14 Ways You’re Making Yourself Appear Older Than You Are & How to Fix Them

There's no getting around it; we all age. However, some people seemingly age faster than others. Have you ever been around someone who may be in their 40s or 50s but still looks like they are in their early 30s? What is it that they are doing to look so young? How we age and, more specifically, what age we look is not linear. Numerous factors go into it. However, there may be ways you're making yourself appear older than you are. Here are 14 ways you may be doing this and how to fix them.

The age we look will vary depending on each person. Genetics, stress, collagen loss, and lifestyle choices are all contributing factors.

We can't do a whole lot about genetics. Lifestyle choices, on the other hand, we can change those. This means we can also potentially fix appearing older than we are. So, if you are tired of looking older than your actual age, take a look at these everyday habits that affect our appearance. Here are 14 ways you are making yourself appear older than you are.

Sometimes, we age ourselves with the clothing we choose to wear. Frumpy is defined as 'drab, old-fashioned, and unattractive." Does this mean you have to be up to date with the latest trends? No. However, there have been studies behind the idea of " if you look good, you feel good."

Wearing clothes that don't fit or are considered 'frumpy' may age you. So, instead, look at your closet and then spend a couple of minutes finding an outfit or two that sparks joy. You just may find yourself feeling and looking like your young self.

One way you're making yourself appear older than you are, has to do with the foundation you choose. Finding the proper color foundation can be tricky. There are so many options, but which foundation you use is very important. If you choose too dark, your makeup may appear caked, aging you a bit.

However, if your foundation is too light, you could appear washed out. The best way to find the proper foundation is to figure out your undertone.

There is your skin tone, and then there is your skin undertone. Most everyone knows what type of skin tone they have. However, the skin undertone can be trickier to figure out. Our undertone is the color underneath our skin. There are three types: cool, warm, and neutral. A cool undertone has pink and blue tones, while a warm one has yellow or golden tones.

From finding the perfect shade of foundation to choosing your next hair color, knowing your undertone can help you feel more confident. It does this by finding styles to complement your natural beauty. One of the easiest ways to find your undertone is to look at the veins inside your wrist. If they are blue and purple, you have a cool undertone. Whereas, if they are greenish, then it's a warm undertone. A neutral undertone has a mixture of both.

If you feel under constant stress; then you may be aging yourself. Stress can cause skin damage by breaking down collagen and causing skin inflammation.

Some stress is a normal part of life. But if you feel like you are chronically stressed, you can take steps to reduce it, the Mayo Clinic offers several tips here.

Also, when we are stressed, we usually lack sleep. This can cause us to appear older than we are by reducing our skin elasticity and causing uneven pigmentation.

Furthermore, sleep-deprived can also pack on the wrinkles and bags under our eyes.

Prioritize sleep by ensuring you get at least eight hours a night. Turn off the electronics a few hours before bedtime to help prepare your body for the rest.

You may be putting your appearance at a disadvantage if you only wear dark colors like black or grey. Dark colors age us because of the contrast with skin tone.

Additionally, dark colors also accentuate features like wrinkles and under-eye shadows. Instead of constantly wearing black and grey, try adding warm colors, soft neutrals, or something that complements your undertones.

Self-care is one of those things that gets pushed to the back of our priority list often. We are so busy today, on the go, working all the time, we forget to prioritize self-care.

However, it will begin to show if you neglect exercising, eating healthy whole foods, and getting enough rest. So, take at least 15 minutes a day to move your body and pay attention to what you are putting in it. You may start to feel and look younger.

Caking on foundation and not blending it in can make you appear older for several reasons. The foundation can set into fine lines, making them pop even more. Additionally, if your foundation is cakey, it is uneven and thick.

To avoid caking on your foundation, take a few minutes to learn blending techniques and the proper way to apply foundation. These skills can help you feel more confident when you apply makeup.

Having poor posture can give you a hunched appearance. The slouching can also add more premature wrinkling and sagging to your skin.

If you find yourself struggling with poor posture, try one or more of these tips to correct it:

• Become more aware of your posture every day
• Exercise your core and back muscles
• Try to keep your head aligned over your shoulders with your shoulders back
• Stretch every day
• See a professional for any back pain
• Try a posture corrector

Not drinking enough water may kick up the aging process. It affects our organs, including our skin. Lack of hydration can also increase the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Our body will pull water from our skin, leading it to lose that youthfulness and elasticity.

So be sure to get the recommended amount of water daily. Doing so can also help with the bags under your eyes.

Sporting your natural gray hair is an option that many more people are choosing to do. Natural is beautiful. However, there is a difference between a 50-year-old person with gray hair and a 20-year-old person. Gray hair can appear at any age, even as a teenager!

So, if you aren't ready to sport your natural greys and whites, book an appointment with your hair salon to color your hair. You can also use a boxed color to be frugal.

Washing your face is an important skill to learn as a young person. However, moisturizing your skin is also equally important. This will help keep your skin hydrated and smooth and reduce skin irritations.

If you haven't started a good routine yet, moisturize your face at least twice daily.

Smoking breaks down your collagen and elasticity in the skin. It also reduces blood flow to your vessels and blocks nutrients and oxygen from your skin.

Therefore, if you are a smoker, try to quit. Reducing premature aging isn't the only benefit that would come with this lifestyle change.

We can't always control how we age. After all, genetics plays a huge part in it. However, our lifestyle choices sometimes make us appear older than we are. Changing diet, activity level, and even how you dress can help you when you're making yourself appear older than you are, or at the very least, your age.