Even if you feel younger than 50, your body always shows the signs of aging and can make you look even older. If you want to look younger at your age, you will need to make small changes in your lifestyle and diet, and you will need to follow some small beauty tips. If natural solutions do not satisfy you, you can always resort to professional aesthetic procedures.
Steps
Method 1 of 5: Part One: Lifestyle Changes
Step 1. Exercise
Training is important regardless of age, but it becomes particularly necessary when a person reaches 50 years of age. Establish a training routine that includes cardiovascular and strength exercises. Cardio keeps circulation in training, those of strength serve to tone the loose skin associated with age.
- Fit circulation provides nourishment and oxygen to your skin.
- Exercise increases the collagen reserve in the skin and reduces harmful free radicals.
- Cardio also helps you lose weight, and shedding a couple of pounds can make you look much younger.
Step 2. Stress less and take yourself less seriously
Stress causes wrinkles and damages the skin in general. Start relaxing, you will not be able to repair the damage that has already been done, but from now on you can prevent your skin from aging faster than necessary.
- Laugh more during the day, it's a simple but effective trick. Laughing reduces the stress hormones in the body and forces the muscles in the face to relax. If you don't think you have something to laugh about you can always watch funny videos on the internet, or watch a comedy.
- Another trick is to sleep 6 to 8 hours a night. Puffy eyes and dark circles can make you look older, but it's easy to make those bags go away, just sleep long. Remember that dark circles can also be caused by severe allergies, so get checked to avoid what might be causing them or to take medications (approved by the doctor, of course). In addition, sleep reduces the production of stress hormones, which is a good thing as they can make the skin appear less elastic and less healthy.
Step 3. Improve your posture
Straightening your posture is enough to show confidence, a trait commonly associated with youth. Walk with your back straight and your head turned upwards, you will lose a few years in a flash.
Step 4. Exfoliate the skin
Use a gentle exfoliating sponge on your skin one to three times a week. This process peels off dead skin and stimulates the production of new epithelial tissue. This will make your skin appear clearer and more supple, i.e. younger.
Step 5. Moisturize your skin and lips
Aging causes dehydration of the skin. If the skin is dry and thin, it becomes a breeding ground for wrinkles. Use specific moisturizers for the face, and remember not to use those for the hands, because they have a higher acidity and could damage the skin. All because of the wrong product! Use a hand lotion that also acts as a sunscreen to prevent age spots from developing. A little trick: dab your face with a towel when you leave the shower, in this way the skin stays hydrated, then put the lotion on immediately. It is better to dab because if you rub and pull, the skin becomes damaged, loses elasticity and wrinkles appear even faster.
For the same principle, it is good that you get a product to moisturize your lips and keep them healthy, a cocoa butter, for example. For women, glosses and lipsticks are also available to make the lips appear plump
Step 6. Protect your skin
The UV rays of the sun can damage the skin and cause it to age quickly. To prevent this, you need to start putting on sunscreen when you go out. Also consider the idea of buying a new pair of sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat to protect the skin even more. UV rays can even cause freckles or cancer, best avoided altogether.
For the same reason, you should avoid using sun beds. Tanning dehydrates the skin and causes freckles, consequently making you look old
Step 7. Stop smoking
Smoking causes wrinkles and yellow nails and teeth. Stopping will not set time back, but it will prevent the clock from running more than normal.
Method 2 of 5: Part Two: Diet Changes
Step 1. Get more antioxidants
Over time, your body develops free radicals, which speed up the aging process. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, keep them in check and can even hide some signs of aging.
Here are some great sources of antioxidants: berries, colorful fruit, nuts, dark chocolate, coffee, fruit juice, cooked vegetables, and legumes
Step 2. Limit your sugar intake
If there is too much sugar in the body, a process called 'glycation' takes place. Glycation damages the skin's collagen, makes it lose its elasticity and facilitates the appearance of wrinkles.
Step 3. Limit your alcohol consumption
A glass of wine once in a while doesn't hurt, but excessive alcohol consumption can cause many health problems. If you want to look younger you need to take care of yourself.
Step 4. Stay young by eating right
In addition to the foods already mentioned, you will need to consume others that can provide you with the right amount of vitamins and minerals to allow the body to repair damaged skin.
- Eat oysters, they are rich in zinc, a substance that repairs damaged skin.
- Olive oil and avocados are a good source of healthy fats and prevent wrinkles.
- Fruit and vegetables full of water, such as watermelon and cucumber, keep the skin hydrated.
- Guava is rich in vitamin C and can restore collagen levels.
- Sweet potatoes contain beta-carotene, which fights dry skin and improves cell turnover.
- Women should also eat more legumes, soy, flaxseed, and clove tea. They are excellent sources of phytoestrogens, able to prevent the wilting of the skin.
- Eat less plain rice and sandwich bread, switch to wholemeal rice and bread.
Method 3 of 5: Part Three: Beauty Tips for Women
Step 1. Wear more scarves
One of the less pleasant signs of aging in women is the so-called "turkey neck", excess skin that hangs from under the chin. Trendy scarves can cover up this little imperfection with style and make your face lose a few years.
- Choose a very light scarf with a simple design, avoid those full of unnecessary frills. The idea is to cover the neck, not to draw attention to that area.
- Avoid wearing heavy scarves and turtleneck sweaters, they often only add volume to the neck area.
Step 2. Dye your hair
Gray always reveals its age. Consult a professional hairdresser and figure out what is the best treatment to make your hair look younger without damaging it.
- Avoid doing the coloring at home, most of the chemicals in commercial dyes can dry out and damage your hair further.
- It is usually best to choose a similar shade to the one you had before your hair turned gray.
Step 3. Use a new hairstyle
Get help from the hairdresser to find the best style for you. Remember that hair weakens as it ages. This means that when you get close to fifty, you should start wearing shorter hair, because the longer it is, the more brittle it appears.
- If you have naturally curly hair, don't straighten it. Curls tend to make you look more youthful. In addition, straightening treatments further damage the hair.
- Consider the idea of growing your bangs. The bangs mask the skin imperfections caused by old age. If you have the chance, always choose a nice side or sectional bangs.
- Try having your hair blown out by the hairdresser. In this way you will straighten the unruly tufts and at the same time give body to the hair.
- Consider the idea of switching to a lighter hairstyle. Stiffer styles, like the angled bob or spaghetti straps usually don't look good on older women, while softer, fluffier hairstyles often look more attractive. Look for a cute cut in some magazines and show it to your hairdresser. It doesn't necessarily look good, just follow the advice of a professional you trust.
Step 4. Apply very light cosmetics
You have to resist the temptation to mask the signs of aging by exaggerating with makeup, it doesn't work. Indeed, if you want to look younger you have to wear less!
- For the lips, use a little gloss for volume, a pencil to outline the contours and some lip stain (long-lasting lipstick). If you have freckles on your lips and your lipstick doesn't stick well, you can use a specially made marker to highlight your lips. If you use this product remember to choose the shade closest to that of your natural complexion, otherwise it will show.
- Get a blush of a shade similar to your complexion and apply it on the cheekbones, far from the nose, to counteract the natural wilting of the skin. Use a powder blush, it's not easy to apply liquid blush evenly, and it doesn't look natural.
- Avoid products with glitter and beads.
- Use eyeshadow to outline the eye contour, instead of eyeliner. If you have withered eyelids, the eyeshadow could give way, better to avoid it in this case. Try a gel eyeliner instead, it is sold with a brush. Draw a thin line in the outline near the lashes. Use charcoal or dark brown, black is too dark. Eye makeup should be light and should make you look less severe.
Step 5. Shave your chin, you can do it yourself or make an appointment with the beautician
Older women often get annoying hairs on their chins. Do it yourself, going to the beautician costs more and does not always work.
Step 6. Wear false eyelashes
They can be useful if yours have thinned over time. You can also use extensions to make your eyes look younger. Natural lashes usually work better than glamorous ones, which look fake.
Step 7. Darken your brows slightly
Young people have dark eyebrows, but their color fades with age. Use an eyebrow pencil and apply it with very light strokes, following the natural direction of the hair. You can also find eye shadows made especially for the eyebrows; some cosmetic bags contain special stencils, so you always know where to apply it. Don't overdo it, practice, start with light tones and then darken. It is easier to darken the eyebrows than to have to wash off the excess eyeshadow.
Step 8. Check your brows
To remove too long hair you can use tweezers or wax. You can also pluck out gray hair or dye it a shade that is darker than that of the hair.
Removing your eyebrows and having them tattooed or a new pair drawn is one of the worst mistakes you could make. This technique can make you look older, not younger
Method 4 of 5: Part 4: Beauty Tips for Men
Step 1. Avoid trimming or wearing a hairpiece
Resist the temptation to use these methods if you find yourself losing your hair. They are not practical options, because they are noticeable immediately. Get the opposite effect in trying to look younger.
The best option is to have your hair cut short. Short hair looks cleaner and makes bald patches less visible. They also don't give any clue as to your age, as it's a style everyone uses, from infants to seniors
Step 2. Compensate with more
If your beard and mustache continue to grow even after your hair has fallen out, you can choose whether to grow a nice mustache, a beard, or both.
- If you can keep your beard and mustache, you will shift people's attention to your face, rather than to your head.
- In addition, the beard gives it a certain hardness. The body can wear out over time, but facial hair can give the opposite impression, making you look as strong and solid as ever.
- Often the beard turns gray before the hair, if it bothers you too much you can buy a dye kit made especially for the beard and mustache in the same shops where those for women are found, so you can do it yourself. Make sure you follow the instructions carefully.
Step 3. Try dyeing your hair
If you still have a lot of hair, but you notice it is turning gray, talk to your hairdresser. Aim for a dye similar to the one you had when you were young. If you have had gray hair for a long time, you can consider trying the salt and pepper style, it will look more natural.
Talk to a hair specialist before using the dye. Supermarket dyes contain chemicals that can further weaken or damage your hair. If you decide to dye them yourself remember to follow the instructions to the letter to get the best result
Step 4. Trim the nose and ear hair
Between the ages of 40 and 50, these hairs grow thicker and longer, they are a clear sign of old age, and uncultivated they look unkempt. Tick them off every time you see them reappear.
Similarly, you should get rid of the unruly hair that pokes out of the collar. Shorten them regularly. You can even have your neck hair removed completely, so you no longer need to shave it
Method 5 of 5: Part Five: Professional Aesthetic Treatments
Step 1. Use retinol creams
These types of creams stimulate the production of collagen in the body, a substance that renews the skin, makes it appear younger and healthier and at the same time reduces wrinkles and age spots.
- You can buy over-the-counter ones, but remember that prescribed ones are more potent, even if they have particularly negative side effects.
- Take care of your nails. Look at them. Are they normal or have they turned yellow and thickened? If they are yellow then you have contracted a fungus. It's easy to heal, your nails will look young again. Consult your doctor, he will prescribe a liquid antifungal to treat them. You can usually ask at the pharmacy as well.
Step 2. Get your teeth fixed
If you are missing some molars, or you have a broken canine, consider the idea of having your mouth fixed by a dentist, it is never too late to think about it. Nowadays it is possible to apply practically “invisible” braces to straighten teeth. Having beautiful teeth makes you more attractive, regardless of age.
Step 3. Whiten your teeth
Yellow teeth are another sign of aging. You can use a kit to whiten your teeth at home quickly, but if you want a treatment that lasts a long time you will have to ask your dentist. Remember that some foods and smoking tend to yellow teeth. If you want them to stay white you need to avoid anything that might stain them, like coffee, for example.
Step 4. Try aesthetic acupuncture
Even if it is an alternative treatment, you will still need to go to a licensed professional to do so. It is a much more natural system than injections, which reduces the risk of side effects.
The needles are inserted into the face, neck and head. They stimulate skin cells and improve circulation by promoting the production of collagen and elastin. The result is a more youthful and toned skin
Step 5. Ask your doctor about radiofrequency treatments
These treatments use radio waves that form tiny cracks in the skin, where collagen production is stimulated.
Treatments like this can be slightly painful, but if you can resist you will notice skin tightening and rejuvenation within six months
Step 6. Use hyaluronic acid fillers
They are injected into the skin and serve to smooth out wrinkles and other signs of old age. Every little wrinkle will become smooth in no time.
There are many filler treatments available, talk to your doctor to determine which one is right for you. Surface fillers work best against smaller wrinkles, while deeper ones will need to be used for more intense wrinkles
Step 7. Go for sclerotherapy
It is a specialized procedure used to reduce or eliminate varicose veins, often associated with age.
The procedure was once very painful, now the new techniques allow to solve the problem quickly and without creating discomfort
Step 8. Learn about photodynamic rejuvenation
In this procedure, pulsed light is used on areas where a topical drug capable of destroying abnormal pigment cells has been spread. With two or three sessions, sun-damaged skin can return to its natural age.
This treatment is also used to locate precancerous cells
Step 9. Use a chemical exfoliant
In this procedure, acid is used to burn the first layers of the skin, removing the damaged one and stimulating its regrowth.
- Trichloroacetic acid is one of the most common chemical exfoliants.
- Some treatments cause scabs that heal after a few weeks, but there are new ones that can deliver the same results without causing any pain.
