Health warnings written on faces: From overdoing exercise to spicy food, how looks reveal lifestyle

[snagglepuss]

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Alcohol seems to be one of the worst offenders for the face. Dr Michael Prager, a Harley Street cosmetic surgeon, says he is treating increasing numbers of women whose faces have become podgy, pallid and wrinkly because of their nightly wine habit.


‘They often say to me: “My mother looked so well at my age, I don’t understand why I look so much older.” I tell them it’s probably because their mother didn’t drink so much,’ he says. But that’s not the only lifestyle habit that could be damaging your looks — stress, over-exercising, and even becoming vegetarian have an impact, as we reveal here...


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Although exercise is crucial for healthy body and skin, too much can leave us with hollow, saggy cheeks, says Dr Aamer Khan, medical director of the Harley Street Skin Clinic.


‘It’s known as the runner’s face but any excessive cardiovascular exercise that raises the heart rate will do it — cyclists have the same look.





Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2323976/The-health-warnings-written-face-From-overdoing-gym-eating-spicy-food-looks-reveal-true-toll-lifestyle.html#ixzz2THuZO2Wu
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[SheilaT]

1. I'd say smoking is the very worst thing for faces

I have a sister who is only 18 months older than I am, and she looks at least a decade older, maybe more.

Living with a smoker is almost as bad. My younger (by four years) sister was married for twenty-five years to one, although she herself has never smoked. She sort of looks as if she's a former smoker herself, and I suspect it's those years with her first husband.

[snagglepuss]

2. What I found interesting is that the article goes beyond the issue of skin damage

due to smoke for instance how sugar and carbohydrates can cause brownish-grey patches on necks which can be a warning sign for type 2 diabetes.

[flamingdem]

3. Deep lip wrinkles are a giveaway

that someone was a smoker or still smokes

[grasswire]

4. oddly enough...

....my 90-year-old aunt has smoked for 70 years. Her complexion is peaches and cream, with no wrinkling, and firm cheeks. Her sister, two years older, has never smoked and is wrinkled like a dry prune. We can't explain it. The first one uses Pond's cold cream every night, and wore heavy makeup most of her life. Perhaps that protected her skin from smoke damage.

[SheilaT]

5. And of course the rare exception should encourage someone else

to smoke and think they'd get away with it forever.

There are genetic differences. Elizabeth Taylor looks to have retained a very nice complexion much of her life, despite smoking.

On the other hand, look at all the older movie stars, all of whom smoked, and notice how old they looked at a relatively young age.

I recall seeing Michelle Pfeiffer in a costume drama some years back, and noticing how weird it was to see a modern face of someone who was clearly a smoker, above an 18th century French Court dress. The discrepancy was jarring.

Oh, and I wonder if the smoking aunt didn't get out in the sun much, which is the other great skin wrecker, while the younger one did. In any case, using night creams always helps, and I've been pretty good about that most of my life.