9 Useful Habits That Can Harm Your Appearance

Written by Shivani K  • 

No matter what stage of life we are in, we never cease to worry about our appearance. In our teens, we worry about the bodily changes that are happening inside us and the countless pimples that keep popping up to say hello to us. By the time we make our way into adulthood, we have a million things to fret over such as hair fall, the nature of our skin especially that on our face, dark circles and what not. Our appearance at a particular stage of our life definitely depends on our genetics. But that’s not all, our everyday habits (even the innocent ones) also have an impact on our appearance. There are a lot of things that we do in our life that have a negative effect on our looks. Even though they might look like useful habits, in the long run, they are only causing harm to us. We’ve compiled a list of such habits, let’s have a look.

1. When You Drink Too Much Milk

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No, we aren’t asking you to quit milk. In fact, the nutrients that a single glass of milk provides can’t be supplemented by any other food. However, excessive consumption of milk and other dairy products creates a risk for acne development (1). This is because the androgens present in the milk cause oil glands to become more active. This produces a lot of sebum which clogs the skin’s pores, resulting in acne.

2. Your Favorite Hairstyle, The Ponytail

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There are certain hairstyles that can harm your hair resulting in baldness and early hair loss. And your favorite ponytail is one among them. When you tie your hair into a ponytail you end up you end up pulling it together tightly which often ends up damaging its roots (2). Therefore, it’s better to swap that tight ponytail for a more relaxed hairstyle.

3. When You Apply Sunscreen Only On Your Face

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We all care about the wrinkles and the fine lines that appear on our face. What we often forget is that even our hands suffer from the same. Wearing sunscreen shouldn’t just apply to your face, even your hands and legs need protection from the harmful rays of the sun. And oh, don’t forget to put it on your neck and chest areas, especially during summers.

4. When You Brush Your Wet Hair

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The major cause for your split ends is that you brush it when it’s all wet. Follow this after a hair wash: firstly dry your hair with a towel (don’t rub). After this, blow dry your hair. Once this is done, then and only then comb and style your hair. This will prevent hair damage.

5. You Love Sitting Cross-legged

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If you thought that crossing your legs while sitting made you look more sophisticated and lady-like, let us tell you that it can actually cause blood stagnation in your pelvic area (3). And we agree with you dear ladies, it won’t be that easy to let go of this habit, but please do. You don’t want to end up with ugly varicose veins, which often result from circulatory disorders and increased pressure on the blood vessels (4).

6. You Use Styling Tools At The Maximum Temperature

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Heat causes damage to every part of our body, including our hair. Using hairstyling tools (blow dryers, flat irons, curlers) on a high temperature creates bubbles in the hair shaft which leads to hair breakage. To avoid such hair damage, make sure to apply heat protectant serums on your hair before using any hairstyling tools. Also, remember to place the dryer at least 15 cm away from your hair.

7. When You Pluck Eyebrows Before Applying Makeup

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Hair removal needs to be done in the most hygienic way. If you are planning on removing the extra hair around your brows with the help of tweezers, do so after washing your face. As doing so ensures that there is no risk of a bacterial infection. If you happen to do it and then apply makeup, please note that the hair follicles will be open, creating an open path for the chemicals in the makeup to enter the skin, which can cause infections.

8. You Tend To Hold Grudges

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Yes, that’s right, holding on to those grudges can actually cost you your good looks. Holding a grudge is nothing but stressing your mind with negativity. This results in the stress hormone accumulating in the body which manifests in the form of wrinkles.

9. You Love Rubbing Your Eyes Often

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Rubbing your eyes regularly when there is no need for it creates tension in your eyelashes. As the eyelashes are fragile, this causes them to fall out. Rubbing your eyes can even damage the sensitive area around your eyes. Instead when you get the urge to do so just look away for 20 seconds or blink away for 20 seconds.

These were some of our most commonplace habits that seem harmless on the surface, but they affect our appearance in negatively. Do you know of any other similar habits that we need to stop right away? Let us know in the comments below.

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