Slowing down the aging process of the skin is a fundamental problem of cosmetology. Until recently, it was believed that the skin begins to age until the age of 40, when the first pronounced wrinkles appear. And cosmetics mostly fought wrinkles. It is now quite obvious that the aging process of the skin begins long before the appearance of visible signs and begins at the cellular level for about thirty years. Currently, researchers have a large amount of biomedical scientific knowledge about the structure and functioning of the skin, oxidative stress and its causes, intracellular mechanisms of adaptation and repair, quality and intensity of intercellular interactions.
Accepted for today,that skin aging does not only refer to visible signs: wrinkles, uneven pigmentation, gravitational relaxation of the skin, dryness, etc. First of all, these are cellular and tissue signs of skin aging, changes in subtle processes that occur in the epidermis and dermis.
The mechanisms of aging affect the most important cellular organelles:
- DNA- the most important element of storage and application of hereditary data;
- mitochondria- a unique organelle that gives energy to the cell and ensures its survival in difficult conditions;
- cell membranes- regulator of external signal transmission and selective permeability of substances.
With any external influence on the skin, complex processes are triggered in the skin cells - they exchange information and coordinate a common response to external challenges. These processes are very active in young people. But with age they disappear, a certain imbalance of internal processes occurs and the skin begins to age. This raises the question of how to help the skin effectively resist aging at a young, mature and older age.
All theories that describe the mechanisms of skin aging, and there are more than 300, can be divided into two major groups - aging based on internal (endogenous) and external (exogenous) factors. Endogenous aging is caused by information encoded in our DNA and we still cannot influence this aspect. Exogenous aging is the overall result of the accumulating effect of aggressive environmental factors, including ultraviolet and infrared radiation, urban smog ozone, cigarette smoke, etc. A noticeable shift in the study of the aging process from external factors occurred at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. Now no one doubts the fact that external factors determine 60-80% of the total volume of aging (data for facial skin). Ultraviolet is recognized as the most dangerous.
Signs of skin aging in numbers
Age-related changes usually appear externally and signs of skin aging can be noticed. Here is a list of the most common skin changes and their appearance. Research in recent years has allowed numerous calculations of many aging processes.
- The collagen content in the dermis, which is necessary to ensure skin firmness, drops by 1% every year after the age of 30.
- After 40 years, the skin becomes thinner by 1% per year.
- A skin cell regenerates 10-100 thousand mutations in DNA within one day, and 2 hours of sun exposure provide up to a million mutations.
- 15 minutes of sun exposure depletes the skin's own reserves of antioxidants (primarily vitamins C and E) by 70-90%, which requires at least 2 hours to recover.
- Of all the proteins that are synthesized in the cell, 40% are produced with defects - continuous operation of cellular mechanisms is required for its use and processing.
- The total body contains about 15 g of hyaluronic acid, of which 10 g falls on the skin. Complete recovery of all hyaluronic acid occurs in the body in three (! ) Days - any failure in the work of skin cells for the synthesis of hyaluronic acid turns into a micro disaster for the skin.
- Reduced elasticity of the stratum corneum and epidermis. With age, the stratum corneum becomes thicker, and the upper layer, on the contrary, becomes thinner (from 30 to 70 years - twice). The firmness of the skin decreases and the skin becomes dull.
- Reducing the amount of water in the stratum corneum. With age, the amount of water in the skin changes: 75-70% to 25 years and 63-65% in older people. The skin becomes dry, less dense, and the sensitivity of the skin increases.
- Increased skin pigmentation. Over time, age spots appear on the skin due to the negative effects of the sun.
- With age, the activity of the sebaceous glands decreases. As a result, the skin becomes dry and more vulnerable to free radicals.
The main reason for skin aging is a reduction in the speed of repair
All skin functions and regenerative processes are preserved in people even in old age. The problem is that their speed is slowing down. If young skin is able to react to a negative impulse and stop its harmful effects in 12 hours, then older skin already needs 30 hours. Therefore, it is obvious that the recovery processes in the elderly are extremely slow. That is, the intact skin of a young and old person is just as effective as a barrier and protection. The differences become sharply noticeable when the skin is damaged and the need to restore destroyed structures and mechanisms. Considering that our skin is in conditions of continuous aggression of external factors, the older we get, the more intensively the snow of "untreated" destruction and damage grows. external signs of aging That is, all signs of aging are "untreated" skin lesions.
Stages of age-related changes in the skin and characteristics of care
Young skin is differenthigh content of their own "youth molecules", high intensity of the recovery process. Young skin is much thicker than mature, it is more elastic, its structural fibers, collagen and elastin are arranged. The cell renewal rate is approximately 28 days. The first age-related changes in the skin begin to appear from the age of 25. Therefore, the main focus of cosmetics of this age group is protection and prevention. It includes protection from ultraviolet radiation, support of water and lipid balance in the skin, obligatory use of various antioxidants.
Mature skin is differentreducing the content of the "youth molecule" and slowing down the recovery process. Everyday stress becomes more traumatic and destructive to the skin. Signs of skin aging begin to appear on the outside in the form of wrinkles, crows around the eyes, sagging skin on the cheekbones and chin. Here, anti-age cosmetics should provide not only protection, but also support for their own processes (protective cosmetics and cosmetics for maintenance). The current use of substances for maintaining cell life (protection of cell membranes, DNA and mitochondria), enhancing the synthesis of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid. It is necessary to strengthen and maintain a high intensity of intercellular communication with the help of regulatory peptides and growth factors.
In old age,a huge deficit of recovery mechanisms. The rate of skin cell renewal after the age of 55 is significantly reduced and is already 3-4 months (28 days before the age of 25). This happens in an unfavorable background of already accumulated "untreated" injuries. Signs of skin aging are becoming more pronounced - the number and depth of wrinkles increase, the skin becomes dry and dull. Anti-age cosmetics of this age are protection, support and compensation for the lost. Active substances from previous age groups can be used - bioflavonoids with phytoestrogenic activity (to replace the level of own estrogens), cholesterol in a special ratio with ceramides and fatty acids to supplement the lipid barrier, intradermal moisturizers, anti-inflammatory and vascular stabilizing components.
Each of us is different. However, the processes that take place in our skin are set by nature in the same way for everyone. Including the skin aging process. At each age, the degree of manifestation of certain changes is different. Take a closer look. You may notice some changes today. So, it’s time to act! It is important to choose beauty care products according to the age and needs of the skin at each stage of life.
Skin care products and specialist treatments will help you slow down the aging process of your skin and make you look younger for years. With an abundance of cosmetics and treatments today, women of any age group can choose the right anti-aging products for themselves.