We can’t turn back time, but with proper care we can help our skin fight the effects of aging and help keep lines and wrinkles to a minimum.
What causes wrinkles?
As we age our skin loses both elastin and collagen becoming thinner. Elastin fibers in the dermis, (the lower layer of the skin) give the skin an elastic quality that keeps our skin looking and feeling young, while collagen is a protein also in the dermis that helps prevent wrinkles.
As the dermis thins it starts to have trouble getting enough moisture to the epidermis, (the upper layer of the skin) which leads to dryness. The fat in the subcutaneous layer which gives skin a plump appearance also begins to disappear, the epidermis starts to sag, and wrinkles form.
Aging Effects of the Sun.
Even small levels of exposure to ultraviolet light, (UVA & UVB), from sunlight and sunbeds is very damaging to the skin, accounting for 90% of the symptoms of
premature aging.
Exposure to UVA and UVB also causes thinning of the epidermis and damages collagen fibres in the dermis causing collagen to break down at a higher rate than normal. Abnormal elastin accumulates which produces large quantities of metalloproteinases. Normally, metalloproteinases remodel damaged skin by manufacturing and reforming collagen. However, this process goes wrong and some of the metalloproteinases actually break down collagen. This results in the formation of disorganized collagen fibers known as solar scars. When the skin repeats this imperfect rebuilding process over and over, wrinkles develop.
Free Radicals
Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules that scavenge for electrons from other molecules. This process can damage cell function and alter genetic material. Free radical damage causes wrinkles by activating the processes that break down collagen.
There are several factors that start this cascading process including exposure to UV radiation in sunlight, smoking and air pollution.
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