Primary Skin Aging Factors

Whether consciously or not we associate the age and attractiveness of an individual with the appearance of his or her skin. Like other organs of the body, the physiological functions and structures within the skin continuously decline with advancing age.

Dry skin, fine lines and deep wrinkles, enlarged pores, and age spots are all outward signs we associate with aging skin.

Chronological Aging occurs as you age, the epidermal cells become thinner and less sticky, you have fluctuations in your hormone levels and a decreased production of hormones. The top layers of your skin lose more moisture due to the aging process, and older skin has a dryer and dehydrated appearance. Fine wrinkles are the result of diminished production of collagen and eventually lead to sagging folds over the eyelids, neck, jaw, and arms.

Environmental Aging, is caused by daily exposures to the trillions of free radicals in our environment such as the harmful UV rays of the sun, cold windy conditions, low humidity, pollution, toxins, chemicals, impaired health or dangerous personal habits like smoking, excess caffeine, excessive alcohol, taking showers or swimming in chlorinated water and some medications taken internally or topically applied.

Smoking cigarettes is also harmful to the skin. Smoking causes the blood vessels in the top layers of the skin to narrow (constrict), which reduces the blood supply, reduces the amount of oxygen available to the skin, and reduces the removal of waste products and dead cells. This process contributes to the reduction in collagen and elastin and prevents Vitamin A from bonding with skin cells to repair skin damage, leading skin to have a grayish or bluish cast and a leathery texture. Smoking also restricts circulation, taking away the rosy blush of young skin. The facial expressions smokers make when smoking may also cause wrinkles, with wrinkles appearing around lips pursed around a cigarette and around eyes that squint to keep out smoke.

All of these things combined create far too many free radicals that attack your skin cells, damaging their structure and diminishing the skin’s natural ability to repair itself. In fact, research indicates that environmental damage can cause as much as 80% of the visible signs of aging.

PhotoAging is a technical term for premature aging of your skin. While it may seem that the signs of photoaging appear overnight, they actually lie invisible beneath the surface of the skin for years. Exposure to environmental elements like overexposure to sunlight, smoke, and air pollution causes photoaging in your skin. Not only does this lead to the formation of lines, wrinkles, and discoloration - it can lead to more serious skin conditions, including skin cancer.

Sunlight is essential as it helps your body manufacture its own vitamin D - which is essential to the proper functioning of our bodies, however overexposure or too much UVA & UVB radiation causes oxidative damage to your skin by increasing the production of proteolytic enzymes that break down collagen, the connective tissue located beneath the dermis.

While you cannot stop the intrinsic aging process, you can prevent signs of premature aging and slow this process by using products that support the natural regeneration of healthy skin cells.

The end result of these aging factors is less moisture, and slower metabolism and circulation, your skin becomes thinner, drier, and less firm as its support layers are reduced. Fine lines and wrinkles appear as skin loses its elasticity and a dry, dull, uneven texture and loss of radiance may occur.