We all age eventually, it’s a natural process that no one can escape. Aging, however, is affected by lifestyle factors to a degree. For example, let’s say a set of twins were 40-years-old. One sister drank a lot of water, ate a clean diet full of fresh vegetables and unprocessed foods and wore sun screen, but the other sister smoked like a chimney, sunbathed all the time with tanning lotion, only drank soda, and ate a poor diet full of processed foods.
Of the two women, which twin sister do you think would look younger? Clearly, it would be the first sister. When the two sisters stand next to each other, the one with the healthy habits could look 10 or more years younger than the sister with unhealthy diet and lifestyle!
Anatomy of Aging
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI),“Aging is unavoidable and natural phenomenon of life. Adding, “Rate of aging is determined by one's biological, social, lifestyle, and psychological conditions and adversity of which leads to accelerated form of aging (Akalaja jara or premature aging).” The NCBI goes on to say that accelerated aging is strongly affected by lifestyle and environmental factors that are not related to the aging process.
Common factors that accelerate aging:
- Smoking
- Stress
- Depression
- Sun and cold
- A poor diet
- Being too thin or too heavy
- Yo-yo dieting
- Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol
- Always sleeping on the same side
If you’re interested in learning more about aging and what can be done to reduce its effects, we recommend reading this article from the American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD). On the other hand, if you’re interested in exploring the array of non-surgical and surgical procedures available to reduce the appearance of aging, contact our office to meet with Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Yuly Gorodisky.