The last things anyone wants to look for in themselves are signs of premature aging. It’s important to remember that to age is a gift, but that doesn’t mean that we want to look significantly older than our times. There are a lot of unpleasant things that come with aging, which is the real reason why a lot of people are hesitant to accept the aging process as is. One reason why a lot of people hate the idea of aging is the fact that it signifies a loss of control. Those that have truly aged significantly are usually no longer responsible for making decisions on where they live, what doctors they see, and even what will happen if they become seriously ill. Nonetheless, there are certain issues that make it impossible for us to prevent aging prematurely. Certain illnesses make premature aging somewhat inevitable. However, most of us begin to age prematurely for reasons that are within our control. You shouldn’t feel bad about premature aging, but if it’s making you truly uncomfortable you want to prevent it from happening, there are methods that you can choose to follow.
You may be wondering why you shouldn’t just go and get preventative work done. While plastic surgery was once taboo, it’s now much more widely accepted by the mainstream. For that matter, a lot of people, particularly young adults, are investing in low-level types of plastic surgery to prevent the signs of premature aging. Botox apparently can help stop or at least slow down the process through the manner in which it paralyzes the affected area. For example, if you had Botox applied to your forehead, as many people do, your forehead would move less and would, therefore, cease to produce wrinkles in such a rapid manner. However, there are drawbacks to tactics like these. For one thing, if you overdo them they can actually cause you to look worse than you did to begin with. For another, it’s rather expensive, and it may be difficult for you to find a provider in your area. With that being said, you don’t have to rely upon plastic surgery to prevent the signs of premature aging. You actually do just that by looking into our tips below and changing your lifestyle in a way that will promote a stronger mind and body. After all, you’ve probably got more time on your hands than usual right now. That’s why you should go ahead and make some lifestyle changes while you’re not preoccupied?
1. Sleep More
How much do you really sleep right now? Probably not enough. The optimal amount of sleep for an adult to get is about eight hours of sleep per night. A lot of people run on a bit less than that, and some work with much less sleep. A lack of sleep can actually have a severe effect on your physical and mental health. Those that don’t sleep enough are plagued by exhaustion, and if you truly bypass proper sleep for an extended period of time, you may find yourself experiencing hallucinations. On a lower, more common level, you’ll probably tired and irritable. You may not be able to safely drive without facing potentially deadly consequences. If this sounds like you, then you’ve probably noticed fine lines around your face due to a lack of sleep and the stress it causes. So: how do you stop this from going any further?
There’s actually a lot you can do to ensure that you get the right amount of sleep. The key, of course, is to set a sleep schedule and stick to it. If you don’t have to stay up past a certain point, don’t do so just to make a point. For that matter, you should probably set an alarm on your phone that will not only let you know when you have to wake up but when you have to sleep. If your mattress is uncomfortable, consider changing it out in order to have a more effective night’s sleep. You may also want to consider using natural sleep aids in order to fall asleep more easily and stay asleep. While many of the heavier prescription sleep medications may be risky, as they’ve been known to have hallucinatory effects, you can consider natural supplements, as advised by your doctor, to help you go to sleep more easily. Remember that it’s not just about how long you sleep, but the quality of the sleep that you get. The less quality sleep you have, the more you’ll see the signs of premature aging show up not only on yourself but on the people around you whose own stress levels are rising due to your inability to properly deal with your own.
2. Cut Down On Stress
If you thought that a lack of sleep caused you to experience signs of premature aging, you aren’t wrong. However, there are plenty of other ways in which premature aging can strike an individual. Stress is a major factor, causing damage not only to your face but to your entire body. Many of the people who complain about back pain are doing so because of stress. The back or jaw pain, or perhaps headaches you experience may very well be linked to a stressful lifestyle. The more pain you experience due to these problems, the more stress you’ll experience. It’s something of a double-edged sword. If you’re worried about what is possibly a stress-related condition, you should visit your family doctor as soon as possible. They can diagnose your condition, or at least help to do so, and reassure you about whether you’re dealing with an immediate medical problem, or a stress-related issue that, while harmful, isn’t going to immediately hurt you physically. There are so many factors that can cause stress in this day and age. School, work, family, and so much all trigger certain types of stress within our bodies. Major life events cause further stress, of course. For example, if you’re going through a divorce you may very well be more stressed than usual. Fortunately, there are effective ways through which you can deal with your stress. You can pick up a healthy hobby, like biking or painting. A hobby can divert your stress while at the same time keeping the stressed party from feeling like they aren’t doing enough. Include them while planning a birthday party. Give them something to do while you’re cooking, or seek these things out yourself if you’re the stressed person. It may seem silly to recommend a hobby at first, but distraction therapy is a very real thing and can help you deal with your stress in a healthier manner. You should also consider talking to your doctor about using prescribed drugs to help deal with your stress. This can be incredibly important, even if you only use medication temporarily. It’s important for people to feel understood as they try to deal with stress, especially during such an isolated time in history. This is why talk therapy is also a great option if one that a lot of people are less comfortable with. While you may feel stressed initially about meeting with a therapist, you’d be amazed by the coping skills you can learn through one.
3. Take Care Of Your Body
This may seem obvious. Of course, neglecting your body would cause signs of premature aging. But a lot of people don’t realize that caring for their bodies requires a lot more than simply going to a restaurant from time to time. In fact, one of the best ways to work your body is through healthy exercise. By keeping up with regular workouts, you can not only maintain your body and deal with the physical pressure of stress but also pick up a hobby. Of course, dealing with stress through exercise is already inherently stressful to a lot of people, which why you may want to consider the alternative of simply starting out at a spa. A spa day will help you relax at your leisure; however, a number of spas also have gyms on hand. That way, if you ever decided to spontaneously go to a spa where you can still take advantage of your workouts and perhaps even some guided exercise classes. You may want to pick up a yoga class or two in order to better teach yourself to relax. There’s a lot more offered at spas today than you might have thought, and you should take advantage of them.
Of course, it’s easier said than done to stop damaging your body through your various bad habits or neglect. This is why it might be a good idea for some people to start small. Remember when your dentist suggested that you may need routine dental care every six months? If you aren’t already done with taking care of that, then you should do so. For that matter, you should visit a chiropractor simply to make sure that your body and especially your back is aligned correctly, and that you aren’t doing damage unknowingly. You would be amazed by what you don’t know about your own body, especially when t comes to the very physical ways in which stress begins to build and build. Of course, working with a chiropractor on a regular basis may feel like you’re bound for a senior living community. But if you really take care of your body, you won’t look in the mirror and see those strong signs of premature aging. Rather, you may even start to see some of the years wash away. Though it’s technically not possible to reverse the aging process, you can stop premature aging in its tracks and ensure that you’ll look better than ever in the future!
4. Protect Yourself Against Sun Damage
It’s summer; we understand why everyone wants to be outside. Right now, you may feel like the best thing to do would be to put a couple of ice cubes in a glass of lemonade and relax outside. Unfortunately, this seemingly harmless activity can contribute to the development of the signs of premature aging. The main issue with being out in the sun is that it causes a lot of damage, which in turn will cause your skin to age before its time. While this is, again, something you can’t necessarily prevent entirely as it’s also good to go outside and feel the sunlight, you can decrease its effects.
If you’re determined to go out and relax by spending a day on a pontoon boat, that’s great. However, you’ll probably find that by the end of the day that you’ve gotten quite a sunburn. Not only will this cause wrinkles, loose flesh, and freckles; it could also potentially cause more serious issues far down the road, like skin cancer. You should not only wear a hat outside when exposed to the hot sun but also sunscreen. If you’re just relaxing outside the day of, you should still take advantage of these shields, and protect your delicate skin even when you’re just taking an extended walk.
Again, you shouldn’t feel bad about yourself if you’re experiencing the signs of premature aging. A lot of people lived somewhat wildly in the past, and are now paying for it by prematurely aging in the present. Some people simply suffer from a bad luck of the draw. But no matter why you’re struggling with signs of premature aging, you should be proactive in combating them. While you can and should visit a dermatologist for advice, you shouldn’t wait for a dermatologist’s suggestions before beginning the basics of taking care of your skin, like drinking more, moisturizing more, and of course, investing in exfoliators. While there are certainly a lot of different ways in which you can treat the signs of premature aging, all of them are truly reliant on you taking the issue seriously, and making permanent life changes to better your body and become healthier than ever.
