6 Surprising Things That May Be Ageing You

Ageing is a natural process beyond everyone’s control. No matter who you are or what you do, everyday you grow older – fact. Having said this, just because we have to get old, doesn’t mean we have to look old. Beyond smoking and sun damage, there are a few surprising things that may be ageing you on the sly and Dr Warwick Nettle are here to point them out!

1.Your pillow

If you regularly sleep on your side or front, this may cause creases on the face and can dry out your skin. This is particularly true on the nasal-labial fold, which is the line running from the nose to the mouth.

Silkwood tip: Whenever you wake in the night and find yourself on your side or front, switch to sleeping on your back again!

2. Drinking from bottles or through straws

Sucking on straws or out of sports bottles causes people to purse their lips the same way smokers do which causes fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth from the repetitive muscle action.

Silkwood tip: Drink directly from a glass whenever you can.

3.  Sugar

Although we all know too much sugar is bad for your waistline, few know that is actually very damaging to your skin. When blood sugar levels are high, a process called glyaction occurs which causes damages to the collagen in your skin and will prematurely age you.

Silkwood tip: Opt for sweetener over sugar whenever you can.

4. Too much pool time

I know, I know. It’s hot and swimming’s a great form of exercise! But unfortunately, the chlorine in pools is a frequent cause of dry skin for swimmers.

Silkwood tip: Whenever showering use a mild soap, or better still organic virgin coconut oil to bathe in. If you have extremely dry skin, consider using a strong emollient to your skin before swimming such as Vaseline.

5. Sleeping in your makeup

We’ve all been there – you get home late at night and the last thing you want to do is take off your makeup. Well – it’s time to reconsider. Sleeping with your makeup on clogs up your pores and oil glands, which results in fine lines on the skin.

Silkwood tip: Leave some makeup wipes by the side of your bed, which will at least remove any residue

6. Riding in a convertible

There’s nothing like hitting the open road on a summer’s day with the top down – but you pay a big price for it! Not only can it dry out your skin and hair, and quite possibly cause sunburn, but it can also seriously damage your ears.

Silkwood tip: Limit these rides for special occasions rather than part of your everyday routine.