Dark circles, deeper wrinkles and brittle hair… here’s what your busy social life is doing to your looks – and how to fight back
We reveal the beauty risks of being a social butterfly
FROM drinks with the girls to late-night meals, we are all guilty of FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out.
With social media, we can see the fun our friends are having 24 hours a day and it has become increasingly difficult to turn down an invite.
But have you thought about what your busy schedule is doing to your skin?
Ageing necks, dark eye circles and deeper wrinkles are just a few effects of FOMO Face.
So before you start scrolling through Instagram again, GEORGETTE CULLEY reveals the beauty risks that come with being a social butterfly.
Social butterfly = POLLUTED SKIN
IT’S impossible to avoid breathing in toxic car fumes when you’re out.
We know pollution has a detrimental effect on our skin, but some believe it’s more damaging than UV rays.
Travelling in cities can age us up to ten per cent faster.
Katherine Jackson, a facialist and holistic practitioner, says: “Studies have revealed high levels of traffic-related air pollution can cause dark spots to form on cheeks.
“It’s important to invest in a good protective skin cream to reduce the penetration of air pollutants into the skin.
“Try to cut down on travelling in rush hour.”
— Try Vitamin C 10 Day Glow Boosting Concentrate (£17, The Body Shop).
Meals out = BRITTLE HAIR
EATING out is one of life’s great pleasures, but it could be doing more than damaging your bank balance – and it’s not always about what we are eating, but more often what we are not.
Dr Michael Barnish, Medical Director for Reviv UK & Aesthetic Doctor, says: “Great hair, skin and nails rely on a balanced, nutritional, vitamin-rich diet, alongside excellent hydration.
“These are the organs that are visible and therefore are important to us.
"Dining out means you’re exposed to processed foods and heavily cooked meals lacking in a number of essential vitamins and minerals.
“Have friends over for dinner rather than meeting in the latest swanky restaurant where you’ll be tempted to overindulge.”
— Try Floradix Liquid iron and vitamin formula (£10.99, Boots).
Late nights = DRY SKIN
FAILING to get the recommended eight hours’ sleep a night can be a nightmare for our skin.
Staying up late, drinking with friends or having consecutive nights out mean that we are losing out on precious beauty sleep – literally.
Getting home late on a regular basis means we are also more likely not to remove make-up before bed too, leaving skin feeling drier than the Gobi Desert.
Dr Michael says: “When we are asleep, the body concentrates on repairing itself and releasing toxins.
“The less sleep we get, the less effective this system becomes.