Will Being Slim Cause You to Age Faster?

This post was written by Linda Brown and Published on November 5, 2018

Wrinkles on Thin People and How to Deal with Them
Fat Loss and Wrinkles
How to Control Wrinkles
Conclusion

Wrinkles on Thin People and How to Deal with Them

It is often said that you cannot eat your cake and have it. While many people are rushing to have a slimmer body, it is safe to say that barely a handful think about possible trade-offs. It actually seems many things in life have trade offs, which are often missed.

Researchers have observed that being thin may contribute to appearance of wrinkles. So, while having an attractive body, being skinny can leave you with a worn-out face. It can make you to look older faster.

Learn the reasons while being skinny may make you have more wrinkles. Also, get tips on how you can guard against them.

Fat Loss and Wrinkles

On the surface, it appears losing wait for a slimmer body is more about short-term gain, specifically when you think about appearance of wrinkles.

You can have a great body and flaunt your good-looking face while you are young, but “lose” the latter when you get older. The fat you lose speeds up the rate at which your face age.

In a 2009 twin study, researchers observed differences in the rate of facial aging between identical twins have different amounts of fat in their body. The slimmer twin looked younger under the age of 40, but looked older above the age of 40.

Fat loss brings about a drop in body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat that takes weight and height into consideration. Low BMI comes with loss of tissue volume, which accentuates or deepens wrinkles.

A reason why wrinkles often result from fat loss is that some people aim to spot-reduce. In other words, they seem to think that dieting would only reduce fat in a problem location, such as tummy. But it actually affects the entire body and reflects the most on the face. This is worse when older women are involved.

On the other hand, people with more fat below their skin don’t develop wrinkles as quickly as their skinny counterparts. They may also have more collagen that helps to make their skin look firm and younger.

This might sound like an indirect invitation to be less careful about the kinds of food you eat. That’s definitely not the case. Rather, you need to take steps to prevent rapid development of wrinkles.

How to Control Wrinkles

One thing is certain: you cannot completely sidestep wrinkles, at least not yet. You are going to have them at some point as you get older.

But there are things you can do to prevent wrinkles from coming too early or from getting worse, if you have a slim figure. Below are some tips you can work with.

Avoid yo-yo diet

It is not uncommon to find people, especially women, yo-yo dieting. They mistakenly think they can lose a huge amount of fat at once and that will be the end. This is actually a potent means of ending up with a depleted face.

The lose-and-gain cycle stretches your skin, causing it to be less elastic. This is particularly bad news for people who are 40 of age or older. It results in greater facial volume loss in older people and causes you to age faster.

The best thing is to target a realistic, healthy weight that you feel you should be able to maintain. This doesn’t have to be one that leaves you at your thinnest. Aiming to lose 1-2 pounds a week should be just enough.

Quit smoking

Much has been said about the dangers of smoking. But if you are yet to be convinced to stop, appearance of wrinkles is another reason you should consider doing so.

Being skinny increases your risk of having lines around your mouth from smoking. What’s more? The act reduces the amount of nutrient and oxygen that gets to your skin and face by narrowing blood vessels, which are already tiny. Therefore, it helps to kick the habit.

Exercise the right way

Exercise is a major tool for achieving a slim, fit body. But seeing how being thin can make you have more wrinkles, it is wise to engage in it with caution.

Experts say too much exercise can cause you to lose lean muscle at an older age. This can make you look older faster. From your late 30s, you should consider doing more of moderate exercise on a regular basis. You can do yoga, swimming and running with some degree of weight training.

Get sun protection

Ensure your face and skin gets adequate protection against the sun. You are most likely not hearing this for the first time. This is important regardless of whether you are skinny or not. It is probably the most essential means of preventing wrinkles.

You should wear a sunscreen always. The ideal one should have at least SPF 30 with UVA/UVB protection to guard against damage to your skin and face by ultraviolet rays.

You should also try to avoid going outdoors when the sun is at its peak as much as possible.

Conclusion

It is apparent that being too skinny can predispose you to more rapid aging. It can result in you having more wrinkles than heavier individuals.

This does not mean you should start to consume more fat, however. It is arguable that people with less fat in their body do better in terms of overall health.

Avoiding yo-yo dieting and quitting smoking can help to reduce your risk of developing more wrinkles if you have a slim figure. Protecting your skin against the sun is highly crucial. You may also consider supplements, treatments, anti aging creams and procedures that can ramp up production of collagen and elastin to fight wrinkles.