THE average Brit racks up over 90,000 hours at work over the course of their lifetime.
But is your job taking a toll on more than just your bank balance?
Experts have developed a that can reveal if your job is affecting the way you look by physically ageing you.
Created by The Harley Street Skin Clinic, the online tool assesses how your work routine might be triggering wrinkles and sagging skin.
It factors in shift schedules, work location, stress levels, and screen time - giving you the lowdown on how your job impacts your skin’s health.
As you age, your skin naturally loses collagen and elastin, the proteins that give it structure and elasticity, according to .
Exposure to cigarette smoke or excessive sunlight can speed up this process, damaging the skin's connective tissue and reducing its ability to bounce back.
This leads to visible signs like wrinkles, sagging, and a less plump appearance - common markers of ageing.
But the calculator also takes in to account factors such as stress levels, your risk of health conditions such as insomnia and the harshness of your work environment.
Once you’ve entered your details into the calculator, it gives you a score out of 100.
If you score under 40, your job’s doing you a favour - there’s 'low' risk of ageing, just a few minor wrinkles around the eyes, also called crows feet and dry skin.
People with standard 9-to-5 desk jobs are likely to fall into this category.
Jobs with longer hours, like teaching or nursing, are more likely to score between 40 and 60, signalling 'moderate ageing'.
These people might start seeing fine lines around the eyes, mouth and forehead which become more prominent over time.
The calculator also flags the dangers of working too many hours—burnout, poor sleep, and a higher risk of serious health issues like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
You might think working outdoors is good for you, but the calculator warns it could push your score into the 'severe ageing' range of 60 to 80.
That’s mainly due to sun exposure, which accelerates ageing and can lead to sun spots on the face.
Other factors like being around harsh chemicals (think smoke from cooking or vehicles), can worsen your score.
So can night shifts, which mess with your sleep and natural body clock.
Builders, farmers and even chefs are most likely to fall into the worse-score category.
At this level, the clinic says you’ll likely see deeper wrinkles across your face, with your skin losing elasticity, leading to sagging around your jaw, cheeks, and neck.
Combine a few of these factors, and you could land in the 'extreme ageing' zone, with a score of 80 to 100.
That’s when wrinkles spread all over your face, and you might develop deep nasolabial folds - the lines that run from the sides of your nose to the corners of your mouth.
The clinic also warned that further loss of skin elasticity could lead to sagging and the formation of jowls below the jawline.
Shona Wilkinson, lead nutritionist at ethical nutrition and supplement brand , says you can give your skin a helping hand by turning your focus to what you eat.
"Many people underestimate the role your diet can play in maintaining healthy, glowing skin," she told The Sun.
In general terms, packing your diet with fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats can prevent all sorts of issues with our skin, Shona says.
It can "reduce the risk of premature ageing, and leave us with a consistently radiant complexion", the nutritionist explains.
The foods she recommends are:
1. Kiwi
Shona says: "Not only are they rich in vitamin C, which is essential for healthy collagen production, but they’re also great for improving gut health, which has direct implications on our skin."
2. Berries and cherries
The red fruits are rich in a natural plant-colouring agent called proanthocyanidin, which helps impart their dark colour.
"Proanthocyanidins are potent natural antioxidants – meaning they protect the skin from harmful oxidants that come from the sun, pollution and poor dietary choices," Shona explains.
"Proanthocyanidins particularly help to protect the collagen in your skin, which helps to provide your skin with structure, strength, and elasticity, reducing wrinkles and providing a general layer of protection."
3. Chia, flaxseed and fish
Foods like white fish, chia seeds, and avocados are fab for your skin as they're rich in omega-3 - "a flexible fat used in skin cells to keep the skin healthy, moisturised, and less likely to crack or flake", the nutritionist explains.
"Importantly, omega-3 fats also help with the production of anti-inflammatory hormones in the body, decreasing any excess skin inflammation or face redness," she adds.
4. Brussels sprouts, broccoli and mustard greens
Shona says: "Vegetables such as Brussel sprouts, broccoli and mustard greens are rich in isothiocyanates, which support the function of the liver by protecting it from damage from toxins, especially alcohol.
"Research shows that reducing alcohol intake and increasing the consumption of cruciferous vegetables can help your liver to function properly and leave your skin toxin-free."
5. Oranges, red peppers and strawberries
Shona says: "In order, to produce all the collagen your skin needs to keep you glowing every day, the body needs a substantial amount of both Vitamin C and protein.
"This is because vitamin C is used in a process called hydroxylation, which converts protein into collagen.
"Try incorporating lots of citrus fruits such as oranges, red peppers, strawberries, or tomatoes into your diet."
To avoid premature ageing, the experts suggest sticking to consistent work patterns, maintaining a healthy sleep schedule, taking regular screen breaks, and keeping stress levels low.
These are all key factors in keeping your skin youthful.
But there’s more you can do to protect your skin.
For those working outdoors, sunscreen is a must- even in winter or on cloudy days.
Ageing UV rays can still reach your skin, so don’t skip it.
Other tips include getting enough sleep, eating fresh fruit and veg, and staying hydrated to nourish your skin from the inside out.
The clinic also points out that vitamin C, found in fresh fruit, plays a big role in repairing damaged skin.
For a bit of extra skin love, they recommend treatments like facials or chemical peels to help slough off dead skin and encourage smoother, newer growth.
Retinoids, derived from vitamin A, can also help by promoting the creation of new blood vessels, improving the overall texture and appearance of your skin.
DRY, cracked skin is one of the most common winter complaints, as we alternate from being buffeted by icy winds and hot blasts of heating.
But if you're faced with a dull complexion and faint wreath of "surface wrinkles" around your forehead and eyes, dryness might may not be your concern.
These telltale signs could indicate your skin is dehydrated, which is not the same as dryness, according to Dr Anil Sharma, a medical doctor and dermatologist at .
"Dehydration occurs when your skin lacks water or hydration, and it can affect anyone - no matter your skin type, even those with oily or combination skin," Dr Sharma says.
While flaking, cracking and irritation can indicate dryness, the signs of dehydration can be more subtle.
The dermatologist says: “When your skin is dehydrated, it often looks dull and can show faint surface wrinkles.
"These dehydration lines, usually around the eyes, lips, and forehead, are your skin’s way of saying it’s not getting enough moisture. And when your skin doesn’t have enough hydration, it loses elasticity, which can lead to premature signs of ageing."
If you suspect your skin is lacking in water, there is a simple test you can do at home - dubbed the "pinch test".
And to care for dehydrated skin, you need to drink plenty of water throughout the day and use a hydrating skincare routine.
This means six to eight glasses a day, and adding water-rich foods to your diet, like watermelon, cucumber and celery, as well as looking for products containing hyaluronic acid, which helps draw moisture into your skin, and ceramides, which are "fantastic" for reinforcing your skin’s barrier to lock in hydration and prevent moisture loss, Dr Sharma says.
"Just be sure to finish with an oil or moisturiser to seal in all that hydration, leaving your skin feeling plump and nourished," the expert adds.
6,000.000+downloads/Free/Bengali/Version2.3.4
777 BDT IPL 2025 Sports First Deposit Bonus
