Common Signs of Aging
What are the most common signs of aging?
Knowing the most common signs of aging can help you retain your youthful looks longer. Let’s discuss the most common signs, and the steps we can take towards delaying the aging process.
Loss of Elasticity
Loss of elasticity or ‘plumpness’ is attributed to collagen loss. Collagen is a building block of the skin. During our youth, collagen plumps the skin thereby creating volume. However, as we age we stop producing collagen at the same rate. This in turn affects the elasticity leaving us with saggy skin as we age. Plus, the loss of muscle tone is going to cause expression lines.
Loss of Hydration
Skin becomes dryer as we age because the sebaceous glands in the skin, like any other structure of the body, are not as active as we age. This loss of hydration manifests itself through a dull, sallow appearance, crepey skin, and fine lines. Overall, the texture of the skin changes as a result of water loss.
Hyperpigmentation
There are environmental factors such as sun exposure and climate as well as other pollutants and oxidants in the air that cause aging in general. These environmental factors can also contribute to hyperpigmattion which can cause an aged appearance to the skin. Hyperpigmentation can be in the form of freckles, sun spots, lentigines, etc.
Thin Skin
The thickness of the skin changes as well with aging. The skin tries to thin out as a result of the deficiencies in collagen and hydration.
Fighting the common signs of aging at home
Try to incorporate products that accelerate your skin’s cell turnover rate; They are very useful. Examples include retinol, glycolic and lactic acid. When combined, vitamins C and E make a good protectant.
When it comes to exfoliation, try using an enzymatic exfoliant. These are really good for anti-aging because they achieve deep exfoliation and hydration without causing friction at the surface.
Wearing SPF daily helps. Be mindful when you are being exposed to the sun for periods longer than 15-30 minutes consistently. Wear a hat during longer periods of sun exposure. Cooling the skin also helps, for example, cold spoons kept in the fridge will calm the skin and reduce inflammation.
Finally, avoid the use of irratating cleansers and moisturizers. Stick with products that actually bring nutrients to the skin.
Professional Treatments
When it comes to skin rejuvenation, photofacials are amazing because they do not cause superficial damage to the skin. The light energy penetrates directly to the main contributing factor of loss of elasticity which is the collagen cells.
We have a certain amount of collagen cells in our skin at any given time. When the light energy hits those cells, they are stimulated/traumatized enough so that they regenerate new collagen cells in order to replace those “traumatized” collagen cells. However, those collagen cells that are affected by the light energy for the most part are not completely destroyed, yet they are “repaired” in a sense so you end up with a multiplied amount of collagen present in your skin after a photofacial treatment.
Peace, Love, and Great Skin!
Dérmica MedEsthetics
(780) 885 7108
dermica.ca