Most people (by the time they are 30 years old) would have started experiencing the adverse effects of their age on their bodies, particularly the skin. It begins to show its age, left unattended, as there is a depletion of essential oils which in turn results in a loss of elasticity, making the skin look dull and lackluster. There are two types of aging called intrinsic or extrinsic; the former rises due to hereditary factors and the latter due to exposure to sun and weather. The exposure to direct sun, apart from leading to skin cancer, is the most detrimental factor in aging skin.
All About Intrinsic Aging
Intrinsic aging is a continuous and ongoing process; it will start reflecting on your skins from the mid 20s, by slowing down the production of collagen, which is responsible for the suppleness of younger skin. It also slows down the skin rejuvenation process where the dead skin cells are shed and new cells are reproduced. Though these processes start in your mid 20s, typically they do not show visibly on your faces for another 15 to 20 years.
Such signs of intrinsic aging are fine lines around the eyes and mouth; thin, transparent skin, loss of fat under the skin leading to hollowed cheeks; dry, itchy skin and graying hair, etc. Such aging is controlled by your genes; and you’ll age the way your parents did. Balding, putting on weight during menopause, lines and wrinkles formation, and going grey – all these are determined by genetic factors.
All About Extrinsic Aging
Extrinsic aging is dependent on the amount of time one spends outdoors, in the harsh sunlight, apart from lifestyle choices such as smoking, sleeping positions etc. Such exposure, when it occurs regularly as in the case of sportsmen, sailors, fishermen or other such workers, can affect the skin greatly. It turns the skin dark, sapping the youthful supple looks and turning it into a dry leather-like ravaged parchment, if left without treatment.
Even a few minutes of exposure to the direct sun, unprotected by a hat can cause visible effects on the skin turning it blotchy and dry. Such aging is called photo-aging and is more visible in those with lighter skin pigmentation than in cases of those with darker skin. Another major factor contributing to skin aging is smoking; apart from the heat that is detrimental to your skin, the chemicals also affect the skin adversely leading to premature aging. And the way you sleep has a direct effect on how your skin ages; if you sleep with your cheeks resting on the pillow, you develop lines on your face and the sides of your neck over time; the best sleeping posture is to sleep on your back.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, more than 80% of extrinsic skin aging happens as a direct result of sun-exposure and the resulting damage due to ultraviolet radiation. Just a few minutes a day is enough to affect your skin adversely. Sunscreens and clothes that cover you to the fullest extent possible and hats are the best way to beat sun exposure and its ill effects. Exposure to various pollutants in the air and the water that you use can also affect your skin making it look dull and patchy. Every product that you use is made of chemicals and you end up harming your skins inadvertently.
Lifestyle Changes and Other Factors
Another contributing factor to the way you age is the way your facial expressions impact the underlying skin. Called laugh lines or worry lines, the smiles and frowns leave behind their marks on the facial skin and underlying tissues. The best way to beat these lines is to live as healthy a lifestyle as possible, avoiding sunlight, harsh chemicals, smoking and pollution. While chronological aging cannot be stopped, a healthy lifestyle combined with minimal sun exposure can help to slow down the process.
Using natural, organic chemical free products and produce wherever possible can also go a long way in helping you to maintain younger looking skin. And as the adage goes, think happy thoughts; it reduces the frowns that impact the facial tissue underneath, which in the longer run ravage your face; so happy thoughts help you to look young and healthy with supple skin.
