Ageing Skin
As we age, our skin becomes weaker and susceptible to a variety of different conditions.
As we age, our skin becomes weaker and susceptible to a variety of different conditions such as Crows feet, Fine Lines, Age Spots, Skin Tone change, Loss of Volume and Skin Laxity.
As we age we lose collagen and elastin in our skin and this, combined with the effects of time and gravity, as well as lifestyle factors, causes our skin to wrinkle. Some wrinkles appear as small lines while others create deeper ridges or folds. Wrinkles can either be “dynamic” in that they are caused by facial movement and may only be visible when moving the face, or “static” where they are caused by loss of elasticity in the skin as well as outside factors such as the sun or smoking and are visible even when you are not moving your.
What causes Wrinkles & types of Wrinkles?
What causes skin to age?
Skin ageing is a fact of life; everyone will face it sooner or later. Intrinsic ageing is the ageing process that takes place over the years regardless of external influences.
After the age of 20, one percent less of collagen is produced in the dermis each year. The collagen and elastin fibers become thicker, more clumped, and looser, resulting in inelastic and brittle skin and eventually in wrinkling and sagging. In our twenties, the skin’s exfoliation process decreases by 28% as well, causing dead skin cells to accumulate and stick together for longer periods of time.
In our thirties, the transfer of moisture from the dermis to the epidermis is slowed and fat cells start to shrink. These effects make the skin look dull and thin. In our forties, collagen is no longer produced. The collagen and elastin fibers break, thicken, stiffen, clump together, and lose their elasticity. This results in wrinkles and aging lines. Finally, in our fifties, the skin becomes dry and is easily bruised, damaged, or broken because the sebaceous (oil) glands have decreased in size. In women, menopause causes a decrease in estrogen levels, leaving the skin drier, thinner, more sensitive, and less toned.
A second type of aging is extrinsic aging. Unlike the previous cause of skin aging, it can be controlled because it is a result of environmental damage. Extrinsic aging appears as a thickening of the cornified layer (outermost layer of epidermis), precancerous changes (an example is actinic keratosis), skin cancer, formation of freckles and sunspots, and huge losses of collagen, elastin, and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). As a result of these processes, the skin becomes rough, uneven in tone, and wrinkled.
Free radicals (electron-hungry molecules or atoms) are the cause of these chemical changes. When electrons are pulled from other molecules, chemical structures and biological functions are altered. Environmental influences, such as pollution, smoking, and ultraviolet radiation, generate free radicals. Antioxidant enzymes and molecules, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoid pigments, can protect us from free radicals, but their damage occurs anyway. Glucose, a fuel necessary for our bodies, presents another threat. It forms plastic-like molecules known as age-related glycation end-products (AGES) by crosslinking with proteins. These complexes hurt skin proteins by causing them to be more brittle and less elastic. Also, because the skin is the barrier between body and environment, ultraviolet radiation causes damage to DNA and molecules and results in the generation of free radicals, making it the crucial factor in the acceleration of wrinkling skin. The skin protects from damage to exposure of sunlight by producing more melanin.
Skin Laxity
What is Skin Laxity?
Laxity of the skin can occur anywhere on the body. Lax skin is often the most noticeable on the face, but may also be prevalent on the neck, jawline, hands, abdomen, and thighs. Skin laxity affects targeted areas by increasing fine, crinkly lines and wrinkles, causing puffiness and bags under the eyes, and intensifying the appearance of cellulite. But regardless of where and how skin laxity appears, the condition can exacerbate the appearance of age and detract from one’s natural beauty.
How does this occur?
Skin laxity is the result of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Natural aging, genetics, diet, stress, lifestyle, sun exposure, weight fluctuations, exposure to environmental toxins, and smoking may all contribute, resulting in loss of collagen and elastin in our skin. The breakdown of these skin-binding fibers causes laxity and it increases over years. Gravity also plays a large part in pulling the looser skin downwards and it starts to do so as early as our 30’s.
Reccommended Treatment:
Finding the optimal treatment depends on the severity of your skin laxity and your underlying skin tone. There are a number of highly effective treatments that can tighten lax skin or add volume, and the sooner you act the more you will prevent further laxity from occurring.
Crows Feet
What are Crow’s Feet?
Crow’s feet are the fine lines that appear around the eyes. Because the skin around our eyes creases when we smile or laugh, they are also known as “laughter lines”. Crow’s feet are not as deep or pronounced as “wrinkles” but are often a first indicator of skin ageing.
What causes Crow’s Feet?
As we age we lose collagen and elastin in our skin and this, combined with other factors, causes our skin to develop fine lines and wrinkles. Facial movement and expressions, sun damage, stress, dehydration and lifestyle factors such as drinking, diet, alcohol and drugs can all contribute to the formation of fine lines.
Recommended Treatments:
Fine Lines
What are fine lines?
Fine lines usually form around the eyes (crow’s feet and laughter lines) and mouth (marionette lines, lips lines and smokers’ lines) as a result of facial expressions. These are not as deep or pronounced as “wrinkles” but are often a first indicator of skin ageing.
What causes fine lines?
As we age we lose collagen and elastin in our skin and this, combined with other factors, causes our skin to develop fine lines and wrinkles. Facial movement and expressions, sun damage, stress, dehydration and lifestyle factors such as drinking, diet, alcohol and drugs can all contribute to the formation of fine lines.
Recommended Treatment:
Age Spots
What are age spots?
Age spots are a type of harmless skin pigmentation caused by exposure to the sun. They are called age spots because they are more common in older people and their prevalence is directly related to ageing. They are also known as sun spots or “liver” spots and are referred to as “solar lentigines” by the medical profession. They can differ in colour and size but usually appear as small brown, grey or black spots.
What causes Age Spots?
Prolonged exposure to the sun over time causes pigmentation to form on the skin as a result of sun damage. Age spots are small patches of pigment or melanin that have formed as a result of this.
Recommended Treatment:
Skin Tone Change
What is change of Skin Tone?
When we refer to skin tone we mean the luminosity and evenness of your complexion. Change of tone is associated with premature skin ageing and is exasperated by lifestyle factors such as smoking, poor diet and alcohol consumption as well as dehydration and exposure to the sun.
What caused Skin Tone change?
As we age our skin becomes more “dull” and loses the “glow” and “luminosity” of youth. Contributing factors to change of skin tone include smoking, drinking alcohol, bad diet, sun damage and skin dehydration.
Recommended Treatment:
Loss of Volume
What is loss of Volume?
One of the side effects of ageing is that the levels of hyaluronic acid and collagen in our skin deplete. As a result, our skin becomes less smooth and plump and we lose volume in our faces. The underlying structures that support our skin also degrade and gravity takes it’s toll, causing the fat in our faces to “slide” and/or break down. This makes our cheeks less full and elevated and causes lines known as nasolabial folds or nose to mouth lines to form and jowls to appear.
What causes loss of Volume?
Volume loss can be caused by a number of factors from sun damage, the natural ageing process to dramatic weight loss, stress and illness or drug use. You may also hear volume loss referred to as “lipoatrophy” or “facial wasting”. This generally refers to localised volume loss related to illnesses such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis and the use of certain medications to treat them, which leave the suffer looking gaunt. People with HIV also suffer from extreme loss of volume in the face as a result of the illness. This is known as “HIV-associated lipodystrophy”.
Recommended Treatment:
