Ananda Mahony
NaomiWhy Does Skin Age? (LINK)
April 30th 2008 08:47
Aging is a complex process that affects the skin and every other organ in the body. Different mechanisms are involved leading to numerous ways of combating the aging process. The process of skin aging is a multimillion dollar industry and the push is constantly on to discover the elixir of youthful skin. At this point in time, the search continues…..
Skin aging is often divided into two categories, "chronological aging" which is a consequence of the passage of time and "photoaging" which results from damage caused by ultraviolet light from the sun. It is estimated that up to 80% of skin aging can be attributed to photoaging from sun exposure in non-smokers as it is cumulative and starts from youth (Fisher G, 2002).
The collagen in our skin is constantly undergoing “remodelling”. Sun exposure causes the production of metalloproteinases which break down collagen and cause microscarring. At the same time there is a decrease in the body’s production of collagen and overtime the cumulative damage from microscarring becomes macroscarring and eventually leads to the age related changes in our appearance such as fine lines, wrinkles and fat dimpling (Varani, J. 2000).
The natural aging process is influenced by three key processes. Every day cells die and are replaced by new cells. As we grow older mistakes in the cellular reproduction process start to increase leading to non-functional cells. As the number of non-functional cells increase, so too does the deterioration in bodily functions. Secondly, there is increased damage to the DNA within the cells and the older we get the less able we are to produce replacement cells to compensate for the damaged ones. The most obvious sign of this effect is the thinning of skin.
The third process is an underlying factor common to both photoaging and natural aging and is that of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress gives rise to the production of free radicals which can cause damage to our DNA, protein (collagen and elastin), protein synthesis (collagen remodelling) and fat stores. Ultraviolet light from the sun, normal metabolism and environmental stresses such as smoking, pollution, poor diet and chemical exposure all contribute to the production of free radicals. The damaging effect of free radicals is exacerbated if the presence of an antioxidant deficiency.
Every day skin cells are bombarded by damaging free radical assaults, even more so than other body organs because they are external and therefore exposed to sun, wind, pollution and chemicals. Free radicals degrade collagen fibres in the dermis, causing it to weaken over time. This leads to collagen cross-linking, resulting in loss of elasticity and contributes wrinkles.
At this stage, the process of skin aging sounds fairly grim however; there are certainly measures we can take to improve skin health. While much of the photoaging damage is irreversible, we can reverse some of the sun damage and importantly slow down the development of further damage. The natural aging process can also be slowed down by incorporating key dietary and lifestyle factors so that we look and feel younger than our chronological age.
In part two I will look at what to do to help slow down this process...and in some cases even reverse at least some of the damage.
Skin aging is often divided into two categories, "chronological aging" which is a consequence of the passage of time and "photoaging" which results from damage caused by ultraviolet light from the sun. It is estimated that up to 80% of skin aging can be attributed to photoaging from sun exposure in non-smokers as it is cumulative and starts from youth (Fisher G, 2002).
The collagen in our skin is constantly undergoing “remodelling”. Sun exposure causes the production of metalloproteinases which break down collagen and cause microscarring. At the same time there is a decrease in the body’s production of collagen and overtime the cumulative damage from microscarring becomes macroscarring and eventually leads to the age related changes in our appearance such as fine lines, wrinkles and fat dimpling (Varani, J. 2000).
The natural aging process is influenced by three key processes. Every day cells die and are replaced by new cells. As we grow older mistakes in the cellular reproduction process start to increase leading to non-functional cells. As the number of non-functional cells increase, so too does the deterioration in bodily functions. Secondly, there is increased damage to the DNA within the cells and the older we get the less able we are to produce replacement cells to compensate for the damaged ones. The most obvious sign of this effect is the thinning of skin.
The third process is an underlying factor common to both photoaging and natural aging and is that of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress gives rise to the production of free radicals which can cause damage to our DNA, protein (collagen and elastin), protein synthesis (collagen remodelling) and fat stores. Ultraviolet light from the sun, normal metabolism and environmental stresses such as smoking, pollution, poor diet and chemical exposure all contribute to the production of free radicals. The damaging effect of free radicals is exacerbated if the presence of an antioxidant deficiency.
Every day skin cells are bombarded by damaging free radical assaults, even more so than other body organs because they are external and therefore exposed to sun, wind, pollution and chemicals. Free radicals degrade collagen fibres in the dermis, causing it to weaken over time. This leads to collagen cross-linking, resulting in loss of elasticity and contributes wrinkles.
At this stage, the process of skin aging sounds fairly grim however; there are certainly measures we can take to improve skin health. While much of the photoaging damage is irreversible, we can reverse some of the sun damage and importantly slow down the development of further damage. The natural aging process can also be slowed down by incorporating key dietary and lifestyle factors so that we look and feel younger than our chronological age.
In part two I will look at what to do to help slow down this process...and in some cases even reverse at least some of the damage.
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