7 Habits That Age You

Sneaky things you’re doing regularly could be making you age faster. Find out what they are and learn how to tweak your habits to be more age-friendly.

- Karen AsP

Nobody wants to age any faster than they have to. Surprisingly, though, things you do, perhaps even daily, could be adding years to your life, even making you look older. Here’s how to put the kibosh on seven of these seemingly harmless behaviors.

1. Your aging habit: Sipping from a straw

HOW IT AGES YOU: Whenever you sip through a straw, you’re pulling on the muscle, the orbicularis oris, that circles your mouth. “As you repeat this, the skin on top of that muscle changes so you get burrows, just like the creases you get in your forehead,” says Ronda S. Farah, M.D., assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota. 

THE ANTI-AGING FIX: If you’re an occasional straw sipper or you’re using a straw because of dental issues, keep sipping. Otherwise, skip them. You’ll also be doing the environment a favor because Americans use 500 million straws every day, many of which wind up polluting waterways.

2. Your aging habit: Getting a daily dose of pollution

HOW IT AGES YOU: With just a slight increase in pollution, age spots on cheeks increased by 25 percent in people in China and Germany, according to a study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. “Pollution equals free radicals, which damage your skin’s healthy cells and attack and kill elastin and collagen, resulting in wrinkles, discoloration, rough texture, aging skin and even skin cancer,” says Amanda Sanzone, medical aesthetician with Dr. Matthew Schulman, a plastic surgeon in New York City. Sanzone works with many clients who have recently moved to the city and notices their skin changing for the worst after just a few weeks, she adds.