What Happens to Aging Skin and How Can We Stop It?

For most of human history, we didn't care about aging. Not because we weren't vain, but because we were more likely to be eaten by something or catch a deadly disease before we had a chance to grow old.

That's not to say we must love all the ways aging show up on our faces. And until some genius experts figure out how to turn off the genetic markers that age us (they are actually working on it), our options are to postpone its effects with protection and to treat its symptoms. To do that, it's a good idea to understand what happens to skin as it ages.

The aging you CAN’T avoid.

Scientists don't know exactly why we age, but some of the same basic processes happen to everyone after adolescence:

1. The outer layer of skin (the epidermis) gets thinner and more fragile.

If you've ever seen a cut on a baby's skin heal overnight like a vampire's, you know first-hand that your skin cells just aren't the same as they used to be. The cells’ rate of turnover also decreases with every year.

2. The space between the skin gets flatter.

In younger skin, the space between the epidermis and dermis (the middle layer of skin), is wavy, like the shock-absorbing corrugation you use to package fragile things. When that space begins to flatten, the skin is more fragile, and it has less space in which to transmit nutrients between layers.

3. Collagen production decreases.

Collagen is a protein responsible for healthy joints and skin elasticity, or stretchiness. It’s in your bones, muscles, and blood, comprising three-quarters of your skin and a third of the protein in your body. Fibroblasts, the cells that produce collagen and connective tissue in our bodies, just seem to get a little less efficient as we age. On average, we make 1 – 1.5% less collagen every year after age 25.

4. Hyaluronic acid decreases.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) isn't just a hyped up ingredient, it's a type of molecule our skin naturally uses as a framework to hold the collagen together and lock in moisture like a sponge. Once we begin to lose it, our skin looks dry and dull.

5. Blood circulation declines.

As we age, we have fewer capillaries in the skin, leading to a decrease in blood flow of about 40 percent between the ages of 20 and 70. Reduced blood flow means less oxygen and nutrients get to the skin, and wound healing doesn't happen as quickly. This is where exercise is key as exercising muscles need more blood. And in response to regular exercise, they actually grow more blood vessels by expanding the network of capillaries. It’s a win win!

6. Fat loss.

The subdermal layer of the skin is where we have those lovely little fat pads that keep us insulated from cold and injury. They lend young people's faces that upside-down triangle shape. When the fat pads decrease in volume with age, faces invert into a right-side-up pyramid, hollow in some places and saggy in others. Not the fat loss you were hoping for, huh… 

The aging you CAN avoid.

As if all the above weren't enough, there's also the damage that the sun, pollution, smoking, and other external factors have on our skin cells. 

1. UVA and UVB rays accelerate the depletion of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid in the skin.

This again means the skin has less bounce, and it eventually leads to wrinkles. SPF is key in helping prevent this. A mineral or physical SPF of 50+ that is reapplied every 2 hours regularly is best.

2. Melanocytes, the skin cells responsible for pigmentation, break down with sun exposure.

When some melanocytes die, others grow to take their space, resulting in skin spots. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/004014.htm

Vitamin C, retinoids, hydroquinone, chemical peels, laser therapies, and prescription medications can help reduce hyperpigmentation or sunspots.

3. The sun and other oxidative agents can even damage our DNA.

This causes mutations in cells, which can lead to skin cancers.

What can you do?

• Protect yourself from the sun with hats, shade, and SPF 50+ every day for every skin type and reapply every 2 hours.

• Apply topical treatments like retinoids. Retinoids cause the epidermis to thicken, improves capillary flow, and increases production of collagen and elastin.

• Get dermal fillers to replace the places where those fat pats have shrunk, restoring that upside-down triangle and return lips to their former plumpness.

• Use Botox on the upper face, to smooth, lift and brighten.

• Stimulate collagen production with microneedling, laser resurfacing, or chemical peels. All of these are different ways to signal the skin to begin the wound repair process and generate new skin cells.

• Use Intense Pulse Light (IPL) Photofacial therapy, which not only reduces brown and red spots and increases collagen production, but also has been shown to change cells' DNA expression, making them switch to "younger" mode.

• And we can’t forget about proper medical grade skincare. 

Which one of these treatments is best for you? There's no right answer. Find a professional and get a consultation to find the right treatments for you.