Three things that age skin
Yes, it is true that some people age better than others. One might look young at 65, while another looks old at 40. To some extent it’s a game of chance. If you pick the right parents, your genetic makeup will help you age gracefully and well. But it isn’t all predetermined.
There are many aspects of our lives or lifestyle that accelerate aging.
Aging is a complicated matter, and we are not yet in control of the process. To a great degree, we understand how it works, and what speeds up the process, but not how to stop it, or at least not yet. For our purposes we will consider only the manifestations of skin aging.
1 Sun exposure., It is the primary villain in skin aging, to say nothing of the fact that it is the primary cause of skin cancer, as well. This overall process is called photodamage. It refers to the effect of ultraviolet rays on the skin, and the DNA of the cells of the skin. This is manifested by thickened, irregular skin surface, thinned collagen layer, discoloration, wrinkles, superficial blood vessels, and loss of elasticity. The majority of one’s photodamage occurs before age 25. The lesson is stay out of direct sun unless you are adequately protected. The good news is there is a great deal available to reverse these changes, but better to avoid the damage.
2 Smoking. We all know the health hazards, but specifically in this case, smoking damages the small blood vessels in the skin, causing accelerated aging. This takes the form of thinned, wrinkled, unhealthy looking skin, and impaired healing.
3 Gaining and losing weight. After a certain point in life we all suffer a loss of skin elasticity. Gaining weight stretches the skin. Losing weight, particularly losing weight rapidly, reduces body mass and fat padding under the skin and results in loose, saggy skin. The yo-yo effect of repeatedly gaining and losing weight is a self-defeating strategy.
Very often the trio of these culprits is part of the lifestyle of the same person, and the sum of the damage makes for premature aging. And keep in mind — each of these is avoidable.
Gerald Imber M.D. is an internationally known plastic surgeon and anti-aging authority. Learn more atYouthCorridorClinic.com. Email your skin care questions to Dr. Imber at info@youthcorridorclinic.com.