you do, you might just find yourself looking older than you actually are. ‘Weight gain is also perceived as aging in several areas,’ says Dr. Joshua D. Zuckerman, MD, FACS, a board-certified plastic surgeon practicing in Manhattan. ‘For example, submental fat, which is located below the chin, significantly changes how the lower face is viewed.’
3 – Skip the Sugary Stuff
Sugar does more than just rot your teeth, it’s also a major contributor to the loss of firmness in the skin, which can age you significantly. ‘Focus on a balanced diet with plenty of lean protein and vegetables and avoid sugar,’ suggests Dr. Fred Pescatore, a natural health physician. ‘Poor diets that are high in sugar have been linked to advanced glycation end products (AGEs) which cause wrinkles and loss of collagen and elastin.’
4 – Hydrate
Drinking an adequate amount of water throughout the day can help keep your skin healthy and youthful-looking. While the amount of water you need depends on your size and activity level, sipping water throughout the day and never letting yourself get thirsty is a good guideline.
‘Not drinking enough can result in an increased appearance of wrinkles and lines and creates more dry areas and dullness,’ says clinical nutritionist Ariane Hundt. ‘Drinking enough is key to keeping a healthy glow and that dewy appearance.’
5 – Take Sun Damage Seriously
Every sunburn counts. In fact, ‘many studies show that repeated sun burns as a child lead to much higher cases of skin cancers and skin damage as an adult,’ says Dr. David Shafer, founder of Manhattan’s Shafer Plastic Surgery. So take every trip into the sun with the same precautions. Doing so might just fend off those early signs of aging you’re trying to avoid.
Beginning from when you’re a ‘young [kid], it is important to focus on prevention, such as using an adequate sunscreen or protective clothing,’ explains Dr. Shafer.
6 – Protect Your Skin with Proper Clothing
The best offense is a good defense when it comes to staving off wrinkles. Like Dr. Shafer mentioned previously, getting adequate sun protection is one of the best things you can do for your skin when it comes to slowing down the aging process. ‘The first line of defense is prevention,’ says Dr. Shafer. ‘Either wearing sunscreen or physical protective barrier clothing and hats are essential for protecting the skin.’
7 – Wash After a Workout
Think you can skip the shower after the gym? Think again. Washing your face post-workout can help keep dead skin and other grime from settling into your pores, making them look larger, a sure sign of aging. ‘Wash your face twice daily, especially after sweating heavily while working or exercising,’ says Dr. Ross Levy, MD, FAAD, a dermatologist with New York’s CareMount Medical.
8 – Say No to Tanning
That golden glow isn’t worth it in the long run. If you’re trying to turn back the hands of time, tanning is a serious no-no. ‘Skin ages prematurely each time a person ‘gets a tan,’ says Dr. Levy. If you can’t brave the beach in your current pale state, opt for a sunless tanner instead.
9 – Get a Posh Pillowcase
Switching up your pillowcase can do more than just ensure a better night’s sleep. Sleeping on a silk pillowcase can also help fend off fine lines. ‘Silk pillowcases can help your skin retain its natural moisture and reduce the appearance of facial wrinkles. I didn’t fully appreciate the benefits until I started using one myself,’ says Dr. Nina Watson, a board certified diagnostic radiologist practicing in New York.
10 – Keep it Cool
That steamy shower may be relaxing, but it could be sapping your skin of essential moisture, making you look older in the process. ‘Avoid hot showers and baths; they’ll dry out skin more than anything else,’ says Caroline Nuytten, a licensed esthetician at Manhattan’s Metro Integrative Pharmacy.”
