|
Causes of Aging Skin
 You
can often get an idea of how old
someone is by looking at his or
her face - specifically the
skin. As people age, it's normal
to get wrinkles. And if the
person has spent a lot of time
in the sun, at tanning salons,
or smoking cigarettes, he or she
might have a lot of them.
The skin is made up of three
layers:
The
outermost layer - called the
epidermis
The
middle layer - called the
dermis
The
innermost layer - called the
subcutaneous layer
When a person is young, he or
she doesn't have wrinkles
because the skin does a great
job of stretching and holding in
moisture. The dermis has an
elastic quality thanks to fibers
called elastin that keep the
skin looking and feeling young.
A protein in the dermis called
collagen also plays a part in
preventing wrinkles.
However, over time, the dermis
loses both collagen and elastin,
so skin gets thinner and has
trouble getting enough moisture
to the epidermis. The fat in the
subcutaneous layer that gives
skin a plump appearance also
begins to disappear, the
epidermis starts to sag, and
wrinkles form.
Research shows that there are,
in fact, two distinct types of
aging. Aging caused by the genes
we inherit is called intrinsic
(internal) aging. The other type
of aging is known as extrinsic
(external) aging and is caused
by environmental factors, such
as exposure to the sun's rays.
Intrinsic Aging
Intrinsic
aging, also known as the natural
aging process, is a continuous
process that normally begins in
our mid-20s. Within the skin,
collagen production slows, and
elastin, the substance that
enables skin to snap back into
place, has a bit less spring.
Dead skin cells do not shed as
quickly and turnover of new skin
cells may decrease slightly.
While these changes usually
begin in our 20s, the signs of
intrinsic aging are typically
not visible for decades. The
signs of intrinsic aging are:
Fine
wrinkles
Thin and
transparent skin Loss of
underlying fat, leading to
hollowed cheeks and eye sockets
as well as noticeable loss of
firmness on the hands and neck
Bones
shrink away from the skin due to
bone loss, which causes sagging
skin
Dry skin
that may itch
Inability
to sweat sufficiently to cool
the skin
Graying
hair that eventually turns white
Hair loss
Unwanted
hair
Nail plate
thins, the half moons disappear,
and ridges develops
Extrinsic Aging
A number of
extrinsic, or external, factors
often act together with the
normal aging process to
prematurely age our skin. Most
premature aging is caused by sun
exposure. Other external factors
that prematurely age our skin
are repetitive facial
expressions, gravity, sleeping
positions, and smoking.
The Sun
 Without
protection from the sun's rays,
just a few minutes of exposure
each day over the years can
cause noticeable changes to the
skin. Freckles, age spots,
spider veins on the face, rough
and leathery skin, fine wrinkles
that disappear when stretched,
loose skin, a blotchy
complexion, actinic keratoses
(thick wart-like, rough, reddish
patches of skin), and skin
cancer can all be traced to sun
exposure.
"Photoaging" is the term
dermatologists use to describe
this type of aging caused by
exposure to the sun's rays. The
amount of photoaging that
develops depends on:
a person's skin color
their history of long-term or
intense sun exposure.
People with
fair skin who have a history of
sun exposure develop more signs
of photoaging than those with
dark skin. In the darkest skin,
the signs of photoaging are
usually limited to fine wrinkles
and a mottled complexion.
Photoaging occurs over a period
of years. With repeated
exposure to the sun, the skin
loses the ability to repair
itself, and the damage
accumulates. Scientific studies
have shown that repeated
ultraviolet (UV) exposure breaks
down collagen and impairs the
synthesis of new collagen. The
sun also attacks our elastin.
Sun-weakened skin ceases to
spring back much earlier than
skin protected from UV rays.
Skin also becomes loose,
wrinkled, and leathery much
earlier with unprotected
exposure to sunlight.
Here are some things people can
do to prevent getting many
wrinkles at an early age:
Avoid spending too much time
in the direct sun,
especially during the hours when
the sun's rays are harshest
(between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM).
Ultraviolet (UV) rays cause many
wrinkles. Sunblock helps, but it
doesn't block out all the
damaging UV rays that cause
wrinkles to the skin. Still, if
you are outside a lot, be sure
to wear a sunblock with sun
protection factor (SPF) 15 or
higher and reapply often (every
2 to 3 hours). Always reapply
after swimming or playing sports
that make you sweaty!
Don't go to the tanning salon.
The UV light from tanning booths
is just as damaging as the sun's
- and sometimes worse.
Don't smoke! Smoking robs
your skin of precious moisture
and causes premature (early)
wrinkles. (Did you ever notice
that most heavy smokers have
wrinkles around their mouths?)
Drink water.
Moisturize dry skin,
especially during months when
the air is drier. |
Related Products
