Ageing skin changes
Skin is the first organ to reveal age. Though it is not possible to completely prevent these changes coming but proper care of skin, diet and lifestyle can reduce these changes and helps to keep young looking skin longer.
Proper knowledge of the composition of skin and the changes that happen to different elements of skin due to dietary and environmental factors along with age will help to take the correct measures to prevent them.
There are 2 basic layers that constitute skin, the epidermis, and the dermis. The very top layer of epidermis is called stratum corneum. Epidermis contains the pigment called Melanin that gives us our skin pigmentation; this pigmentation helps to protect us from the sun's injurious rays. New cells form from the lowest level of the epidermis, which gradually rise up towards the outer layer as new layers are being added. Old cells are worn off from the outer layer, Stratum corneum
Beneath the epidermis is the dermis, which is made up of networks of elastic fibres (elastin) for suppleness and dense fibres (collagen) for strength. This dermis also contains blood and lymph vessels, nerves, sweat glands and oil glands. Hair follicles are extensions of the epidermis into the dermis. Below the dermis lies a layer of fatty tissue that gives the structure of the skin.
How age and other factors make changes to these layers
With age skin gets thin, dry, sagged and wrinkled
Thinning: In older skin basal layer of epidermis reduces production of new cells so the whole epidermis gets thin
Sagging: With age elastin and collagen production reduce which results skin to sag and droop like jaw jowls and bagginess under eyes.
Drying: Due to less number of sweat and oil glands in older skin, it easily gets dry and look rough.
Wrinkles: Due to less elastin and collagen in dermis and thinning of epidermis skin particularly of more sensitive area like face and neck that is constantly under tension and relaxation show wrinkles.
Age spots: Melanocytes (pigment cells) increase at certain area and form a cluster which is called age or liver spot.
Other factors influencing skin ageing
Smoking: People of any age smoking for more than ten years develop a facial morphology called Smoker’s Face which tend to make people look older than they are. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4000 toxins many of which cause constriction of blood vessels in skin, which hampers cell regeneration, and collagen secretion, end result of which is thinning of skin and wrinkles formation.
Sunlight: Repeated exposure to the sun's ultraviolet radiation eventually causes skin damage similar to the aging process. This is called photoaging. Skin exposed to excessive UV radiation develops a leathery texture, wrinkles, skin folds, sagging skin, wart like growths called keratoses, freckling, and a yellow discolouration due to abnormal elastic tissue. People with fair skin, hair or blue eyes has less melanin in their skin which protects skin from sun’s ultraviolet radiation are at increased risk of photoaging and ultimately, skin cancer.
Diet: Proper diet and plenty of water is very important to keep younger looking skin longer. Free radicles derived from sunlight and pollution are very damaging to skin. Food containing plenty of antioxidants is essential to neutralise free radicles. Food containing omega3 fatty acid help prevent wrinkles.
Prevention of wrinkles. Aging is a natural process. But people of same age can look different, one younger looking than the other. Not one factor rather the whole lifestyle is responsible for this difference. Avoiding the factors that increase the skin changes and following the right diet can prevent excessive ageing changes on skin.
Other way to get rid of already existing wrinkles is using different methods- surgical and nonsurgical.
One of the nonsurgical methods is to use Anti wrinkle products
Skin type: before using any product need to consider skin type. For normal to dry skin cream is better. But if the skin is oily, consider using a gel formulation or a light lotion.
How anti wrinkle product works: some ingredients have immediate but no longer lasting effects and some have longer lasting effects but none of them have permanent wrinkle healing effect.
An anti-wrinkle cream works in one or more of these ways:
Get rid of wrinkles within minutes either by moisturization or by nanoprism effect which reflects light
Giving a "lift" to the skin, which makes the skin younger looking
Providing antioxidants that neutralise free radicals, thereby preventing skin cell damage and wrinkle formation.
Stimulating the skin to produce the skin components such as collagen and elastin which tend to decrease with age
Improving circulation to the skin to have healthier and younger looking skin.
Some common ingredients used in anti wrinkle creams are
Antioxidants: Retinol, Alfa lipoic acid, Tea extract, Vit C and E.
Exfolients: Hydroxy Acids- alfa, beta and poly hydroxy acids.
Copper peptide- stimulates collagen secretion.
Coenzyme Q10- increases energy in skin cells
Careful and appropriate choice of product will help mask and to some extent reduce wrinkles.
Skin is the first organ to reveal age. Though it is not possible to completely prevent these changes coming but proper care of skin, diet and lifestyle can reduce these changes and helps to keep young looking skin longer.
Proper knowledge of the composition of skin and the changes that happen to different elements of skin due to dietary and environmental factors along with age will help to take the correct measures to prevent them.
There are 2 basic layers that constitute skin, the epidermis, and the dermis. The very top layer of epidermis is called stratum corneum. Epidermis contains the pigment called Melanin that gives us our skin pigmentation; this pigmentation helps to protect us from the sun's injurious rays. New cells form from the lowest level of the epidermis, which gradually rise up towards the outer layer as new layers are being added. Old cells are worn off from the outer layer, Stratum corneum
Beneath the epidermis is the dermis, which is made up of networks of elastic fibres (elastin) for suppleness and dense fibres (collagen) for strength. This dermis also contains blood and lymph vessels, nerves, sweat glands and oil glands. Hair follicles are extensions of the epidermis into the dermis. Below the dermis lies a layer of fatty tissue that gives the structure of the skin.
How age and other factors make changes to these layers
With age skin gets thin, dry, sagged and wrinkled
Thinning: In older skin basal layer of epidermis reduces production of new cells so the whole epidermis gets thin
Sagging: With age elastin and collagen production reduce which results skin to sag and droop like jaw jowls and bagginess under eyes.
Drying: Due to less number of sweat and oil glands in older skin, it easily gets dry and look rough.
Wrinkles: Due to less elastin and collagen in dermis and thinning of epidermis skin particularly of more sensitive area like face and neck that is constantly under tension and relaxation show wrinkles.
Age spots: Melanocytes (pigment cells) increase at certain area and form a cluster which is called age or liver spot.
Other factors influencing skin ageing
Smoking: People of any age smoking for more than ten years develop a facial morphology called Smoker’s Face which tend to make people look older than they are. Cigarette smoke contains more than 4000 toxins many of which cause constriction of blood vessels in skin, which hampers cell regeneration, and collagen secretion, end result of which is thinning of skin and wrinkles formation.
Sunlight: Repeated exposure to the sun's ultraviolet radiation eventually causes skin damage similar to the aging process. This is called photoaging. Skin exposed to excessive UV radiation develops a leathery texture, wrinkles, skin folds, sagging skin, wart like growths called keratoses, freckling, and a yellow discolouration due to abnormal elastic tissue. People with fair skin, hair or blue eyes has less melanin in their skin which protects skin from sun’s ultraviolet radiation are at increased risk of photoaging and ultimately, skin cancer.
Diet: Proper diet and plenty of water is very important to keep younger looking skin longer. Free radicles derived from sunlight and pollution are very damaging to skin. Food containing plenty of antioxidants is essential to neutralise free radicles. Food containing omega3 fatty acid help prevent wrinkles.
Prevention of wrinkles. Aging is a natural process. But people of same age can look different, one younger looking than the other. Not one factor rather the whole lifestyle is responsible for this difference. Avoiding the factors that increase the skin changes and following the right diet can prevent excessive ageing changes on skin.
Other way to get rid of already existing wrinkles is using different methods- surgical and nonsurgical.
One of the nonsurgical methods is to use Anti wrinkle products
Skin type: before using any product need to consider skin type. For normal to dry skin cream is better. But if the skin is oily, consider using a gel formulation or a light lotion.
How anti wrinkle product works: some ingredients have immediate but no longer lasting effects and some have longer lasting effects but none of them have permanent wrinkle healing effect.
An anti-wrinkle cream works in one or more of these ways:
Get rid of wrinkles within minutes either by moisturization or by nanoprism effect which reflects light
Giving a "lift" to the skin, which makes the skin younger looking
Providing antioxidants that neutralise free radicals, thereby preventing skin cell damage and wrinkle formation.
Stimulating the skin to produce the skin components such as collagen and elastin which tend to decrease with age
Improving circulation to the skin to have healthier and younger looking skin.
Some common ingredients used in anti wrinkle creams are
Antioxidants: Retinol, Alfa lipoic acid, Tea extract, Vit C and E.
Exfolients: Hydroxy Acids- alfa, beta and poly hydroxy acids.
Copper peptide- stimulates collagen secretion.
Coenzyme Q10- increases energy in skin cells
Careful and appropriate choice of product will help mask and to some extent reduce wrinkles.
