The packaged juice you had for breakfast, the doughnut you had for snacks, or even the dessert you sneaked in after dinner may have satiated your sweet cravings. Unfortunately, these can be detrimental to your body inside and out in the long term if you eat too much of them regularly. One side effect of too much sugar is skin aging too quickly. Here are a few common signs of aging skin due to excessive sugar.

Skin begins to sag
The skin’s natural plumpness and firmness are because of elastin and collagen. These get damaged due to excessive sugar. This happens because of a process known as glycation that causes the sugar molecules to react with the proteins in collagen and elastin. The glycated collagen accumulates in the tissues, causing the skin to lose its firmness and sag.

Wrinkles and fine lines begin to appear
Due to excessive sugar, the glycation process on collagen and elastin also causes them to become brittle and dry. As a result, they lose their natural strength and elasticity. They start to become stiff. So the skin loses its suppleness and smoothness. This is why fine lines and wrinkles become more prominent on the skin.

Age spots begin to appear
Another sign of aging skin due to excessive sugar is the appearance of age spots. Overeating sugary foods and drinking sweetened beverages can spike sugar levels in your blood. This can stimulate melanin production in your skin. Melanin is the substance that causes pigmentation in your skin. It is responsible for your skin color. If the melanin level is higher than what is natural for your skin tone, dark patches will appear on your skin; these are age spots that give the appearance of rapid aging.

Complexion becomes dull
When excessive sugar is present in regular meals and snacks, the body produces a high level of free fatty acids through the liver. When these free fatty acids go through digestion, compounds are produced that trigger inflammation. Over time, this leads to metabolic disorders and chronic inflammation. Although this inflammation is usually low-grade, it can affect your skin’s complexion. Your skin may start to lose its natural radiance and glow and start to appear dull.

Eyes appear puffy
Refined sugar contained in all sweetened foods and beverages is made up of simple carbohydrates. Overeating sugar will increase the level of these carbohydrates in your body. As a result, insulin levels will also rise in your blood. This causes your kidneys to retain a high amount of sodium and water. The water retention causes the area around your eyes to swell up and appear puffy.

Skin becomes prone to acne
The high sugar intake increases insulin levels in your body. As insulin levels increase, the production of oils in your skin also increases. So the level of sebum in your skin also spikes up. This clogs the follicles and pores on your skin. Also, excess sugar increases inflammation in your body. The increased sebum and inflammation lead to frequent acne breakouts, making skin age quicker.

Skin becomes vulnerable to sun damage
Eating too much sugar breaks down your skin’s natural protective barrier. If you don’t apply sunscreen daily, your skin will become more susceptible to damage due to harmful UV rays. So you may suffer from frequent sunburns, with your skin showing signs of premature aging and hyperpigmentation.