8 Habits That Make You Look Older Than You Are

Overgrown, shapeless hair can drag down your features and make your face appear longer and older. Regular haircuts help maintain a fresh, youthful style and prevent split ends and breakage. Smoking can also contribute to the development of age spots and uneven pigmentation.

• Another problem with alcohol is that it interferes with the body’s ability to uptake the required amount of vitamins and nutrients each day.
• One of the best things we can do to protect our health and longevity is to drink less alcohol.
• The relationship between alcohol and aging goes beyond just feeling tired after a night out.
• Immune-related organs such as the thymus gland shrink faster among current drinkers, exhibiting atrophy similar to immunosenescence—the gradual decline of immunity with old age.
• When you ignore your eyebrows, they can become overgrown and unruly.

It Can Dry Your Skin

We use evidence-based methods to help you moderate or stop drinking, and our convenient smartphone app makes the whole process portable. You no longer need to disrupt your life in order to start drinking less. One of the best things you can alcohol make you look older can do for your all-around health and appearance is to drink less alcohol. But at Ria Health, we recognize that this can be easier said than done. Many people struggle with alcohol dependency, and it can be hard to know how to begin to cut back.

Alcohol and Aging: What are the Effects of Alcohol on the Appearance?

Let’s also take a look at why, as you get older, drinking alcohol may affect you differently. Excessive sugar intake can significantly impact your skin and overall appearance, making you look older than you actually are. When you consume sugar, it enters your bloodstream and binds to proteins through a process called glycation. This process forms harmful molecules called advanced glycation end products (AGEs).

Not Drinking Enough Water

Ignoring this can create a stark contrast with your hair color, emphasizing the aging process. Tinting or using brow products to match your eyebrow color with your hair can create a cohesive, youthful look. Hair is a significant aspect of your overall appearance, and neglecting its care can contribute to an aged look. Unkempt hair, whether it’s graying or thinning, can add years to your appearance. Ignoring regular haircuts and trims can negatively impact your look.

Strong Support Systems

Max began his career in the addiction field working as a group facilitator and teacher, developing and delivering a successful faith-based curriculum in a long-term residential treatment setting. Deirdre graduated in 2012 from Pace University and completed her bachelor’s at Columbia University in New York and has her Master of Science in Family Nurse Practitioner. Deirdre has extensive experience in mental health and treating substance use disorder related issues.

Two: binge drinking shrinks the brain and speeds mental decline

Chronic inflammation from a high-sugar diet can worsen conditions such as acne, rosacea, and eczema, all of which contribute to an older-looking complexion. Unprotected sun exposure can also cause broken capillaries, or spider veins, particularly on the face. These small, visible blood vessels appear due to the weakening of the blood vessel walls from UV damage. They can give your skin a red, blotchy appearance, further adding to signs of aging. Another consequence of unprotected sun exposure is the loss of skin elasticity.

How to Get Rid of Wrinkles: 4 Top Anti Ageing Treatments

The results shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that people can start drinking and smoking at moderate levels, says Tolstrup. Other data show that any smoking can be harmful to health, and the studies on alcohol’s effect are still being debated. Still, Tolstrup’s results do not contradict general advice that light moderate drinking doesn’t hurt. People shouldn’t expect huge health benefits from imbibing, but at least it doesn’t seem to harm their health — or their appearance — in a significant way. The risk of earlobe creases indicating aging was similarly 26%-36% higher among heavy drinkers than among light-to-moderate drinkers. There is a common belief that we can eat and drink whatever we like, and then repair the damage later.

AGEs damage collagen and elastin, the proteins that keep your skin firm and elastic. As a result, your skin loses its youthful resilience, leading to the formation of fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging. To further explain, substance use and addiction alter the brain’s pleasure and reward systems, encouraging people to engage in riskier behaviors to find drugs and activate their pleasure centers. Often, this means that people who use drugs tend to skip meals, eat lower-quality food, sleep poorly, lack exercise, and have higher stress levels. All of these lifestyle factors speed up aging, but it all begins with a drug rewiring the brain. Dehydration can cause a lack of energy, headaches and poor concentration.

Chronic alcohol use can lead to cognitive decline and memory problems. It can also shrink the brain, a condition known as brain atrophy, which is commonly seen in older adults. The effects are not as favourable as you might have once marijuana addiction thought. In this blog, we’ll explore how drugs and alcohol can accelerate the ageing process, making you not only look but also feel older than your years.

Between nutrient deficiencies, compromised hormones, and cell regeneration issues, alcohol gradually decreases bone mineral density and overall mass. This is the perfect storm for osteoporosis, bone brittleness, sudden fractures, and other complications. Alcohol stiffens and weakens heart muscle fibers by causing abnormal protein changes and the buildup of scar tissue. This leads to enlarged heart chambers and thinner, overworked walls, which impairs contractile function. Our representatives are standing by around the clock to take your call.