Although aging is a fact of life, we as a society, continue to pursue a youthful appearance, with healthy looking, glowing, plump skin. It is not surprising at all, as our skin is one of the first things people see when they look at us. It’s just natural that we want to feel good, young and, if possible make an awe-aspiring impresssion on others. Because of this, anti-aging skincare has been a leading segment of a multi-billion dollar cosmetics industry for years, and premature aging is a primary skin concern for many of us.
With all that being said, how can you keep your skin youthful and healthy looking for as long as possible? The first step is understanding why and how skin ages. Once you know it you will be able to make better life choices that will positively affect your skin in the long run. So here is a basic skin aging tutorial.
What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic aging?
Skin aging occurs as a result of two main processes – intrinsic and extrinsic.
Intrinsic aging is nothing other than chronological aging.
It is predetermined by our genes. It is characterized by decreased functionality and reduced cell renewal. The skin becomes less firm, gradually becoming dryer and thinner, and lines start to appear. The good news is that in many cases clinical signs of intrinsic aging appear quite late in life.
Up to a few decades ago, researchers thought that over 25% of aging was “coded” in our genes. Today it is largely accepted that hereditary genetic influences cause between 3% and 15% of all aging processes. To tackle this type of aging, one should concentrate on maintaining normal cellular proliferation or cell growth by, for example, use of collagen production stimulating skincare.
Extrinsic aging is a result of a series of environment-related factors like solar radiation, lifestyle, pollution and chemical exposure.
The environment is no paradise for the skin and its impact shows through the appearance of deep wrinkles and pigmentation issues (if you are interested in hyperpigmentation types and treatment go ahead and check these 2 posts – here and here). This aging process also tends to start affecting the skin early in life. Your skin may start changing as early as in your 20s or 30s. The good news is that this type of aging can be controlled through lifestyle choices and by keeping free radicals – your skin’s number one enemy – under control.
Somewhere between 85% and 97% of all aging is extrinsic, and the best way avoid premature aging and to keep a youthful appearance is to target this problem as best as we can.
To tackle both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, a good aging prevention strategy should consist of 3 basic steps:
- avoiding overexposure to the sun,
- controlling lifestyle factors – eating a healthy and well-balanced diet, sleeping well, avoiding pollution, cigarettes and alcohol,
- using anti-aging skincare products with high levels of various kinds of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and collagen and elastin stimulating ingredients.
We can’t escape aging but we can do our best to look healthy and attractive for quite a while. A mindful anti-aging skincare regime and a set of lifestyle choices can really make a difference in the long run. You can age gracefully and feel beautiful even till late in life. It’s really up to you.
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PIPETTE 