A natural process, aging is something we can't avoid. Knowing this, we still try to find ways to trick time and look younger. Here is an informative article on the causes of premature aging and ways to prevent it. You may find that some of your daily habits are severely speeding up the aging process.

Causes Behind Premature Aging

The rate at which you age is determined by your genes and the environment in which you live. Lucky people don't notice gray hairs until they are 40, so the aging process varies for each person. It has a lot to do with how your parents age, so take a look at them for a clue. Sun exposure is to blame for most premature aging. More causes include repetitive facial expressions, gravity, sleeping positions, and smoking. The nose, ears and eyelids begin to droop due to gravity.

Smoking, Alcohol, and Premature Aging

Cigarettes are very dangerous to your health and they speed up the aging process. They contribute to wrinkling prematurely and dryness. The area around the mouth wrinkles up each time you smoke, and smoke depletes the body of Vitamin C, necessary for maintaining skin moist and plump. Being exposed to smoke is also damaging, so keep that in mind if you live with a smoker. Another factor to consider is alcoholic beverages, as they increase the blood flow in the face. With time, blood vessels in the face will break, permanently damaged. These broken vessels look like dark blue lines on the face, an un-attractive sign of premature aging.

Wrinkles

Getting older means that collagen production slows, and elastin, the substance that enables skin to snap back into place, has a bit less spring. Dead skin cells do not shed as quickly, leading to wrinkles. More over, facial expressions lead to fine lines. Every time we use a facial muscle, a mark is left beneath the skin's surface. The skin on your face will stop springing back to its original smooth place because it is slowly losing its elasticity.

Prevent Premature Aging

While you cannot stop or even slow down the intrinsic aging process, you can prevent signs of premature aging by protecting your skin from the sun, quitting smoking, and sleeping on your back. You could also force yourself to never smile or frown again, but that would be ridiculous advice. Sun screen is key to prevent premature aging. Apply a strong sunscreen to your face. Wearing a hat is not a bad idea either. You know that there are treatments available for quitting smoking. Your body will thank you and will start to recover the moment you quit smoking. Following this advice and using a high quality natural skin care cream will help you reduce the signs of premature aging. It is just a matter of a few daily habits that need to be changed.