There are two influences affecting aging skin.  The first is genetics.  This is called intrinsic aging. The second impact on aging skin is our environmental factors.  This is called extrinsic aging.

Aging Skin – Intrinsic Aging

The genetic type of aging impacting our skin is the natural process our bodies follow as we age.  This normally begins when we reach our mid twenties.  This is when our production of collagen begins to slow up.  The elasticity of our skin begins to decrease. The process of shedding dead skin cells and replacing them with new cells begins to slow up. Although these changes we all experience begin to happen in our twenties the signs will not be evident for many years. Our genetics will impact how our skin holds up as we get older.

Aging Skin and Genetic Affects

Here are signs of how genetic aging affects the skin:

Dry Skin

Bone loss which leads to sagging skin.

Loss of firmness

Transparent, thin skin

Fine lines and wrinkles

Aging Skin – Extrinsic Aging – External Influences

There a various number of outside and environmental influences that can cause the skin to age prematurely.  The number one enemy of skin is the sun.  Other influences that cause premature aging of the skin include smoking, gravity, and repetitive facial expressions.

Even a small amount of exposure to sun rays can damage the skin. Skin exposure can cause rough and leathery skin, loose skin, skin cancer, age spots, fine lines and wrinkles.  The sun is directly related to aging skin.

The individual’s skin color will influence the degree of damage the sun can cause.  Lighter skinned people develop more signs of aging from the sun than people with darker pigment.  Repeated exposure to the sun over a period of years damages the skin’s ability to repair itself.  The sun also damages the elastin in our skin.

Special UV photography allows medical professionals to see the damage to the skin years before the signs of aging show up on the surface of the skin.

Cigarette smoking causes our bodies to accelerate aging process. Research shows that a person who smokes is statistically more likely to develop wrinkled, leathery skin than a nonsmoker. A person that smokes over a number of years tends to develop an unhealthy yellowish complexion.

There’s not much we can do about gravity.  When we age our elasticity deteriorates and the effects of gravity becomes more pronounced.

Repetitive facial movements lead to fine lines and wrinkles. Each time we use a facial muscle, a groove forms beneath the surface of the skin. As we age and our skin ages it loses its elasticity which causes the skin to stop springing back to its former state.  Eventually these creases become permanently etched on the face in the form of fine lines and wrinkles.

As you can see some of the influences on aging skin can be lessened by not smoking and being careful about exposure o the sun.