Anti-Aging Secrets: Secrets To Looking Younger

SUNSCREEN

The best way to slow down the effects of aging on your skin is to limit time in the sun year-round. Use a sunscreen daily with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. The damage that leads to adult skin cancers starts in childhood. Even tanning spas do damage to skin. Ultraviolent radiation destroys the outermost lining of the skin and damages deeper structures. The supporting framework of the skin, collagen, decays as we age and wrinkles occur. UV radiation greatly accelerates this process and causes small breaks in the DNA of skin cells. This damaged DNA may cause a cell to ultimately form a cancer.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

For healthy, young-looking skin, good nutrition is important. And, skin that is healthy is less likely to show wear and tear. Make sure your diet includes Vitamins and minerals geared toward skin care. Vitamins A, C, and E seem to reduce the sun’s damage to the skin. Fresh fruit and vegetables are good sources of A and C. Oils, seeds, and nuts supply Vitamin E. Zinc is an important mineral vital to the production of collagen and can be found in yeast, whole grains, liver, and sunflower seeds.

CLEAR AWAY SMOKE

The American Academy of Dermatology has found that smokers are more likely to have one or more of the following facial features: crow’s feet at the upper and lower lips and around the eyes, lines on the cheek and lower jaw, a leathery, worn, or rugged appearance, slightly pigmented gray coloring, and subtle gauntness. The reason is because nicotine deprives the skin of normal blood flow.

EXERCISE

Studies show that people who exercise on a regular basis have denser, thicker, and firmer skin than those who don’t. Muscle tone and an overall more compact body makes one appear younger as well as feel better about themselves. Endorphins (feel good type hormones) are more readily produced in the bodies of people who exercise.

BRIGHT SMILES

The outer enamel on teeth wears away with age and the darker inner surface called dentin begins to show through. This is why older people appear to have a more yellow smile. In office whitening or professional custom tray whitening can help reverse the clock some. Whitening does not color the teeth but removes all the stain so they will be as white as they naturally are. Ceramic veneers provide a way to select a shade more like the one you originally had in your youth or have always wanted.

Heredity and good genes have a lot to do with how you will look, but good food, exercise, and common sense go a long way in controlling just how fast you will age. It has been said that you can blame 40% of your conditions on your genes and that you can control the outcome of 60% of the events that affect your body’s health.