What Causes a Wrinkle
The two building blocks of our body's skin are the following:
1. Elastin — These are structural proteins found throughout our bodies that allow organs to stretch and recoil, thereby maintaining their shape. As the elastin in our skin is exposed to sunlight, it becomes progressively damaged. Over time the healthy elastic tissue is replaced with damaged, degraded elastin.
Undamaged skin has a great deal of elasticity, like a rubber band. It strong, flexible, and able to retain its original shape. Damaged elastin fibers clump up and start behaving more like a rubber tire. The sun-damaged skin is very inelastic and thus much more prone to wrinkles.
2. Collagen — This is the main structural protein of our bodies. It strengthens elastic fibers in order to provide flexibility, the quality skin care experts call elasticity. UV damage decreases the production of these cells and skin begins to sag and develop uneven pigmentation.
Sun exposure is not the only cause of wrinkles, the natural aging process is as well. As cells age, they divide slower and have diminished energy production. As a person ages and the cells are less active, the dermis begins to thin. The network of elastin and collagen fibers that support the outer layer loosens and unravels causing wrinkles on the surface of the skin.
Fibroblasts are essential to skin because they are the main components of collagen and elastin, proteins found in connective tissue. Collagen makes up almost 80% of the skin’s dry weight, while elastin makes up another 4%.
84% of the skin’s composition is made up of just two proteins. This means it’s important to take good care of these proteins in order to maintain skin health.
Everyday damages can break down collagen and elastin. Sun damage is especially destructive to these two proteins. Overexposure to the sun makes elastin less able to give skin elastic resilience. This makes it more difficult for the skin to bounce back into place after it moves, like when you wrinkle your forehead. When elastin loses its elastic properties, wrinkles form.
Younger skin does an excellent job of stretching and holding in moisture. The elastin in it keeps it looking and feeling young, along with the collagen protein in the dermis which also assists in preventing wrinkles.
However, over time, the dermis loses both its collagen and elastin, so the skin gets thinner and has trouble getting enough moisture to the epidermis. Additionally, the fat in the subcutaneous layer that gives skin a youthful appearance also begins to disappear. Overall, this affects the epidermis layer causing it to sag and form wrinkles.
These changes in the connective tissue which reduce the strength and elasticity are known as elastosis and is especially pronounced in sun-exposed areas – and also with individuals who smoke.
Fluctuations in hormone levels, particularly estrogen, can reduce collagen production in your skin. Collagen is a connective tissue that contributes to skin’s structure and firmness. Cell regeneration and circulation also become sluggish as you age. Elastin, which allows skin to bounce back and reshape itself, decreases. Hyaluronic acid, a natural moisturizer in the skin, also declines. All of these changes compromise skin’s elasticity, firmness, structure, and moisture. This contributes to areas of collapse and irregularity that ultimately manifest as fine lines and wrinkles.
There are ways of holding back and even reversing this aging process by taking advantage of the way our skin behaves under certain conditions. Our skin is designed to heal itself naturally and collagen induction therapy helps to boost collagen production by painlessly tricking the skin into "thinking" it has been wounded thus triggering the cascade of growth factors, proteins and finally collagen production .
The second major benefit is that because the pores of the upper layer are temporarily opened (for about an hour), creams and oils are able to be absorbed far more effectively. This boosts their effectiveness by up to 40 times. The skin is, after all, your body’s natural barrier to the outside world and is designed to keep external substances out.
There are two main types of wrinkles.
Surface wrinkles are less than 0.1 mm in depth (epidermal layer). These fine lines are thought to be the easiest to reduce or eliminate without the use of invasive procedures.
Deep wrinkles or folds range from 0.1mm to 0.4mm deep and permeate the dermal layer of your skin, which is directly below the epidermal layer. Deep wrinkles remain well defined and evident even when your muscles and skin are relaxed because they reach the subcutaneous layer, the third layer of skin where fat is stored.
But the external factors? That’s where we seal our own fate. The most obvious, of course, is UV exposure. Keeping well protected from the sun is the best way to reduce your chances of premature aging. Smoking is also a no-no—in addition to the obvious health risks, it also wreaks havoc on your skin. Environmental pollutants and stress add to the wrinkle risk factor as well.
1. Elastin — These are structural proteins found throughout our bodies that allow organs to stretch and recoil, thereby maintaining their shape. As the elastin in our skin is exposed to sunlight, it becomes progressively damaged. Over time the healthy elastic tissue is replaced with damaged, degraded elastin.
Undamaged skin has a great deal of elasticity, like a rubber band. It strong, flexible, and able to retain its original shape. Damaged elastin fibers clump up and start behaving more like a rubber tire. The sun-damaged skin is very inelastic and thus much more prone to wrinkles.
2. Collagen — This is the main structural protein of our bodies. It strengthens elastic fibers in order to provide flexibility, the quality skin care experts call elasticity. UV damage decreases the production of these cells and skin begins to sag and develop uneven pigmentation.
Sun exposure is not the only cause of wrinkles, the natural aging process is as well. As cells age, they divide slower and have diminished energy production. As a person ages and the cells are less active, the dermis begins to thin. The network of elastin and collagen fibers that support the outer layer loosens and unravels causing wrinkles on the surface of the skin.
Fibroblasts are essential to skin because they are the main components of collagen and elastin, proteins found in connective tissue. Collagen makes up almost 80% of the skin’s dry weight, while elastin makes up another 4%.
84% of the skin’s composition is made up of just two proteins. This means it’s important to take good care of these proteins in order to maintain skin health.
Everyday damages can break down collagen and elastin. Sun damage is especially destructive to these two proteins. Overexposure to the sun makes elastin less able to give skin elastic resilience. This makes it more difficult for the skin to bounce back into place after it moves, like when you wrinkle your forehead. When elastin loses its elastic properties, wrinkles form.
Younger skin does an excellent job of stretching and holding in moisture. The elastin in it keeps it looking and feeling young, along with the collagen protein in the dermis which also assists in preventing wrinkles.
However, over time, the dermis loses both its collagen and elastin, so the skin gets thinner and has trouble getting enough moisture to the epidermis. Additionally, the fat in the subcutaneous layer that gives skin a youthful appearance also begins to disappear. Overall, this affects the epidermis layer causing it to sag and form wrinkles.
These changes in the connective tissue which reduce the strength and elasticity are known as elastosis and is especially pronounced in sun-exposed areas – and also with individuals who smoke.
Fluctuations in hormone levels, particularly estrogen, can reduce collagen production in your skin. Collagen is a connective tissue that contributes to skin’s structure and firmness. Cell regeneration and circulation also become sluggish as you age. Elastin, which allows skin to bounce back and reshape itself, decreases. Hyaluronic acid, a natural moisturizer in the skin, also declines. All of these changes compromise skin’s elasticity, firmness, structure, and moisture. This contributes to areas of collapse and irregularity that ultimately manifest as fine lines and wrinkles.
There are ways of holding back and even reversing this aging process by taking advantage of the way our skin behaves under certain conditions. Our skin is designed to heal itself naturally and collagen induction therapy helps to boost collagen production by painlessly tricking the skin into "thinking" it has been wounded thus triggering the cascade of growth factors, proteins and finally collagen production .
The second major benefit is that because the pores of the upper layer are temporarily opened (for about an hour), creams and oils are able to be absorbed far more effectively. This boosts their effectiveness by up to 40 times. The skin is, after all, your body’s natural barrier to the outside world and is designed to keep external substances out.
There are two main types of wrinkles.
Surface wrinkles are less than 0.1 mm in depth (epidermal layer). These fine lines are thought to be the easiest to reduce or eliminate without the use of invasive procedures.
Deep wrinkles or folds range from 0.1mm to 0.4mm deep and permeate the dermal layer of your skin, which is directly below the epidermal layer. Deep wrinkles remain well defined and evident even when your muscles and skin are relaxed because they reach the subcutaneous layer, the third layer of skin where fat is stored.
But the external factors? That’s where we seal our own fate. The most obvious, of course, is UV exposure. Keeping well protected from the sun is the best way to reduce your chances of premature aging. Smoking is also a no-no—in addition to the obvious health risks, it also wreaks havoc on your skin. Environmental pollutants and stress add to the wrinkle risk factor as well.