The first step of combating the ageing process is learning everything there is to know about it! What changes does the skin go through and what can we do about it if we want to age gracefully?
As we age, our skin also ages. Most of us have healthy, bright and elastic skin when we are young that is if you are using the right skin cleansing and care products. Wrong usage of skin care products can cause damage to our skin protective barrier making our skin vulnerable to many common skin problems such as acne and dryness. Always choose a mildly-acidic or low pH skin cleansing & care product. This is because our skin is naturally healthy at a mildly-acidic state. Read here to understand more on why a low pH skin care product is recommended to maintain healthy skin.
Visible signs such as wrinkles, sagging skin and hyper-pigmentation caused by environmental influences will start to show its presence. The skin becomes thinner and blood vessels become more visible. Older skin retains less water which then lead to increased trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) making our skin drier, thinner and also more likely to be susceptible to irritations and infections. These conditions are also due to changes beneath the skin surface as the collagen and elastic fibers in our skin begins to degrade.
These are the 5 signs of an ageing skin:
Impaired barrier function
A person’s natural protective skin barrier is compromised when a person uses cleansing products or skin care products that contain alkaline or soap-based ingredients. With prolonged use of such unsuitable products, the user’s natural protective skin barrier will disintegrate and does not function well to protect the skin from many common skin problems.
Increased TEWL
Increased trans-epidermal water loss is associated with an impaired barrier function. This is most likely caused by the flattening of the corneocytes, altered and reduced fat layer underneath the skin and also reduced natural moisturizing factor (NMF) content as you grow older.
Uneven skin tone
Sun exposure may also induce hyper-pigmentation as the ultraviolet rays (uv rays) from the sun penetrate into the skin causing the formation of dark spots. It is advisable to use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 or higher to protect the skin and stop hyper-pigmentation from becoming darker.
Loss of elasticity
The loss of the elastic tissue (elastin) in the skin with age causes the skin to hang loosely, allowing wrinkles to develop. Your skin becomes more transparent and fragile which is caused by thinning of the epidermis (surface layer of the skin).
Development of fine lines
With reduced collagen production in the skin, it’s easier for visible wrinkles and sagging to occur. You might notice this happening more in area such as around the eyes, neck and eventually on your forehead.
It is true when people say do not judge a book by its cover because your skin may look like you are in your 30s while you are actually in the early 50s. These visible signs are the manifestation of what is happening on the inside of our skin. As we grow older, our skin loses its immunity, the quality of new skin cells are impaired and also the replenishment of a healthy new skin cells are reduced. Ever heard of “Prevention is better than cure“? It is never too early to prevent signs of skin ageing. Recent studies have shown that probiotics could be the answer to healthy, young skin. You may not be able to avoid ageing altogether but you can certainly delay the process. Read here for newest discovery on how probiotics helps improve skin health.
