No one wants to grow old before their time. But you should ignore the number of candles on your cake. Your real age is revealed by how active and supple your mind and body are. Towards that end, here are seven surprising things that age you.
1.Your pillowcase
Obviously, getting enough sleep is always a good thing. But that pillowcase of yours is a different story. Experts say it can take moisture away from your body which, in turn, can age skin. What's worse, your pillowcase also can leave wrinkles and fine lines on your face. To fight the problem, you should buy a silk pillow cover. Silk contains amino acids that are very similar to those found in your moisturizers. As such, they actually don't draw moisture from your face the way other pillowcases can.
2. Smiling
You may look nice with a smile on your face, but that grin -- as well as other facial expressions such as squinting -- actually can create more wrinkles and fine lines. Skin loses flexibility as it ages and doesn't have the capacity to spring back into place like it did when you were younger. And that's why the grooves that forms under the surface of the skin when you use facial muscles to smile can become permanent when you grow older.
3. Central Air And Heating
Low-humidity environments such as those created by central heating and air conditioning can lead to dry skin. And dry skin makes wrinkles more pronounced -- even though it doesn't actually cause wrinkles. Best to warm or cool your body by putting on or taking off layers of clothing rather than turning up the heat or air conditioner.
4. Drinking from bottles and through straws
It may be hard to believe but, yes, the puckering process of drinking from a bottle or through a straw -- just like any repeated muscle motion -- can lead to fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth. Face cream can help. But dermatologists tell those who are prone to fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth to avoid straws altogether.
5. Watching TV
After the age of 25, every hour of TV you want shortens your life by 21.8 minutes. Really, truly. Or so says a 2011 study by researchers in Australia. Indeed, those who watch six or more hours a day of TV apparently live 4.8 years less than those who don't watch TV. In the end, watching TV may be on par with other risk factors such as obesity.
6. Sugar
No doubt sugar is bad for your waistline but eating sugary foods also can harm the collagen and elastin needed to keep your skin smooth and youthful. Experts say you should replace foods high in sugar with low-glycemic carbs like whole grains. Why? Because the body processes them more slowly, which limits the loss of collagen and elastin.
7. Holding Things In
Mad at your bank's customer service representative? Keeping that anger inside isn't a good thing. Or so say studies that show clamming up makes you four times more likely to die earlier than those who don't bottle things up.
What do you think? Let us know in comments.
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