Slowing down the aging process of the skin is the key problem of cosmetology. Until recently, it was believed that the skin began to age at the age of 40, when the first pronounced wrinkles appear. And cosmetics mainly fought against wrinkles. It is now quite obvious that the skin aging process begins long before the visible signs appear and begins at the cellular level for around thirty years. Currently, researchers have a great deal of biomedical scientific knowledge about the structure and functioning of the skin, oxidative stress and its causes, the intracellular mechanisms of adaptation and repair, the quality and intensity of intercellular interactions.
It is accepted for today,that skin aging is not just about visible signs: wrinkles, uneven pigmentation, gravitational sagging of the skin, dryness, etc. First of all, these are cellular and tissue signs of skin aging, changes in the subtle processes occurring in the epidermis and dermis.
Aging mechanisms affect the most important cell organelles:
- DNA- the most important element of conservation and implementation of hereditary information;
- mitochondria- a unique organelle to provide energy to the cell and ensure its survival in difficult conditions;
- cell membrane- regulator of signal transmission from the outside and of the selective permeability of substances.
With any external influence on the skin, complex processes are initiated in the skin cells: they exchange information and coordinate a joint response to external challenges. These processes are very active in young people. But with age, they fade away, 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 in young, mature and old age.
All the theories that describe the mechanisms of skin aging, and there are more than 300 of them, can be divided into two large groups: aging based on internal (endogenous) and external (exogenous) factors. Endogenous aging is caused by information encoded in our DNA and there is still no way to influence this. Exogenous aging is the total result of the accumulation effect of aggressive environmental factors, including ultraviolet and infrared radiation, urban smog ozone, cigarette smoke, etc. A notable shift in the study of aging processes by 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 the skin of the face). Ultraviolet is recognized as the most dangerous.
Signs of skin aging in numbers
Age-related changes usually appear externally and signs of skin aging may be noted. Here is a list of the most common skin changes and their appearance. Research in recent years has allowed us to calculate many of the aging processes in numbers.
- The collagen content in the dermis, which is necessary to ensure the strength of the skin, decreases by 1% every year after the age of 30.
- After 40 years, the skin becomes 1% thinner per year.
- One skin cell restores 10-100, 000 DNA mutations within one day, and 2 hours of sun exposure provides up to 1 million mutations.
- 15 minutes of sun exposure depletes the skin's antioxidant reserves (mainly vitamins C and E) by 70-90%, which takes at least 2 hours to recover.
- Of all the protein synthesized in the cell, 40% is produced with errors: an uninterrupted operation of cellular mechanisms is required for its use and processing.
- In total, the body contains about 15 g of hyaluronic acid, of which 10 g falls on the skin. A complete renewal 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-catastrophe for the skin.
- Decreased 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 old - twice). The firmness of the skin decreases and the skin becomes dull.
- Reduce the amount of water in the stratum corneum. With age, the amount of water in the skin changes: from 75-70% up to the age of 25 to 63-65% in older people. The skin becomes dry, less dense and the sensitivity of the skin increases.
- Increased skin pigmentation. Over time, due to the negative effects of the sun, age spots appear on the skin.
- With age, the activity of the sebaceous glands decreases. As a result, the skin becomes drier and more vulnerable to free radicals.
The main reason for skin aging is a decrease in the repair rate
All skin functions and regenerative processes are preserved in humans 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 negative effects in 12 hours, older skin already needs 30 hours. Thus, it is obvious that in an elderly person the recovery processes are extremely slow. That is, the intact skin of a young and old person is equally effective as a barrier and protection. The differences become clearly evident when the skin is damaged and the need to restore the destroyed structures and mechanisms. Taking into account that our skin is in conditions of continuous aggression from external factors, so the older we age, the more intensely the avalanche of destruction and "untreated" damage grows. That is, mature skin does not have time to cope with damage and they accumulate and appear as external signs of aging. That is, all the signs of aging are "untreated" skin lesions.
Phases of age-related changes in skin and care features
Young skin is differenthigh content of own "molecules of youth", high intensity of recovery processes. Young skin is much denser than mature skin, it is more elastic, its structural fibers, collagen and elastin, are in order. The cell renewal rate is approximately 28 days. The first age-related changes in the skin begin to manifest 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, the mandatory use of various antioxidants.
Mature skin is differenta decrease in the content of "youth molecules" and a slowing down of recovery processes. Daily stress becomes more traumatic and destructive to the skin. The signs of skin aging begin to appear externally in the form of wrinkles, crow's feet around the eyes, sagging skin in the cheekbones and chin. Here anti-aging cosmetics should provide not only protection, but also support for their own processes (protective and maintenance cosmetics). The use of substances to maintain cellular life (protection of cell membranes, DNA and mitochondria), enhance the synthesis of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid is topical. 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,massive deficit of recovery mechanisms. The skin cell renewal rate after age 55 is significantly reduced and is already 3-4 months (28 days before age 25). This occurs in an unfavorable context of already accumulated "untreated" injuries. The signs of skin aging become more pronounced: the number and depth of wrinkles increase, the skin becomes drier and duller. Anti-aging cosmetics of this age are protection, support and replacement of the lost. Active substances of both previous and proper 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 replenish the lipid barrier, intradermal moisturizers, anti - inflammatory components and vascular stabilizers.
Each of us is different. However, the processes that take place in our skin are established by nature the same for everyone. Including the aging process of the skin. At each age, the degree of manifestation of some changes is different. Take a closer look at yourself. Maybe you will notice some changes today. So, it's time to take action! It is important to select beauty care products based on the age and needs of the skin at each stage of life.
Skincare products and specialized treatments will help you slow down the aging process of your skin and keep it young for years to come. In the abundance of an assortment of cosmetics and procedures today, women of any age group can choose the right anti-aging products for themselves.