What Happens to Skin When it Ages?
There is much talk these days about anti-aging skincare products and about protecting your skin from the damage it suffers as we age. Every time you turn on the television you may notice commercial after commercial for creams and topical treatments that supposedly erase lines and wrinkles and return skin to it’s youthful appearance. But what exactly are these products supposedly protecting us from, and why does the skin start to look so unhealthy as we get older? (Here’s where you can find more detailed information on skin care and stretch mark removal cream.)
It’s important to understand these things because if you think about it, many of the telltale signs of aging are actually problems with the skin itself. We may get gray hair and start showing some rolls around the midsection, but usually it’s the lines and wrinkles in the face, the sagging skin on the hands and arms, and things like liver spots that make a person look truly old. So if you want to look younger overall of course you should be concerned with what happens to the skin as we age and how to avoid this.
The skin contains two elements, collagen and elastin, that keep it healthy and young looking. Collagen is like a fat that is under the skin that keeps it plumped up and moist. It holds hydration that the skin continuously feeds off of. When we age this collagen production begins to break down which is why many older persons have skin that sags at least a little bit, whether it’s on their hands, arms, around their neck, or in other areas.
Elastin gives the skin the ability to bounce back into shape every time it’s stretched or wrinkled. When you move any part of your body, including when you make facial gestures or walk or sit down, the skin needs to stretch and fold around your muscles for you to be able to move. Elastin helps it to contract back into shape after doing that, otherwise our skin would then just hang off our bones. But as we age this elastin also breaks down and wears out so that the skin doesn’t bounce back; this means that when we crinkle up our eyes or smile then those little inroads in the face are likely to stay that way. (Here’s where you can find more detailed information on skin care and skin lightening cream.)
It’s not always possible to replace collagen and elastin as it breaks down and stops being produced but usually hydration is a good substitute. The more hydrated the skin is the more pliable it is and more able to snap back into place when stretched or wrinkled up. While you can’t always prevent the effects and signs of aging you can help yourself by making sure you drink plenty of water and keep yourself hydrated all day.
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