Aging is a natural process. Skin is a mirror that reflects everything happening inside our bodies. Aging of the skin is also a natural phenomenon, but some factors make our skin look aged prematurely, like bad habits, harsh weather and sun. Aging of skin typically depends on a variety of factors such as diet, lifestyle, personal habits and heredity. There are so many factors which cause our skin to age. Some of these we cannot do anything about, but others we can control. We cannot change the natural aging process. It is natural for our skin to lose some of its youthful fullness and tightness. We can control other causes of aging. Our lifestyle choices and environment can cause premature skin aging. We can take some preventive actions to slow down the effects of aging on our skin.
Exposure to sunlight is the biggest cause of aging skin. Over time ultraviolet light from the sun damage certain fibres (elastin) in the skin. The breakdown of elastin fibres causes the skin to stretch, sag and lose the ability to snap back after stretching. Sunlight also makes the skin bruise and tear more easily. Sleep position, fasciae movement and gravity are also considerable factors which contribute to aging of the skin. When skin loses elastin, gravity causes drooping of eyelids and eyebrows and longer earlobes, etc. facial movements lines become more visible after the skin starts losing its elasticity.
Our skin contains nerve receptors that allow us to feel touch, pressure, and pain. It helps control body temperature. It helps control fluid and electrolyte balance. It protects us from the environment. The skin has many layers but generally, it is divided into 3 main layers.
Each layer contains connective tissues and collagen fibers (to give support) and elastin fibers (to provide strength and flexibility). Skin changes are linked to nutrition, genetic makeup, and environmental factors. With aging the outer layer of skin thins. The number of melanocytes (pigment-containing cells) decreases. Aged skin looks clear, paler and thinner.
Alterations in the connective tissue of skin decrease the elasticity and strength of the skin. It is called elastosis. Elastosis is more noticeable in the sun-exposed area. The blood vessels of the dermis become more fragile which leads to cherry angiomas, bleeding under the skin, bruising and other similar conditions.
As we age our sebaceous glands produce less oil. Men experience minimal decrease but women slowly produce less oil after the men’s pause. It makes the skin dry and itchy. The subcutaneous fat layer becomes thin and so it has less padding and insulation. It increases the risk of injury to the skin and reduces the ability to maintain body temperature. Less natural insulations make develop hypothermia in cold weather.
As we age skin becomes injury prone. Skin becomes more fragile, thinner and loses the protective fat layer. It can make you more sensitive to touch, vibration, cold, hot and pressure. Pulling and rubbing on the skin can cause tears. Fragile blood vessels can break easily. Aging skin cannot repair itself as fast as younger skin. Aging makes wound healing up to 4 times slower. Health conditions which may cause aging of the skin are stress, reactions of medicines, obesity, nutritional deficiencies, liver and heart disease, diabetes, blood vessel disease. A cosmetic procedure can also cause aging of the skin.
Unhealthy diet and lifestyle: Your food and eating habits affect your skin. Poor quality foods like trans fats cause aging of the skin. Eating highly processed carbohydrates and sugar can damage the collagen of your skin. Fatty meats, pepperoni, bacon, hot dogs, sugary pastries and potato chips are some common examples which can contribute to aging of the skin. These foods can develop wrinkles and cause inflammation. Alcohol and smoking are the main culprits for premature aging of the skin. Moderate drinking of alcohol is normal and may not cause any harm. but excessive alcohol is not good for your skin. Smoking is neither good for health nor for the skin. Smoking can rev up the aging process. Smokers develop fine lines around the mouth and deeper forehead wrinkles. Their entire body is deprived of sufficient oxygen. Excessive alcohol can leave permanent marks on your skin. Heavy drinker’s facial skin gets discolored over time. Foods like white flour, refined sugar, and excessive dairy products can readily cause inflammation in the body contributing to the aging process. Poor diet has a bigger impact on your skin. An unhealthy diet can cause your skin to age faster along with various health disorders. Poor diet contributes to acne and acne spots which lead to an aged appearance. High sugar diet degraded elastin and collagen (a protein that keep skin youthful and soft). Whatever you eat have a direct impact on your skin. Unhealthy diet and improper nutrition cause acne, congestion, redness, puffiness and fullness and much more. Lazy lifestyle, less movement also leads to skin aging.
Sleep:Improper sleep, sleeping habits, wrong sleeping position, wrong bed linens and pillow all have an impact on the process of skin aging. Sleep quality impacts the function and aging of the skin. The research demonstrated that poor sleepers have increased signs of skin aging. Poor sleepers have a worse assessment of their facial appearance and skin. According to a new study, sleep deprivation can cause your skin to age faster. Insufficient sleep is significantly correlated with reduced skin health and also accelerated the aging of the skin. Women with deprived sleep have decreased the ability to recover after sun exposure and also signs of premature aging of the skin. Researchers who are not able to sleep well exhibit more signs of skin aging including reduced skin elasticity, uneven pigmentation, and fine lines. Chronic poor sleep quality contributes to signs of intrinsic aging, lower satisfaction with appearance and decreased skin barrier function. The length of quality of your sleep leaves a profound impact on the overall health of your skin. During sleep, our body heals, restore and release toxins from the skin. During sleep, your body produces human growth hormone which helps repair our skin from daily damage. During the middle of our sleep melatonin is released in the body. Melatonin is a hormone which is responsible for regulating sleep or wake patterns. It also works as an oxidant which protects the skin from damaging free radicals. During the final hours of sleep cortisol (stress hormone). The temperature of the skin also drops to the lowest point which helps the muscle to relax and become immobile offering the deepest recovery to skin. Good sleep and quality sleep contribute to a glowing complexion and fewer wrinkles. Sleep is a natural moisturizer that can help you maintain youthful skin. Sleep deprivations can cause skin damage at many levels. Make sure you are using supportive sleeping positions because poor sleeping positions rev up the aging of the skin. Use a comfortable pillow and bed linen to get a night of quality sleep.
Regular skin care:Skin care is most important in the aging of the skin. If you are not paying attention to your skin care routine then you have experience premature aging of the skin. There is a number of cosmetic treatments which can help you eliminate or prevent the signs of skin aging. Professional skin tightening machine and laser lipo machine can help you get rid of aging of the skin. But these may not work for everyone. In rare cases, these machines may cause side effects. Professional skin tightening machine is very common to remove the signs of aging. You can make a proper skin care routine to prevent the premature signs of aging. We know the sun exposure has a strong effect on the aging of the skin. Not using a sunscreen or sunblock when you are out can cause damage to your skin that contributes to skin aging. Sunscreen and sunblock creams can help you protect your skin from ultraviolet rays of the sun. On the other hand, cosmetic products loaded with chemicals also cause aging of the skin. These products have a significant impact on your skin. Strong chemicals cause premature aging of the skin. You should choose low chemical makeup and skin care products for your skin. Sun exposure contributes to sagging skin, age spots, and wrinkles. Forgetting to wash your face before sleep can also age skin. Washing your face or a bath every day before you go to bed can help you remove all the dirt from your skin. When you simply leaning your face or picking dry skin from a healing blemish, you have no idea you are transferring bacteria onto your face. It can trigger new breakouts, cause scarring, cause uneven skin and exacerbate existing acne. When you pop your pimples, cause pores to enlarge sharing your makeup with others can also affect the skin. All these things contribute to the aging of the skin.
Stress:Stress can have numerous effects on your body and overall health that contribute to aging. Not paying attention to your mental health can cause many problems. Busy routines, work, family, Tesla tip ships, responsibilities and financial status can cause psychological distress like anxiety and depression. These issues can accelerate the aging of the skin. Your physical and mental health are closely linked so you need to take care of both. If you are stressed and feeling down for more than a month you need to pay attention and seek the help of a professional. Stress can bring about blemishes; stress can cause rashes, fullness, etching lines on your face. You need to take a break from your busy life to manage your stress. You can do meditation and relaxation techniques to release stress. Hangout with friends, spend time on your hobbies to manage your stress. There are many stress relieving therapies which work amazingly. Regular exercise can help you relieve stress and contribute to healthy skin. When you are stressed, the capillaries present under your eyes can breakdown leaving dark circles under your eyes. Chronic stress can cause permanent dark circles. Stress also causes lack of sleep that leads to fluid bags under your eyes. Giving a tired and puffy look to your eyes. Stress and anxiety make your brow constantly furrowed or your mouth purses and tight. These stress lines can be permanent if you don’t manage your stress. Stresses aggravate your sensitive skin. A study found that students may have more acne during exams and tests compared to before the tests and exams. Stress makes the skin produce more oils through the stress hormones. These oils are responsible for clogging of hair follicles leading to pimples. Stress can cause premature wrinkles and chronic stress does not help your anti-aging routine. Stress makes your body produce more cortisol (stress hormone). As the cortisol production increases your skin cells are unable to rebuild, collagen and elastin naturally. Stress also interrupts your anti-aging routine. Psychological stress can aggravate multiple skin disease. Stress and accelerated aging have a direct link. Stress can damage cells and accelerate cellular aging. Stress ages our brain. Chronic stress leads to unhealthy craving and unhealthy lifestyle habits. These all effects of stress significantly contribute to the aging of the skin. Cultivating a less stressful lifestyle is crucial to successful aging.
Conclusion:
Aging is natural but there are many factors which are responsible for premature aging. Many people look older than they really are. It may be due to diet and lifestyle and many other factors. Today’s busy lives can also contribute to the aging of the skin. Nowadays people spend most of their times on phones, TV, laptops and social media that impact and cause the aging of skin. Try to take a step back from work to decompress and detox. Your skin will thank you. Always wear sunscreen to maintain your youthful glow. Using these tips and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help you keep young and vibrant skin.
