Ladies it is now that time of the year when our skins blossom and it is our duty to maintain and keep our faces beautiful. So if you don't take care of your skin you will be ageing at an early stage and there is no lotion that can stop you from ageing if your lifestyle is not healthy. Therefore it is good for you to be informed about daily activities that can contribute to your lines and wrinkles. By understanding the causes of unhealthy skin you can be able to take appropriate steps to protect your skin.

1.    Unhealthy diet

Over indulging does not only add weight to waist but if you carry on with this habit, you may also develop the early symptoms of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. When your skin is deprived of the essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that it needs it is unable to function at best levels and the structure slowly begins to break down. This breakdown results in dry skin, blemishes, discoloration, wrinkles, and premature ageing.

2.    Smoking

According to various studies, even the mere exposure to tobacco fumes significantly increases the degeneration of skin cells, causing dryness, fine lines and wrinkles. Smoking slows down the production of collagen, the most important chemical produced by the body that helps skin look young. As collagen supply decreases, wrinkles form and the skin loses its elasticity.

The following are the effects of smoking on the face:

• Creased mouth from smoking action
• Wrinkles around the eyes (smokers tend to close their eyes tight to avoid the smoke)
• Pale complexion due to nicotine constricting blood vessels
• Thinned, flabby wrinkled skin due to loss of collagen from free radical damage

3.    Stress

Your skin reflects the inner health of your body and mind, therefore the inner disorder is displayed outwardly. Reactions range from flushing (redness) of the skin to breakouts or scaly skin. Stress definitely triggers or aggravates skin conditions such as acne, hives, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, warts, cold sores and blister.

4.    Sleepless nights

Sleepless nights can take their toll, resulting in puffy eyes and dark under-eye circles. Sleep is a time when the body rests, rejuvenates, replenishes, and regenerates. Hence chronic lack of sleep, results in higher stress hormone levels like cortisol that causes premature ageing and also leave us more vulnerable to diseases that cause early aging such as hypertension.

5.    Lack of exercising

Shame on you, if you only exercise when you're trying to lose weight. Exercise has important benefits for the entire body. But what many people don't realize is that our skin is the largest organ of our body, and thus, the benefits can be enormous. Any increase to the body's circulation will improve the look of the skin, as well as boost detoxification and cell renewal. Yoga and more stress-relieving exercises help to smooth lines.

Keeping fit is one of the easiest ways to hold on to your youth, thus regular exercise can play a big role in how young and how healthy your skin looks and feels.

Sources:

• Skinhelp
• Skincaretips
• Wisegeek
• Pioneerthinking
• Skinclinic
• Webmd
• Psychologytoday

Page Created: 07 September 2010

by Zanele Matshotyana