As you get older, your body and skin do, too. Your body stops making as much collagen. As a result, your skin changes. It gets thinner, drier, and less elastic. You lose plumpness in your lips and cheeks. Wrinkles and lines appear. And the years of wear-and-tear surface.
You can’t control time or stop your body from aging. But at Sublime Aesthetic Professionals in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, we have good news: You can take steps to slow down how your skin ages.
Angie Bjorgaard, RN, BSN, and our aesthetic team are committed to helping patients in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, look and feel their best at any age. Our practice offers the best in aesthetic services and care for rejuvenating your skin and keeping it healthy.
We also know the best way to slow the hands of time is by taking preventive action. That’s why we put our heads together and created this list of our top five tips for slowing down the signs of aging.
1. Always wear sunscreen
Regardless of the season or the weather, make sunscreen a part of your daily routine if you want to slow down the signs of aging. Most of the visible signs of aging are because of sun exposure. This process is called photoaging, and it can make you look older than your age.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is always present, even when it’s cloudy. These UV rays cause lines, wrinkles, and sunspots to appear. Make sure to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum SPF 30 every day. And wear a hat and clothes for added protection.
2. Don’t smoke
Smoking is bad for your skin and terrible for your overall health. By not smoking, you lower your risk of cancer and heart disease. You also delay the development of wrinkles and lines for longer.
This is because nicotine in cigarettes narrows the blood vessels near the surface of your skin. Narrower blood vessels means less blood reaches your skin. As a result, your skin gets fewer beneficial nutrients and vitamins, speeding up the signs of aging.
Tobacco is also full of toxic chemicals that damage collagen and elastin. Plus, when you smoke you make certain facial expressions. These accelerate the development of fine lines around your mouth.
3. Eat for younger skin
Your diet affects how your skin ages. This is because your skin needs the right nutrients to repair itself and make new skin cells. For healthy, younger-looking skin, try the following:
- Limit the refined sugars and simple carbohydrates
- Avoid unhealthy, processed fats (like oil)
- Eat foods rich in antioxidants (like vitamins C and E)
- Look for foods with vitamins A, B, and biotin
Research shows some of the best anti-aging foods for skin health include dark leafy greens (e.g., spinach; kale), tomatoes, nuts, berries, beans, legumes (e.g., lentils), and orange and yellow fruits and vegetables.
4. Avoid alcohol
Alcohol dehydrates your skin. In fact, one night out drinking can make wrinkles and lines much more noticeable. This is even more true if you already have dry skin. Alcohol also dilates your blood vessels. This makes it more likely you’ll get broken blood vessels and unwanted redness. You can make good decisions for your skin and overall health by limiting your alcohol.
5. Change your sleep habits
Good sleep habits help prevent wrinkles. Getting the right amount of sleep keeps your skin healthy. Other smart sleep habits to keep in mind for slowing the signs of aging include:
- Understand and practice excellent sleep hygiene
- Get seven to nine hours of sleep every night for the best skin health
- Sleep on your back to keep pressure off facial skin
- Use a retinol cream or coconut oil before bed for added skin protection
By thinking more closely about your sleep habits, you can slow down the signs of aging.
More anti-aging help
Despite your best efforts, your skin still ages. That’s why it’s always a good idea to call in the professionals for extra anti-aging help, like the team at Sublime Aesthetic Professionals.
Our team members can provide customized recommendations for your unique skin care needs, including services like laser treatments to resurface your skin, hydrafacials to add much-need moisture to your face, dermal fillers to restore lost volume, and injectables to minimize and prevent deeper lines and wrinkles from forming—and much, much more.
To learn more about slowing down the visible signs of aging, schedule an appointment online or over the phone with a provider at Sublime Aesthetic Professionals in East Grand Forks, Minnesota.