Everyone wants radiant, clear and supple skin. We want to look our best when we meet people and when we go out in the world. We want to look good because it makes us feel good and confident. And a large part of looking good has to do with having good skin.
Unfortunately, having good skin often doesn’t come easy. It seems, in fact, to be a losing struggle against an impossibly powerful opponent: Time.
As we grow older, our skin thins, sags, weakens and wrinkles. This is pretty much how nature works, and we can’t do anything to stop it.
However, we can do a lot to delay the effects of aging on our skin. We can also do much to improve the present condition of our skin, regardless of how old we may be. This has been done successfully by people who look years or even decades younger than their biological age. You may know some of these people yourself; perhaps you see them around where you work or live. For sure, you have seen some of them in magazine covers, on TV and in movies.
Actors and celebrities, and a lot of young-looking “normal” people, are living proof that it is possible to have great skin regardless of your age. Their “secret” to looking good may have to do with taking advantage of the latest advances in cosmetic science. It may also be simply explained by their good genes. But aside from these, good skin care habits—which need not be expensive—do play a key role in keeping our skin healthy and unblemished. In addition, having a healthy lifestyle and eating well also influence the health of our skin.
In this book, we will discuss how all these factors affect the quality of your skin. We will also look at skin-care tips, guidelines, and treatments that you can use to keep your skin as smooth and flawless as possible. As you’ll see, some of these will even have the effect of reversing the signs of aging, as they can remove wrinkles and fine lines from your face. We’ll also examine how commercial anti-aging products work, so that you can determine if there’s truth to their claims.
The Effects of Aging on Our Skin
Let’s consider for a while how time, or aging, damages our skin.
As we grow older, our skin naturally loses some of its elasticity. It now has lower amounts of substances called elastin and collagen. Much of the subcutaneous fat (found just below the skin and above the muscle layer) is also lost. As a result, the skin hangs more loosely. The skin layer also literally becomes thinner in addition to becoming less supple.
Another consequence is that “facial movement lines” now become more visible. These lines refer to those that form each time our face moves—every time we make facial expressions, when we laugh, smile, frown, cry, squint and talk. At first, there are but a few of these lines, and then they grow in number or become wrinkles.
The first facial movement lines are often the horizontal lines that we see on the forehead. These usually appear when the person reaches his 30s and 40s. Other common facial movement lines are those vertical ones above the root of the nose (called the “11” by dermatologists), and the short
curved lines around the mouth (“laugh lines”), on the temples and the upper cheeks.
We also “photo-age” as we grow older. Our cumulative exposure to sunlight really dries up and roughens our skin. It strips away even more of the suppleness and the subcutaneous support found directly underneath the skin. Ultraviolet rays from the sun damages skin elastin, though we can’t see this when we are young. The sagging and diminished elasticity often become apparent later in life, after the damage is done.
Furthermore, as we age, our skin reveals the accumulated accumulated effects of many years of bad habits, poor diet, and exposure to the elements. For instance, if a person habitually smokes, there are more free radicals in his system. These substances damage skin cells (and other cells in the body), which can then lead to premature wrinkles, among other things.
Gravity also plays a secondary role in the skin changes we see with the passing of time. In older and less elastic skin, gravity can cause the drooping of the eyebrows and eyelids, the lengthening of the ear lobes, and the appearance of fullness and looseness under the cheeks and jaw. The latter are partly responsible for jowls and double chins.
Other skin problems naturally appear with aging. Spotting, mottling, and dry, itchy skin are common among the elderly. Their skin is also noticeably thinner, more transparent and less stretchy, in addition to being more fragile and more easily bruised.
Can the Effects of Aging be Reversed?
The short answer is yes, skin damage wrought by aging can be reversed—but only up to a certain degree. There is no way to totally bring back the suppleness and radiance of young skin, despite the claims of cosmetic surgeons and marketers of skin products. If this can be done, the effect will be very artificial and short-lived.
There is good news though. First, what we can definitely do is to stop or delay further damage. And second, we can also improve the present health and condition of our skin. There are many ways and methods to do this, and we shall discuss these in later chapters. These methods need not be expensive, but they will require some commitment and hard work on your part. But the reward of clear, fresh-looking and glowing skin will be worth every bit of the patience and diligence you put in taking good care of your skin.
