Wrinkles and Skin Health

As you age, it is important that you are taking care of all aspects of your health. This includes your skin health. A lot of the time, when we think about skin health and wrinkles, we think of it as a beauty issue. Your skin health is so much more than that. What damages your skin and causes wrinkles could put you at a greater risk for skin cancer or other complications. In order to properly take care of your skin, reduce your chance of wrinkle development and fight the negative effects of aging, you must first understand how and why your skin becomes damaged.

What are Wrinkles and how do they Form?

Your skin consists of two layers. These layers are:

• The epidermis. This is the outermost layer of your skin. The epidermis consists mostly of dead, hardened skin cells that work to protect the body from outside elements.
• The dermis. The second layer of your skin, or the dermis, contains the protein collagen and other fibers. This gives your skin its elasticity.

Wrinkles can form in both layers of your skin. The appearance of these wrinkles will vary, depending on which layer they form in.

As you age, three things begin to happen to your skin:

• Your epidermis loses its ability to retain moisture. This leads to fine lines showing on the skin’s surface.
• The collagen and elastin of the dermis begin to break down and weaken the skin’s support structure.
• Fat begins to disappear from the skin’s deeper layers, this leads to sagging.

All together, these factors can lead to deeper wrinkles when in combination with:

• Sun exposure. This accounts for 90 percent of the damage done to your skin.
• Smoking. Smokers are five times more likely to have wrinkled facial skin than non-smokers.
• Air pollution. Pollution can break down Vitamin E that your skin needs to stay healthy.
• Genetics. How you age can be affected by your genes and family history.

Proper Skin Care and Treatment for Wrinkles

Although wrinkles are inevitable, there are still ways to minimize the effects of aging when it comes to your skin. Try adopting healthier skin care and lifestyle habits such as:

• Always wear sunscreen
• Reduce or quit smoking
• Exercise regularly
• Reduce stress
• Eat a diet full of fruits and vegetables
• Stay hydrated
• Use a skin moisturizer

These actions may help to delay the appearance of wrinkles, but you may still develop them down the road. There are skin treatments available for wrinkles as well as any other skin damage such as acne, scarring, enlarged pores or photoaging and sun damage.

Medical treatments for skin health include:

• Botox. An injection that is delivered directly to the wrinkled skin that blocks the nerve signals connected to the facial muscles. This reduces the muscle activity in your face to improve the appearance of wrinkles.
• Microdermabrasion. This is an exfoliating treatment that works to repair skin damage. Microdermabrasion removes and eliminates dead, damaged skin.
• Superficial chemical peels. Glycolic and salicylic acid peels are treatments that flake some of the superficial layer of your epidermis off. This flaking effect can be minimized with a moisturizing lotion. These kinds of chemical peels are known as quick “lunch time” procedures.

As you age, you want to look as good as you feel. Taking care of your skin is the first step. By taking your skin health seriously, you can reduce wrinkles, prevent skin damage and fight the negative effects of aging.