What Are Wrinkles?
There are physical signs that show that a person is aging. A man for
instance may lose hair or slowly change to grey. Our skin shows signs as
well and to understand it, we have to know what wrinkles are.
The
skin is made up of 3 layers namely the epidermis, the dermis and
subcutaneous tissue. The outer layer namely the epidermis becomes thinner
and less sticky as we age. This in turn causes dryness and as this
decreases by 10% per decade, it takes more time for the skin to repair
itself.
This also affects the dermis because less collagen is
produced and the elastic fibers which provide us with elasticity also
wears out which is why our skin also sags. We don't sweat that much as
before as there is a decrease as well in the number of sweat
glands.
Now that we know where it can happen, we can describe what
wrinkles are simply as ridges or creases on a surface.
But is aging
the only cause of wrinkles? The answer is no. Studies have shown that
exposure to ultraviolet light, UVA or UVB accounts for 90% of skin aging.
This varies depending on race because of the person's pigment
protection.
A few other studies have shown that wrinkles can also
be caused by environmental factors. Examples of these include cigarette
smoking and pollution as this may hasten aging by producing oxygen free
radicals. These are particles produced by many of the body's chemical
processes and when it is produced in excessive amounts, it can damage cell
membranes causing not only wrinkle but other skin disorders as
well.
Rapid weight loss may also cause wrinkles since you reduce
the volume of fat cells that cushion around the face that will make the
skin sag.
Now that we know what causes wrinkles, can it be treated?
The answer is yes. Some dermatologists recommend retinoic acid which is
applied to the skin to fill in the crevices. There are also things people
can take such as topical creams and ointments to peel off the top layers
of the skin, dermabrasion which is a procedure to sand the top layer of
the skin, injecting collagen or botulinum under the skin and laser
surgery.
Can anyone pursue any of the treatments mentioned? The
answer is no. This depends on the patient's age. Whichever you choose, you
should ask the dermatologist how effective is the procedure, is it safe,
possible complications and the experience of the professional.
In
some cases, a combination of these procedures is necessary. The best part
is knowing that this causes uniform destruction and shedding of the old
damaged superficial skin cells so the healthier deeper cells will take
their place on the surface.
There is not much that people can do to
prevent wrinkles because this is normal as we age. But we can slow it down
by staying indoors between 10 am to 4 pm when the sun is the hottest and
washing the face with a mild non-soap cleanser. The skin should be patted
dry and lubricated at once with a water based moisturizer ideally SPF30
filter to prevent further dehydration.
Now that you know what
wrinkles are, we can take steps to delay it from happening or just accept
it for what it is. After all, aging is a fact of life all of us will one
day face.
Get expert advice about wrinkles at http://www.articlefog.com/category-wrinkles.htm.
Here you can find all information about what are wrinkles,
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Article Source: www.ArticleFog.com.
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