Despite knowing the importance of good overall health, most of us are more focused on our appearance than the way we feel day-to-day, hence why we spend so much money on beauty products but claim we can’t afford a gym membership.
However, over time, not looking after your body will take its toll on the way you look. We all get away with poor diets, little sleep and too much coffee and alcohol when we’re young, but could these habits be slowly chipping away at your physical health and appearance?
The answer is yes, and here’s how they are most likely to manifest.
Dry Hair
Dry, brittle hair could be a sign that your body lacks essential nutrients such as fatty acids, iron, zinc and Vitamin C. Hair that's falling out or thinning indicates that your diet is too low in protein. Make sure you eat a healthy and well-balanced diet and take supplements as recommended by your doctor. After a few weeks, you should start to see the changes reflected in your hair.
Weight Loss or Gain
Struggling to gain or lose weight? An underlying health condition could be to blame. Sudden, unexplained weight loss or gain is usually a symptom of a health condition such as type 1 diabetes or a thyroid disorder, so it’s important to see your doctor if you’ve lost or gained up ten pounds or more without trying in the last six months.
Unintentional weight changes can also serve as a warning sign of poor dietary habits, so it's important to address what you're eating, too. If you're concerned that your diet could be having unwanted effects on your weight, you should see your doctor to discuss a healthy living plan.
If your health isn’t to blame and your lab results come back clear, you may want to try a surgical approach to weight loss. If healthy diet and exercise alone haven’t worked for you, you can contact Discreet Plastic Surgery for a liposuction Manhattan consultation.
Skin Redness
If your skin is often red around your cheeks and on your nose, you may want to lower your alcohol intake. Consuming too much alcohol can result in a condition called rosacea: the skin complaint that causes those rosy cheeks. Over time, not reducing your alcohol intake to guideline amounts can cause these dilated blood vessels to break, causing unsightly marks to appear on the face.
Dry Skin
Dry, flaky skin is a common sign of either stress or dehydration. However, these two health factors tend to go hand in hand: if you're busy and stressed, chances are you're not drinking enough water, or you're dehydrating your body with too much caffeine. Either way, if your body doesn't get the hydration it needs, your skin (and ultimately your appearance) will suffer.
Despite how it feels at the time, unwanted changes to our physical appearance can actually be a good thing: we’re more likely to change our bad habits if we can see them reflected in the mirror. So next time your hair feels coarse or your skin is dry, listen to what your body is trying to tell you and provide it with the nourishment it needs.
