What happens to your skin as you age? (Effects of Aging on Skin) Let's talk about this!

We all get older at some point. It's a part of life. You've probably looked in the mirror and thought, "Oh, my face is getting wrinkles, isn't it?" You've probably noticed that the skin you have now is not the same as it was when you were younger . This is a common experience for many people. It's normal for our skin to change as we age. It's influenced by our lifetime exposure to the sun, habits like smoking, the food we eat, and the normal aging process. So today, let's talk about why these changes happen and what we can do to maintain healthy skin.

What are the main changes in the skin as we age?

As you age, one of the first things you notice is that your skin doesn't feel as smooth or tight as it used to. It can also become drier, thinner, and more fragile . You may have noticed that it bruises and turns blue easily even if you get hit by something small or bumped somewhere. This happens because the supportive tissue around the blood vessels in our skin weakens as we age.

Not only that, but what's under the skin also changes.

• Loss of fat: The fat around your cheeks, chin, forehead, nose, and eyes starts to decrease. This can make your skin look saggy and your face look thinner.
• Changes around the mouth: As the bones around the mouth and chin atrophy, the skin around the mouth becomes wrinkled.
• Expression Lines: Wrinkles are caused by the facial expressions you make. For example, if you are someone who always frowns, those lines will become permanent on your forehead by the age of 30-40. The same goes for the 'crow's feet' that appear on either side of your mouth and around your eyes.
• The effect of gravity: As our skin loses elasticity, gravity causes the eyebrows and eyelids to droop. Sagging under the cheeks and jawline can lead to "jowls" and a " double chin ." Even the earlobes can droop slightly.

Two of the biggest enemies of skin aging: sunlight and smoking

There are two main factors that damage your skin faster than it ages naturally: uncontrolled sun exposure and smoking.

Sun damage to the skin

Although it is normal for us to go out in the sun, prolonged exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) light can cause serious damage to our skin. Simply put, our skin has a special type of fiber called elastin . These are like rubber bands in the skin. These elastin fibers help to bring the skin back to its original position when it is stretched.

When exposed to sunlight for long periods of time, these elastin fibers break down. This can cause:

• The skin is sagging.
• The skin becomes stretchy.
• When the skin is stretched, it loses its ability to return to its original position.
• The skin bruises and tears easily.
• If you get injured, the healing time will increase.

You may not notice the damage from the sun when you're young, but it's only as you get older that you start to see the effects . So, don't think, "It's too late now." It's never too late to start protecting yourself from the sun.

How to protect yourself from the sun?

• Reduce exposure to the sun during peak hours: Avoid being in the sun between 10 am and 2 pm as much as possible.
• Use sunscreen: This is a must. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher every day. It's best to choose a product that has a physical blocker like zinc oxide . Also, a sunscreen containing iron oxide will protect against visible light, which causes pigmentation, and blue light, which ages the skin.
• Wear protective clothing: Wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants, wide-brimmed hats, and sunglasses provides good skin protection.

What smoking does to the skin

This is something that many people don't know. The skin of smokers develops wrinkles much more quickly than that of non-smokers. If you take two people of the same age and with the same amount of sun exposure, the smoker's skin will have more wrinkles. Smoking constricts the small blood vessels that supply blood to the skin. This reduces the amount of oxygen and nutrients that reach the skin, and the skin loses its health.

Be careful of skin dryness and itching.

Another problem that many people face as they age is dry and itchy skin. This can be caused by several factors.

• Oil gland dysfunction: As we age, the oil glands in our skin that naturally produce oil decrease in size and function. This causes the skin to lose moisture and become dry.
• Environmental factors: Things like staying in air-conditioned rooms, using too much soap, and bathing in hot water can further increase skin dryness.
• Other medical conditions: Some medical conditions (e.g., diabetes, kidney disease) and some medications can also cause increased skin itching.

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