Questions Concerning Aging, Fine Lines, and How to Treat Them at Affinity Body Solutions Medical Spa
What does it mean to have “aging” skin and what can we do about it?
Aging is a part of life. As much as we try to stop it by using the newest cream or using cosmetic surgery, it will happen to all of us. What you may not know is there are two types of aging and one of them can be avoided.
What is intrinsic aging?
Intrinsic aging is also known as chronological aging. This we can do nothing about. It’s why we hit puberty and menopause. With every passing birthday if you are blowing out the candles wishing to turn back the hands of time-it won’t happen. How we show these signs of aging depends on genetics.
What are the signs of intrinsic aging?
Dry Skin: As we get older, we produce less oil. This is why mature skin tends to be drier. There are not enough natural moisturizers keeping our skin hydrated.
Wrinkles: Father time (funny how time should be a man) causes a natural loss of collagen and elastin. Our body is slowing down and the production of both of these elements is affected.
Large Pores & Sagging Skin: Over time our skins support system starts diminishing. This results in large pores and sagging skin.
What is extrinsic aging?
Extrinsic aging is also known as environmental aging. This type of aging is due to a large part of the environment we live in and the actions we take.
What are the signs of extrinsic aging?
Increased roughness: This is due to sun exposure which has damaged the skin. Sun damage promotes free radicals which also destroy collagen and elastin. This causes our cell turnover to do so irregularly. The end result is rough skin.
Spots: When it comes to extrinsic aging we might as well be blame it on the sun. Simply put, the constant sun exposure of our youth has made our skin behave irregularly due to the damage that the sun causes. This makes the pigment act abnormal which results in sun spots (also known as liver spots or hyper pigmentation).
What about excessive wrinkling?
We‘re not talking about the smile lines and expression line that happen with chronological aging, excessive wrinkling is the deep pronounced lines around our lips eyes, cheeks, neck and forehead. Can you guess the culprit here? There is two - sun exposure and smoking. We already know the sun damages our skin and causes premature aging. Smoking causes extrinsic aging because it is robbing your body of essential nutrients and oxygen. If your body is not getting enough oxygen, the production and healing capabilities of your body starts to diminish.
What about sagging skin?
Once again we see the sun. The sun has harmful UVA rays which do a lot of dirty work beneath the surface. These nasty little rays have the ability to penetrate deep within the skins surface and destroy elastin. We know elastin is needed to keep our skin firm and supple and with age we will have lower levels of both elastin and collagen. What the sun does is compound the natural aging process. The important thing to remember is to always wear sunblock. We can see that the majority of the damage cause by extrinsic aging is caused by the sun. If you smoke, stop. Look into cessation programs. Get some sleep. Sleep is when our body repairs itself, it’s when our body builds, skin, muscle and bones. If you’re not getting enough sleep your body will not be functioning at an optimum level.T here is nothing we can do to halt the aging process but by taking care of ourselves we can age gracefully.
Why do I have Dry skin and how can I treat it?
Dry skin has a low level of sebum and can be prone to sensitivity. The skin has a parched look caused by its inability to retain moisture. It usually feels "tight" and uncomfortable after washing unless some type of moisturizer or skin cream is applied. Chapping and cracking are signs of extremely dry, dehydrated skin. Dryness is exacerbated by wind, extremes of temperature and air-conditioning, all of which cause the skin to flake, chap and feel tight. This type of skin is tightly drawn over bones. It looks dull, especially on the cheeks and around the eyes. There may be tiny expression lines on these spots and at the comers of the mouth.
Causes:
- The oil glands do not supply enough lubrication to the skin. As a result, the skin becomes dehydrated.
- Skin gets exposed to the elements especially in winter.
- Dry skin could be due to a genetic condition.
- Poor diet. Nutritional deficiencies, especially deficiencies of vitamin A and the B vitamins, can also contribute to dry skin.
- Environmental factors such as exposure to sun, wind, cold, chemicals, or cosmetics, or excessive bathing with harsh soaps.
- Conditions such as dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, or seborrhea.
- Enter hyperlink to Vital C line and dry skin treatments
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