Symptoms
As we age, our skin is no longer the same as the skin we received as infants. The main characteristics of aging skin include:
- Loss of elasticity and shine, pallor, sagging.
- Dry skin, rough skin, loss of barrier function, itching.
- Susceptibility to skin diseases, eg benign and malignant neoplasms, actinic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, susceptibility to injury.
- Increased and reduced pigmentation, e.g. age spots.
- Bleeding, bruising, telangiectasia.
- Poorer blood circulation and wound healing
- Hair loss, gray hair, change in nail structure.
- Reduced sweating, reduced sebum formation.
Causes
Skin aging is a normal and physiological process that progresses with age and is caused by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors include, for example, oxidative stress, shortening of telomeres, and mutations in the genome of cells and mitochondria. In addition, reduced hormone secretion also plays a role. One of the most important extrinsic factors is considered to be sunlight and UV radiation. It is estimated that 90% of neoplasms on the skin are triggered by sunlight. Smoking, pollutants, some medications and malnutrition also have a negative influence. Mechanical stress and repeated muscle contractions also play a role in the development of wrinkles, for example. The epidermis and dermis recede (atrophy), collagen fibers change and blood vessels weaken and small hemorrhages may occur. Most important for skin aging are the processes in the dermis:
- Epidermis: slower cell differentiation, decrease in pigmentation by melanocytes.
- Dermis: The dermis becomes much thinner and has fewer cells (fibroblasts) and blood vessels; collagen formation changes
- Subcutis: Fatty tissue decreases in some regions of the body, for example, the face and hands.
Prevention and treatment
- Sunscreens are recommended to prevent the negative effects of UV radiation.
- Avoidance of solar radiation and pollutants
- Give up smoking
- Use of skin care products against dry skin, replenishing baths.
- Mild soaps
- Use of cosmetics and cosmetic methods
- Antioxidants such as vitamin C, coenzyme Q10.
- Retinoids such as tretinoin promote collagen formation
