The desire to look younger is prevalent in many western cultures. Why this is the case is a matter of some debate, but there is no question that looking ageless is a goal shared by many people. Let's take a look at what "age" really is, and some ways to erase a few years at the same time.
First there is your chronological age, which is the total number of days you have been alive. There isn't anything you can do to change the date of your birth, but there are a lot of factors that go into to how young or old you feel. That means someone who is 60 may look and feel 50, while someone who is 30 may look and feel like they are 50. Your chronological age can be thought of as the benchmark, and your goal is to appear younger in comparison to your actual age.
Next is your biological age. This is simply a reflection of how healthy you are. As you get older your body starts to wear out in many different ways, but not everybody ages at the same rate. In addition to that, there are many things you can do to delay or prevent the onset of many different things. If you have ever heard somebody say something like, "I'm 55 years old, but my doctor says I'm as healthy as a 30-year-old", then they were referring to their biological age.
Apart from your chronological and biological age is your psychological age, which is how old you feel mentally. This can be measured by how you personally feel, and also by how well you perform mental tasks. "You're only as old as you feel" is a common saying that reflects people's understanding of this general concept of aging.
Looking ageless is a matter of improving your biological and psychological age in comparison to your chronological age.
You can immediately improve your psychological age by changing how you view getting older. A lot of people assume that their memory goes downhill as they get older, so every time they forget something they blame it on their age. See the problem there? It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Don't blame things on your age, and don't think of being chronologically older as a bad thing. Instead, think of it as having more experience and wisdom. Having a positive attitude will also go a long way to being psychologically younger than what the calendar says.
Your biological age can also be reduced if you are willing to make a few changes. The most noticeable results will come from eating a healthy diet and exercising. Always check with your doctor before making any such changes, as they will know your medical history and can also make more recommendations to help you achieve your goal. The other big thing you can do to look biologically younger is take care of your skin. That is often the first thing people will use to judge your age, and there are a lot of things you can do to improve its appearance. It should go without saying, but the other key to looking ageless is to give up bad habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and not getting enough sleep.
