How Do Free Radicals Cause Wrinkles?

  To understand how free radicals destroy the skin, it's necessary for us to understand what they are first. Free radicals are produced by metabolic stress. This means that our bodies produce free radicals whenever we eat, breathe, fight off pain, lose sleep, take in alcoholic substances, smoke, and so on.

In other words, the body naturally produces these oxidative substances because people live, age, and eventually deteriorate.

However, through the years, it's been found out that people age more because they produce more of these substances. This shows in the state of their organs, especially the skin.


Where do they come from?

While free radicals naturally occur in the human body, they can be controlled. They are, as you've guessed from the name, free-floating and imbalanced parts of broken cells. They lack one pair of electron and they steal electrons from other cells, causing more damage, and the vicious cycle goes on. When they chip off electrons from cell walls, they damage the cells walls and produce more free radicals.

Rightly said, these are "lost" molecular compositions of the body which feed off completely-formed cells. This happens when cells lack oxygen. This happens when the human body is under stress because of extreme or imbalanced lifestyles. Free radicals in the skin are also caused by sun exposure which destroys skin cells and degenerates its health.

How can this damage be fixed?

Certain moisturizers can prevent photo-damage to the skin and protect skin cells. Sleep, exercise, hydration, and the proper diet also help to eliminate them. When you're choosing what chemicals to put on your face to treat acne or to prevent wrinkles, you should check first if they induce oxidative damage. Benzoyl peroxide, which is used to treat acne for example, are actually free radicals which may help you get rid of acne but also promote skin aging. It's better for you to use organic solutions which won't induce so much stress on your skin.

Generally, healthier lifestyles help to keep the skin and the body as a whole more youthful. Today, it's easy to resort to fast food, forget to exercise, make wrong decisions with drinks, and turn to smoking and drinking to "relax". However, those hasty life decisions won't keep you young. To decrease the presence of these oxidative substances in your body, just try to live healthier. Avoid junk food and other things which can cause your cells to be destroyed and turn into free radicals. Stop yourself from aging prematurely by making the right choices.