What causes premature aging?Updated a year ago
Premature aging is caused by lifestyle habits and external factors that speed skin breakdown and contribute to the formation of wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, or other visible signs of skin aging.
- Sun exposure: The primary contributor to premature aging is sun exposure. When UVA and UVB rays from the sun come in contact with the skin, they produce free radicals, which are unstable molecules that cause a disruptive cascade of damage. By damaging skin cell DNA, they speed the aging process and hurt the skin’s regeneration abilities. Experts estimate that around 80% of skin aging can actually be attributed to sun exposure.
- Smoking: Cigarette smoke is incredibly damaging to the skin. The free radicals in cigarette smoke are one source of damage to the skin, but smoking also reduces blood flow to the skin, which corresponds with impaired function. Studies show that smoking is directly related to loss of elasticity and wrinkle formation in the skin and that the level of severity corresponds with the amount of smoking.
- Pollution: Pollution is another common source of free radical damage, especially for those who live in cities.
- Irritating products: Inflammation actually induces oxidative stress and leads to premature aging.
- Bad diet: How we nourish our body on the inside can certainly translate through our skin, and not in some strange or specific way. Our bodies need nutrients in order to heal and regenerate themselves. Simply put, a bad diet causes your body as a whole to age faster, which also shows on your skin.
- Excessive alcohol consumption: Alcohol causes oxidative stress all on its own, and it reduces the body’s ability to fight off oxidative stress, so excessive consumption speeds biological aging and increases markers of skin aging.
- Chronic dryness and dehydration: When the skin is unable to hang on to water, almost all of its functions become impaired, including its ability to shed dead skin cells. In the short term, wrinkles seem more prominent, but in the long term, the dryness can speed up premature aging as the skin becomes more prone to inflammation.
- Blue light: In recent years, there has been a big focus on artificial sources of light and their contribution to premature aging. Research suggests that blue light may contribute to the formation of free radicals on the skin, although how much it exactly impacts the skin is unclear (and possibly minimal).
- Repetitive facial movements: Oddly enough, facial movements are also considered contributors to premature aging, at least according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Frankly, we reject their presence on the list of causes! Making facial expressions is a normal, necessary, and healthy part of human communication and emotional expression.