Rubbing your eyes. The skin around the eyes is one of the first areas of the face to show signs of ageing. Rubbing your eyes can break the tiny blood vessels beneath the skin's surface and cause dark circles and puffy eyes, as well as premature crow's feet and drooping eyelids.
Forgetting your sunglasses. Exposing your eyes to harmful sun rays is a sure path to premature ageing and damage to the eyes and eyelids. Prolonged sun exposure causes: sunburn of the eye's front surface (photokeratitis); cataracts; macular degeneration; pinguecula and pterygium (unsightly growths on the eye); and even eyelid cancer. Wear sunglasses outdoors that block 100 percent of UV radiation and the most harmful HEV radiation — even on cloudy days!
Smoking damages nearly every organ in your body, including your eyes. Research has linked cigarette smoking to sight-threatening eye diseases such as cataracts, macular degeneration, uveitis, dry eye, and diabetic retinopathy. In fact, smokers are up to four times more likely to go blind than non-smokers.
Eating poorly. A diet rich in leafy greens, colourful fruits and vegetables, and wild-caught fish (such as salmon) can help prevent or manage many age-related eye conditions.
Not getting enough sleep. There is a reason it is called beauty sleep: insufficient sleep can accelerate ageing, and your eyes are often the first to suffer. In addition to red, bloodshot eyes, sleep deprivation also causes dark circles under the eyes, eye twitching, dry eyes, and blurred vision.
Not drinking enough water. Eye-related symptoms of dehydration include dryness, redness, and puffy eyelids.
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