HOW TO LOOK YOUNGER

If you think you look older than you feel? You must improve your appearance, you'll feel better, too.

Smile, wide!

Young, middle-aged, and older individuals studied thousands of photographs and were asked to guess the age of models with various facial expressions. Neutral expressions yielded the most accurate results, and fearful expressions made subjects look older; happy faces were rated as younger than they really were.

Eat more grapes.

Sorbitol, which gives grapes, berries, plums and pears their sweetness, is a humectant, a substance that attracts water when applied to the skin, helping it absorb and retain moisture.

Touch up your hair.

Use volumizing styling products as your hair becomes thinner, and try a lighter color, which can make thinning less obvious. Whether you have your hair washed at home or at a salon, use deep conditioning treatments regularly to combat dryness.

Frame your face.

Keeping your eyebrows well-groomed and shaped helps provide a frame for your face and draws attention to your eyes.

Cleanse and moisturize your skin.

Cleaning and moisturizing helps protect skin and keep it healthy; but banish regular soap, which can be drying for older skin. Instead, use a cleanser that gently washes without stripping skin of moisture. Avoid skin toners, especially those with a stringent or alcohol base. Use a good moisturizer day and night.

Dress sharp.

If you have a wrinkly neck or jowls, avoid tight-fitting or crew-neck tops, which squeeze skin upward. A shirt collar over a round-necked jersey is a better option. Wear dark-colored shirts if you have a large belly.

Give yourself a hand—or two.

Use a good hand cream frequently, and look for one that has sunscreen included. Brighten dull hands by exfoliating regularly: mix sea salt with lemon juice and gently scrub into your hands with a soft toothbrush.

Eat more greens and reds.

Vitamin K—in kale and other green vegetables—helps your blood coagulate, reducing the impact of bruising. Lycopene in tomatoes gives the skin powerful protection against UV rays.

Eat oily fish

Salmon and other oily fish are rich in DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol), a compound that boosts muscle tone and is one of the must-have ingredients in expensive “mature” skin creams. Eating oily fish twice a week offers the same benefits.

Exercise four or more times a week.

You’ll fend off muscle loss and sleep better when you exercise most days of the week. Combine cardiovascular exercise for heart and lungs, resistance exercise for muscles, stretching for flexibility and balance exercise for coordination.

(Pictures Courtesy To Jupiterimages/iStock/Photodisc/Eyecandy Images)