A few years ago, a 50-year-old woman revealed that she had spent 40 straight years not smiling to prevent fine lines and wrinkles. She admitted that she hadn’t even smiled when her daughter was born — all in the name of stopping lines from showing up on her face.
If you’re determined to not have to deal with fine lines and wrinkles, you could go ahead and swear off smiling like that lady did. But is that really any way to go about living your life?
Instead, try taking other steps to prevent fine lines and wrinkles from taking a toll on your appearance. There are so many other things that you can do outside of avoiding smiling to prevent them from becoming a problem.
Here are seven tips that will help you keep them at bay for as long as you can.
Start Drinking More Water
In the past, studies have suggested that up to 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. The vast majority of people are simply not drinking enough water throughout the course of the day, and they’re paying the price for it.
Dehydration can have all kinds of negative effects on your body. It can cause headaches, drowsiness, dry mouth, and more.
It can also dry your skin out and cause it to crack. If your skin is always dry, it’s not going to be long at all before fine lines and wrinkles start to appear.
Make it your mission to drink more than enough water each day. Walk around with a water jug if you have to so that you don’t forget to drink water.
Stop Smoking
The smoking rate has gone way down in the U.S. As recently as just 15 years ago, it sat at right around 20%. But these days, only about 14% of people are smokers.
If you’re one of the people who is still smoking, you should try to stop right away. That is easier said than done, but you could be doing a lot of damage to your body by smoking.
You could also be doing a number on your skin by continuing to smoke. The simple act of smoking a cigarette can cause fine lines and wrinkles to appear around your mouth.
Use the thought of those blemishes as the motivation you need to put down your cigarette pack for good.
Stay Out of the Sun (and Wear Sunscreen!)
It’s not exactly a secret that the sun can cause issues with your skin. If you’re always sitting outside roasting in the sun, it’s going to lead to fine lines and wrinkles on your face and other parts of your body.
Regardless of how old you might be, you should avoid sitting in the sun and allowing it to beat down on you for hours on end. If you’re going to the beach or the pool, make sure you bring an umbrella along to provide yourself with some shade.
Slather on the sunscreen, too. There are many people who wear sunscreen every single day, even when they’re just going to work, to stop the sun from coming into contact with their skin.
Incorporate Antioxidants Into Your Diet
Are you getting your fair share of antioxidants into your diet? If not, do what you can to change that as soon as possible.
Antioxidants fight off the free radicals that take aim at your skin. You can find antioxidants in things like:
- Cherries
- Prunes
- Black beans
- Artichokes
- Granny Smith apples
The more antioxidants you take, the fewer fine lines and wrinkles you’ll see forming on your face and neck areas.
Use the Right Anti-Aging Products
The global anti-aging market is projected to be worth more than $270 billion within the next five years. Yes, you read that right—$270 billion!
This means that you won’t have any issues finding anti-aging products that are designed to ward off fine lines and wrinkles.
But you shouldn’t rely on just any old products to fight the signs of aging. You should look for products that come highly recommended by those who have used them in the past.
Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Sleep
Sleep is something that has become very hard to come by in the U.S. About 70% of people report not sleeping well at least one night every month, and about 10% of people say that they don’t sleep well almost every night.
Do you fall into either of these categories? If so, work on trying to get more sleep from now on. Sleep is going to be your best friend if you’re going to have any chance of eliminating fine lines and wrinkles.
Steer Clear of Stress at All Costs
Part of the reason why so many Americans struggle to sleep nowadays is because of stress. The U.S. has transformed into one of the most stressed-out countries in the world.
During surveys, people have talked about being stressed out by everything from money and jobs to family life and politics. This stress can impact their health and cause them to age quicker than they would otherwise.
Do whatever you can to stop stress from causing fine lines and wrinkles. You can destress by working out more, meditating, or doing something else that you enjoy in your free time.
It’s Possible to Prevent Fine Lines and Wrinkles
There are many people who feel hopeless when it comes to getting rid of fine lines and wrinkles. They don’t think there is any way they’re going to be able to overcome them.
But it doesn’t have to be this way! Utilize the tips found here to push back against blemishes. By doing something as simple as eating the right foods or going to sleep a little earlier every night, you can keep your youthful glow for many years to come.
Take a look at the articles on our blog for more tips on taking better care of your skin.
