SECRETS TO AGEING WELL FROM GRACEFUL AGERS

Ageing is inevitable but wouldn’t you want to get better with each passing year just like fine wine? If you analyse the lives of some graceful agers, you will learn that they have regimes they stick to that work for them. Here are some of the things they do differently for that youthful look.

They avoid too much make up. With age, the skin becomes more fragile and thins out, making the most common signs of ageing – fine lines, wrinkles, loss of elasticity and skin sagging – more apparent. It is common for people to apply too much make-up in an attempt to hide wrinkles, brown spots, and bags. However, make-up only enhances one’s natural beauty and too much of it will backfire on you. Simple does it.

They always wear sunscreen. When it comes to wrinkles, everyone is looking for that mythical fountain of youth only that it is elusive. And since it is almost impossible to avoid the lines and wrinkles due to the sun’s rays, skin care experts advice people to religiously wear sunscreen on their face from as early as their 20s in order to keep their skin looking younger and healthier throughout the ages. Therefore, investing in a good sunscreen and applying it every morning is a must. In order to get optimal protection against harmful, cancer-causing ultraviolet (UV) rays, it is recommended that you use sunscreen with a broad-spectrum sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher.

They watch their diet. Your diet affects the way you age. An unhealthy diet can do a lot more harm than causing you to put on extra weight. Sugar, for instance, is not your skin’s friend and according to experts, it is the most ageing food that we consume in addition to weakening the immune system. Eat a healthy, balanced diet made up of lean proteins, whole grains and vitamin C as found in brightly coloured fruits and vegetables. Don’t ignore fats, as your skin needs some fat, especially the good kind found in nuts and olive oil since it makes your skin supple.

If you must take alcohol, take it in moderation as alcohol dries out your skin and can lead to wrinkles and premature ageing. In addition, alcohol causes bloating and dark circles under your eyes – nothing youthful about that, right? While at it ensure that you take lots of water. Doctors recommend six to eight glasses of water daily for overall good health because water aids in digestion, circulation and absorption. Also, drinking water gives you a radiant, healthy, younger-looking complexion.

They tend to their hands. Nothing shows your real age like your hands. Whereas people tend to pay attention to their face, they often forget their hands and the protruding veins and wrinkles on it betray their age. Apart from the face, the other body part that gets the most sun is the hand. The sun causes the skin to lose its elasticity leading to sagging. This is in addition to the fact that hands have fewer oil glands meaning that the skin loses its elasticity faster and becomes wrinkly more rapidly. So it is important to get into the habit of moisturising your hands frequently as well as applying a good anti-ageing hand cream on them at least twice a day. As you apply sunscreen on your face, remember to rub some on your hands as well.

They keep stress at bay. Stress is part and parcel of life but how you choose to react to it is entirely up to you. You need to learn how to manage stress as it can cause an array of health problems such as lack of sleep, depression, and heart disease. Stress also ages you quickly; studies show that stress can make you appear up to 10 years older. Practice meditation, do simple regular exercises such as walking or jogging as these help tame your stress levels. Also ensure you get as much sleep as possible. The recommended sleeping time is seven to nine hours daily.

Published in September 2016