If you want to look younger – and unless you’re already dead, you probably do – you’ve probably considered a lot of options. It seems as if everyone these days is looking for the “secret,” and they’re not only willing to pay for it, many are even willing to undergo somewhat extreme medical treatments to find it.
Forget Botox and surgery. There are “kinder, gentler” ways to look and feel younger than you are. Read on to learn some simple, safe, inexpensive things you can do.
1. Dress Your (Real) Age – Most people want to be stylish and even a little trendy, but be careful. Nothing can make you look older – or sillier – than dressing like your daughter. Her clothes were designed for a different body type and different lifestyle than the ones you should have by this time in your life. Trying to dress to fit in with a different generation can make you stand out, but usually in a bad way. There are plenty of stylish, wearable clothes for all ages, so find the ones for yours.
2. Get Your Sleep – If you are “no longer young” and are still burning the candle at both ends, you may be running out of candle. Sleep isn’t a luxury; you need sleep. You need it for your health, but you also need it for your looks. Ignore your sleep requirements and you’ll start seeing those little lines and puffy eyes. And you’ll get grumpy.
3. Watch Your Diet – As you get older, your metabolism begins to slow down, and obesity can become an issue. And poor diet can affect more than just your weight; it can wreak havoc with skin, energy, and general health. So, watch how much you eat and what you eat if you want to keep your skin glowing and your body healthy.
4. Get Your Exercise – We all know that exercise has incredible benefits for just about everything: weight, mood, mind, energy level, skin. But the trick is you actually have to do it. Find an exercise you enjoy and establish a schedule for doing it on a regular basis. Getting your body moving really is worth the effort and, as a benefit, it gets easier with practice.
5. Avoid Clown Make-Up – Yes, that is a slight exaggeration, but my point is that the temptation to “enhance” your looks can exert a strong influence on some of us. Not only is there only so much that make-up can cover up, but using too much of it will actually make you look older. Use make-up sparingly to enhance your looks, and if you have any questions about how to do this, consult a professional.
6. Select the Right Hairstyle – Commit this to memory: Hairstyles change. A lot of people (men and women) get attached to a hairstyle that they had earlier in life (like in the 70s). They become comfortable with it and used to it, but, without realizing it, they’ve dated themselves. You might like to get guidance from a professional make-up artist, but you probably need it from a professional hairstylist. Try to forget that you’ve looked this way for 20 years; let them help you update your style and your color.
7. And finally – If you’ve acquired a few bad habits over the course of your life, you might want to take an inventory and do something about them. Do you smoke? Do you drink too much? Habits like these are bad for your looks as well as for your health. Stop them, and if you need help doing that, get it.
Aging has its benefits. It really does. But it isn’t always easy on your looks. That – as they say – is life. Follow these tips and do what you can. Then put on a smile and forget about it because nothing keeps you young better than a good attitude, and nothing ages you more than worry.