Best Tips to Avoid Wrinkles Moving Forward

As a Licensed Esthetician I may know a thing or two about wrinkles in particular how to get them and how to avoid them. I told you guys my post ideas come to me in the most random ways but when they do I instantly write them down and make sure to talk about them when I can and today I was drinking out of a water bottle (which I rarely do) and was pursing my lips making me think about one thing — WRINKLES. I know I know, who else thinks about that stuff when they are drinking water?! Yep, call it the Esthetician in me. So I thought in my head I just HAD to share my thoughts on how you may be causing yourself more wrinkles than you know and my top tips to avoid wrinkles moving forward. Enjoy!

PILE ON THAT SUNSCREEN
If you do go out in the sun wear sunscreen even in the winter. UV exposure is the main cause of skin aging and remember even on cloudy days up to 80% of the sun’s harmful UV rays can reach your skin. Always pick a sunscreen that covers both UVA and UVB protection.

STOP SMOKING
You may think right now you are young and you don’t see any signs of aging so why not keep smoking, right? WRONG. Let me tell you, I’ve seen many and I mean MANY clients who were smokers and I know for a fact that the skin of smokers ages way more quickly than that of non-smokers. Why? Cigarette smoke dehydrates the skin, causing it to be much thinner and has more furrows and lines. The nicotine in cigarettes causes blood vessels in your skin to narrow which impairs blood flow and cuts off the flow of oxygen and important nutrients. Smokers also often get deep grooves around their lips. ALSO, smoking breaks down the skin’s natural collagen which is what makes the skin look less firm and more wrinkled.

TRY NOT TO SLEEP ON YOUR SIDE
This is definitely one I struggle with and I’m not good at but I thought it was worth mentioning in case you guys are better at it than I am. Try to sleep on your back if you can. Sleeping on your side or front every night can cause you to get sleep lines that are etched into your face which don’t disappear when you get up. Over time these lines can become a permanent facial fixture. Some people like to sleep on silk sheets and pillowcases to lessen the effect.

LADIES, PLEASE WASH YOUR MAKEUP OFF
It still to this day boggles my mind how many people admit to me that they don’t wash their face at night. Crashing after a long day with a full face of makeup is seriously just inviting the wrinkles in. The makeup and environmental pollutants that build up throughout the day seep into your pores, breaking down collagen & elastin, preventing your skin’s recovery which in turn speeds up the aging process. Always and I mean ALWAYS cleanse and moisturize your skin before bed and get a good night’s rest to allow your skin to breath, repair and rejuvenate.

WEAR SUNGLASSES
Along with the many things my mother taught me at a young age, one was to wear sunglasses. Direct sunlight in your eyes does the one thing we all hate – makes you squint way more than you should. Squinting over a long period of time results in the formation of those pesky crow’s feet and wrinkles across the forehead. So do yourself a favor and wear sunglasses year-round!!

NO STRAWS!!
I know, I know your dentist tells you to drink out of a straw and you think drinking out of a straw looks way cuter anyways. Well here’s where I admit to you all — I rarely ever drink out of a straw and wrinkles is the reason why. I’d much rather make sure to brush and whiten my teeth a little more than to get those awful lip lines. I’ve also spoken to many doctors and plastic surgeons who say the #1 cause of lines around the lips is drinking out of straws and bottles. Think about it — when you drink out of a straw or a narrow bottle, you have to purse your lips which causes unnecessary wrinkles and lines around your mouth. I can’t tell you how many clients in my day have complained out the lines around their mouth as they age and there is really nothing you can do about it once the damage is done and I promise you guys, it’s not cute. So if you are like me and trying to prevent this for as long as possible then try drinking directly from a glass instead.

WHY I’M OK WITH LAUGHTER LINES
Although I could sit here and pick at every part that we can possibly wrinkle from it’s also important to realize and accept that aging is a natural process and not anything to be embarrassed about. One of the best tips I ever got from my mother was about the laughter lines. I have never been self conscious about laughter lines because she always taught me that those lines give charm and elegance to someone. You know how men can always pull off that salt n pepper look so well? I call laughter lines on a woman something similar. If you look like you literally have no lines or are puffy everywhere you don’t look human. So choose your favorite features to accentuate — a few wrinkles here and there are fine especially if they work for you!

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