5 Things that Happen as Your Skin Ages

We all know that as our body ages, it goes through many changes. Your skin is your body’s frontline of defense against the elements, and it’s a huge part of how we interact with the world; everytime we take a hot shower, every time we hug, or we touch, we’re feeling the world through our skin. Today, we’re going to look at five things that happen to your skin as it ages; we’ll see why we lose some of the softness and shape we had earlier in life

1. Skin Becomes Dry and Itchy

As we age, our oil glands stop functioning as well as they used to. When you couple this with the fact that our skin is constantly exposed to the elements, it’s no surprise that it can become dry and itchy. Constant buffeting of the skin by the sun is a serious problem, so it’s important to remember protection. A good skin care routine, with regular moisturization can seriously alleviate the problem of dry skin as well. Should your skin become unmanageably dry or itchy, consult your dermatologist to update your skin care routine appropriately.

2. Fat Loss Occurs in the Face

We all know the image of the plump, cherubic “baby-face”. This is because as infants, we have large fat stores in the face which begin to fade and deplete naturally as we age. The result of this depletion is sagging skin, sunken eyes, and a more skeletal appearance. Fat loss is problematic for an at-home skincare routine, as products simply can’t restore lost fat. Fortunately, facial rejuvenation is possible thanks to fillers, which restore natural plumpness and elasticity to the skin.

3. Gravity Makes Skin Sink

As the skin loses its natural elasticity when we age, gravity begins to affect the skin more profoundly. This causes our eyebrows and eyelids to droop, our chin and jowl skin to sag (creating double-chin), and our ear lobes to grow longer. Thankfully, elasticity and shape can also be restored using fillers.

4. Skin Becomes More Fragile

Skin becomes more fragile as we age for a variety of reasons. The epidermis thins, leading skin to become more transparent. The layer between the dermis and the epidermis flattens from use; this causes the layers to be closer together, and more susceptible to damage. The skin also becomes easier to bruise, as a result of blood vessel walls becoming thinner.

5. Bone and Cartilage Density Fade

As we age, our bones and cartilage begin to deplete. This will cause the skin on our face to look different; because our jaws and mouths are particularly sensitive to bone loss, the skin begins to pucker around the lips. Our noses lose cartilage, and this causes us to have bonier looking noses and droopier nose tips.

The effects of aging on skin can be drastic, so if you have any concerns about how you look or feel, be sure to consult a licensed dermatologist with professional staff to alleviate your concerns.