Anti-Aging.....Already?

Since my birthday is upcoming, I've been getting crazy about anti-aging stuff! Call it crazy, maybe it is a quarter-life crisis, but I want to keep my skin looking flawless and ageless. You've got to start taking care of your skin as early as possible before anything starts happening!

Aging is a natural process, which starts in our mid 20s. Collagen production slows down, regeneration of our skin cells becomes slower, the elastin in our skin is decreased. These changes which happen slowly, will lead to fine wrinkles. Also factors such a smoking, sun exposure, and even sleep position will also contribute to aging.

1. SMOKING - we all know its bad for you, not only your lungs but your skin as well!
"Research shows that a person who smokes 10 or more cigarettes a day for a minimum of 10 years is statistically more likely to develop deeply wrinkled, leathery skin than a nonsmoker. It also has been shown that people who smoke for a number of years tend to develop an unhealthy yellowish hue to their complexion. Additionally, a study conducted in 2002 showed that facial wrinkling, while not yet visible, can be seen under a microscope in smokers as young as 20." Now with that kind of research, do you really want to be smoking?


2. SUN EXPOSURE - SPF 30 minimally is SO important for your skin. Not only does the sun increase your chance for skin cancer, but the UV exposure from the sun also breaks down collagen and elastin that helps keep our skin firm and healthy looking. UV exposure creates free radicals that cause havoc to your skin causing wrinkles, leathery appearance, pigment changes and age spots. Make sure you wear SPF every time you leave the house, even a few minutes of UV can add up & don't forget to reapply especially if you're outdoors a lot!

3. SLEEP POSITION - Surprisingly, you may be sleeping your way to wrinkles! depending on how you sleep. The best position to sleep is on your back with your face up. If you sleep on your side with your face laying on the side of your pillow, you can develop wrinkles by your eyes, cheeks and chin. If you sleep with your face down on the pillow, wrinkles can develop on your forehead. I realize it may be difficult for you to change the position that you sleep in, so to minimize the wrinkles, use a silk pillow with natural feathers so it lessens the amount of crease of your skin. They even have special pillows for this! I don't know if its worth the $58 for the pillow but the cheaper alternative would be to get a silk pillow case :)

Source: skincarephysicians.com, niapublications.com,