Aging is a completely natural process that the skin goes through. As you get older, your skin cells don’t regenerate as quickly as they used to, causing the usual signs of aging most people look for, like wrinkles and lines. There are some things you can do to slow down the aging process, but since it occurs naturally it’s usually impossible to reverse it completely. However, if your skin is already showing signs of aging, there are some things you can do to help your skin look younger – like botox, laser resurfacing, and a number of other procedures that are non-invasive.
It’s a good idea to start treating the signs of aging as soon as you see them. Here are the first signs to look for on the skin.
Earliest Signs of Aging
Many people will start to see signs of aging in their 20s. It starts with a few lines around your eyes or between your eyebrows (especially if you’re very expressive with your face). You can expect to start seeing little crows feet spreading around your eyes and mouth. You may also notice that your skin is starting to lose elasticity and volume.
How quickly your skin will age or deteriorate depends largely on your DNA. Look at your family members, it’s likely your skin will go through a similar process or pattern as you get older. Although heredity doesn’t account for everything, studies show that environmental factors also have a large impact on how your skin will age. If you live in a city, air pollution will continue to affect your skin cells. Your diet and lifestyle habits may also contribute. For example, those who smoke cigarettes regularly throughout their lives find increased fine lines or age earlier than expected. The same goes for all those that love tanning and spend time in the sun without protection. Sunspots and age spots, as well as wrinkles and lines, are common in those who spent their youth outdoors, under the sun.
When you’re young, your skin cells are also young – meaning they have enough energy to reproduce and repair themselves quickly. As you age, your skin cells no longer have that power to repair themselves, causing the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Sunspots or dark spots are concentrations of melanin that form deep in the skin layers, so they’re hard to get rid of.
Taking Care of Your Skin
Although you can’t avoid the inevitable forever, there are things you can do to slow down the process and give your skin a new glow.
One of the top rules of skincare is that you should always wear sunblock. It will help keep your skin cells from deteriorating as quickly since it protects you from one of the biggest environmental factors, UV rays. You should also moisturize in the morning and the evening to help your skin retain elasticity. If your skin is already showing signs of aging and it makes you uncomfortable, you should speak to a professional at the Hillelson-Whipple Clinic. Our doctors have over 50 years of experience between them working with clients and providing excellent results in the VA area. There are numerous procedures out there for aging skin, but at the Hillelson-Whipple clinic, you can expect professional, personalized service with an MD who will talk you through the various procedures and recommend the one that is best based on your skin type, age, and lifestyle. Our procedures are safe and non-invasive. Give us a call at 804-290-0060 to schedule an appointment today.