7 Things that are aging your skin (without you knowing)

Surprise, Surprise: 7 Things that are aging your skin (without you knowing)

Sarah Khan

04 Oct 2016

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City life
While this is not quite as within your control, living in the city can increase your risk of sunburning. This is due to the strong urban glare arising from sidewalks and glass skyscrapers, which can reflect and trap harmful UV rays.
How it can age you: The increased urban glare due to the many reflective surfaces in cities can cause increased free radical damage and premature wrinkling on our skin.
Solution: Always leave the house with sunscreen (the zinc oxide variety) and avoid sun exposure during peak hours in the city.
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Chemical sunscreens
Unfortunately, the chemical sunscreens we use to protect ourselves against UV exposure can actually work against you.
Why it can age you: Chemical sunscreens generate free radicals of their own upon exposure to UV - in some cases even more than if you left without sunscreen at all. This can accelerate sunburn and cause premature wrinkling.
Solution: Be discriminate about your sunscreen options. Opt for zinc oxide sunscreen, which creates a physical barrier between your skin and the sun. Avoid brands containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, homosalata, octisalate and octocrylene.
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Topical treatments
Topical treatments for acne can truly be a beauty lifesaver but unfortunately, it can also work against your skin.

How it can age you: The vitamin A content in many topical treatments increases your skin's susceptibility to the sun, which may make your dermis (skin layer) extremely sensitive and also accelerate your skin's aging process as a result.
Solution: Avoid daytime use of topical treatments containing benzoyl peroxide, bergamot, glyolic acid and essential oils from citrus. To additionally protect your skin, wear good quality sunscreen.
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Heat
Heat - definitely a cause of concern for Singaporeans and others in the region, and another reason to avoid the sun (besides the harmful UV rays).

Why it ages you: Heat stimulates the production of the enzyme that degrades collagen and hinders the production of elastin, the skin protein responsible for soft and supple skin. The result? Hyperpigmentation and 'solar elastosis', a condition which resembles severe wrinkling on the skin.
Solution: As far as possible, stay out of the heat and avoid exercising in full sun (particularly during noon) and avoid prolonged periods in saunas.
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Dark damage
An unpleasant truth: sunlight continues to damage your skin, even when you're in the dark, through a process called 'dark damage'.
How it ages your skin: 'Dark damage' is skin damage initiated by UV exposure, but affects your cells differently through a process called 'chemiexcitation'. This happens after you've left the sun or UV source, and takes place in the absence of UV light, and can result in hyperpigmentation, age spots and melanoma.
Solution: Minimise your exposure to sunlight and apply topical antioxidants (particularly vitamins C and E) in the evening after spending a day in the sun.
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Environmental pollution
This might just make you extra wary the next time the haze hits this city. Besides causing respiratory issues, evironmental pollution can cause a lot of damage to your skin.

How it ages you: In polluted environments, soot in the air accumulates on your skin and generates free radicals on its surface, causing damage similar to sun exposure. This may increase the potential of hyperpigmentation on your skin.
Solution: Use a sunscreen in the day, and take care to cleanse well at night to remove the grime from your skin surface.
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Infrared damage from the sun
Less is known about the damage infrared (IR) radiation can cause on your skin, although it can often result in deeper damage than ultraviolet rays (UVB and UVA).
How it can age you: While UV rays burn the outer layers of your skin, the IR's longer wavelengths allow it to penetrate deeper into your skin's surface, resulting in a greater potential for undetected damage.
Solution: As it is virtually impossible to avoid exposure to IR, stock up on antioxidants. Green tea is a great, antioxidant-rich beverage that can negate the damaging effects of IR.

Did you know that UV damage from the sun continues to affect your skin even in the dark?

We all want youthful-looking skin. But sometimes, even the most conscientious of skincare is not enough to preserve smooth, supple skin, with various aging agents present that may accelerate our skin’s aging process without us knowing. Who knew that you could still be susceptible to the damaging effects of UV rays in the dark?

Living in a densely populated urban city like Singapore can actually make your skin age faster, which makes it all the more important for us to be aware of external factors that can negate your best efforts to prolong your youthful skin.

Curious? Head up to the gallery above to see 7 factors you may be surprised to learn are aging your skin and what you can do to avoid them!

Sarah Khan

Photos: Getty Images

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