5 simple ways to slow the appearance of ageing

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Let’s face it, we’d all like to discover the secret to lasting youth and beauty. But whether it’s those fine lines on your face or thinning hair, the tell-tale signs of ageing can be hard to fend off. The good news is, there are some relatively simple things you can do that may help you to hold back the years. Here are four suggestions that could slow the appearance of ageing and give you added confidence for 2017 and beyond.

Make sure you get your beauty sleep

One way to revitalise your beauty regime is to get more sleep. A good night’s shuteye not only helps you to feel your best, but it works wonders for your skin too. When you’re in the land of nod, your body, including your skin, has a chance to renew and heal itself. So, if you don’t get enough rest, your complexion can suffer. A study conducted for Benson for Beds examined the skin of 30 women after a night of eight hours’ sleep. Researchers looked for imperfections like red areas, wrinkles and brown spots. The women were then examined again after having five nights of six hours’ sleep, and researchers found up to double the number of visible imperfections.

So, if you want to achieve a glowing, youthful complexion, it’s worth making sure you get plenty of kip.

Find the best hair treatments

If your hair is starting to thin, you might find your confidence suffers – and thinning or receding locks are often associated with the ageing process. Unfortunately, hair loss is a common problem, and it doesn’t just affect men; many women experience it too – and female pattern baldness is especially common in postmenopausal women. There are ways to slow or even reverse the effects of male or female-pattern baldness though. For example, the treatment minoxidil is applied as a lotion and when used for prolonged periods of time, it can have a stimulating effect on hair follicles. Men also have the option of taking finasteride tablets, which are better known under the brand name alopecia. If you’d like more information on hair loss treatments, you can speak to your doctor or a pharmacist, and you can also get hair loss advice from Lloyds Pharmacy Online Doctor.

Using special thickening shampoos and making sure you’re careful when washing and brushing your locks to minimise breakage could also help you to improve the look of your hair.

Take care in the sun

Even here in the UK – which let’s face it isn’t exactly renowned for its blistering temperatures and blue skies – the sun can do major damage to your skin if you’re not careful. Year-round, and particularly during the warmer months when the sun’s at its strongest, it’s essential that you protect your complexion. Ultraviolet rays are the main cause of skin ageing and if you don’t use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or above, you could be speeding up the ageing of your skin and increasing the number of blemishes on your face and body.

Consider using sunscreen even on cool and cloudy days, and make sure you cover up in hot weather. It’s also handy to have a good pair of sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection. You can also look into using a good quality Age Defying Lift & Firm Cream.

Drink more water

If you tend to go for hours without hydrating or you subsist on caffeinated drinks, now could be the time to change your approach. If you don’t drink enough water, your skin will suffer. Water makes up more than two-thirds of the human body and it’s essential for a whole range of processes, including flushing out toxins and keeping the skin plump and healthy. How much you need to drink will depend on a range of factors, but the general rule of thumb is to have around eight glasses a day. Passing clear urine is a good indication that you’re properly hydrated.

Look After Your Teeth

When many people think of the effects of ageing, they focus on wrinkles and grey hairs. These aren’t the only ways they’ll affect you, despite being the most obvious. You’ll also need to worry about your teeth.

As you get older, they could become stained and crooked. Nobody wants that to happen. To prevent this, you’ll need to make sure you brush regularly and look after them. It’s also worth seeing an orthodontist specialist regularly.

Doing so will ensure that, if you develop any mouth issues, they’re caught and treated early. In turn, you can rest easy knowing that you’re maintaining a youthful smile. Coupled with the other ways to slow the appearance of ageing, you’ll look as good as new.

We might not yet have the secret to eternal youth, but by taking tips like these on board, you can at least give your body its best shot at staving off the effects of ageing.