I aged overnight – could my air con unit be to blame? Experts reveal horrifying effect of coolers and how to prevent it

CATCHING sight of my face in the mirror first thing in the morning, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Prominent lines, dramatic eye bags, hollowing under my eyes – and it was all down to my new nocturnal companion. Jo Hoare, 46, seen now, says her AC unit is causing her prominent lines, dramatic eye bags and hollowing under her eyes Credit: Supplied Jo, pictured earlier this year, says the £400 unit has aged her face by a decade Credit: Lorna Roach No, not a lover – the £400 energy-guzzling air-con unit currently humming beside my bed. Like thousands of people, I rushed to buy one of the air-chilling appliances after our first heatwave earlier this year. But little did I know just how much I’d be using it as London, where I live, has been battered by endless days of 30-degree-plus temperatures. It set me back close to £400 and probably the same in electricity, but in 2026, keeping cool comes at a cost. A typical portable air-con unit can clock up 30p of power per hour, or roughly £2.50 if you have it blasting for eight hours straight. But as the owner of a top-floor flat and a very furry spaniel, Ophelia, two – and with countless perimenopausal hot flushes to contend with – we wouldn’t have got through this stifling, sticky summer without it. My unit sits in my bedroom, currently doubling up as a bedside table so it can be close enough to the window, which I feed the external hose through. Chic, it is not. I’ve become addicted to the feeling of getting into cool, crisp sheets while the rest of my flat feels like a humid swamp. Right now, I leave it running all night. It may sound like I’ve got a small airplane engine revving away in my room, but the noise is a small price to pay for sweat-free sleep. I thought I’d got this heatwave thing sorted, smug and snug under my duvet and getting my full eight hours as friends and colleagues told me they hadn’t had a good night’s kip since May. My AC unit has made me the source of great envy, especially as they are nigh on impossible to get hold of now, with sales of portable machines reportedly soaring by around 330 per cent this summer, and popular models selling out fast. In fact, an estimated 4 million UK homes now have air conditioning – double the number from just three years ago. However, there has been one MAJOR downside. Each morning I look like I’ve been through a time machine, transporting myself – and my face – ten years into the future. BAC (Before Air Con), I thought I had my anti-ageing regime nailed and was frequently told I looked younger than my 46 years. A combination of Botox, daily SPF and prescription-strength skincare made me feel like I was winning the good fight against fine lines and dullness. The first morning I noticed my significantly older-looking complexion after around a week of using it every night, I brushed it off as having had a few glasses of wine the night before. But one morning turned into two and before I knew it, I’d endured weeks of looking haggard. Even my mum had told me I looked worn out. And I was sure it was getting worse. The only thing that had changed was the arrival of my beloved AC. Could it really be betraying me like this? Sadly, Dr Sabika Karim, aesthetic doctor and founder of Skin Medical, tells me I’m not imagining things. “Your air conditioning unit could absolutely be contributing to dry skin, a tight-feeling face, more noticeable fine lines and chapped lips,” she says. “This is largely due to the increase in transepidermal water loss caused by the dry indoor environment. Jo however reveals she will not be giving up her AC during the current heatwave, even if it is ageing her face Credit: Supplied Your air conditioning unit could absolutely be contributing to dry skin, a tight-feeling face, more noticeable fine lines, says Dr Sabika Karim Credit: Shutterstock / Andrey_Popov “The delicate skin around the eyes contains fewer oil glands than other areas of the face and loses moisture more readily. “As a result, dehydration can make under-eye hollows, fine lines and puffiness appear more noticeable.” She also points out that as the skin on my neck is thinner than my facial skin and contains fewer sebaceous glands, it is “more vulnerable to dehydration and environmental stressors such as sun exposure and dry air from air conditioning”. So far, so stressful. But have I done any lasting damage? Is my dull, dry complexion, frizzy hair and scaly skin permanent – or, once summer is long gone and my AC is consigned to storage, will my youthful looks return? Worryingly, they may not. “While air conditioning won’t directly accelerate the ageing process overnight, repeated dehydration and disruption of the skin barrier can leave the skin looking less healthy and contribute to the visible signs of premature ageing if not addressed,” warns Dr Karim. Surely there is a happy medium between sweltering through the night (and looking knackered because of no sleep), and keeping cool, but drying out my face. Skin expert and GP Dr Jane Leonard reassures me there are steps I can take to stave off my AC-related ageing. “Get the room really cool before you go to sleep, then turn it off just before you get into bed,” she suggests. “Or set a timer so it turns off once you fall asleep.” Another tip is to position it so it is blowing its icy air into the room, rather than directly at me. She adds: “Reassess your skincare when using AC, too. “Strip back your actives (that means a break from retinol for me), up your hydration with ingredients like squalene and glycerin, and protect your skin barrier with ingredients like ceramides. For your body, try shea butter.” As a rosacea sufferer I need to be extra careful, as the effects of AC can worsen this and other skin conditions. “Because rosacea is a chronic inflammatory condition that compromises the skin barrier, you need to take extra care to maintain it,” explains Dr Jane. For me that means switching out my in-shower face wash for cotton wool and a creamy cleanser like No 7 Face Cleansing Lotion (£7.95) and replacing my nightly prescribed actives for a plain ceramide-rich moisturiser like Boots Ingredients Barrier Support Ceramide Moisturiser (£6). As for my hair, Valerie Benavides, lead stylist at Sam McKnight warns there could be longer lasting effects here, too. “The drier environment created by AC pulls moisture from your hair, leaving it looking dull, dry and feeling parched,” she says. “Prolonged dehydration can leave hair brittle and more prone to split ends or breakage.” She suggests applying a leave-in conditioner like Hair By Sam McKnight Stronger Love Rejuvenate & Repair spray (£32). Or if you’ve spent all your money on AC I also like Aussie Hair Insurance Conditioner Spray) (£5) to my hair after every wash. “When you moisturise hair correctly, you seal the cuticle and help create a shield,” she explains. So, my AC might be (kinda) ageing me, but is it enough to make me give it up during the current heatwave? Not a chance.