How the skin ages is a complex process that involves both external factors, such as sun damage, cigarette smoke and pollution, and internal factors, such as our genes and changes that occur within the skin itself.
Sun Damage
Nothing ages our skin more than the sun. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun accounts for about 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging – and most of these effects have occurred by the age of 20. Ultraviolet light causes damage that leads to wrinkles, skin disorders and skin cancer.
Even small amounts of ultraviolet radiation can damage collagen fibres, which are the major structural protein in the skin. During the skin’s repair process, more collagen is produced but some is also broken down, leaving an uneven patch of disorganized collagen fibres called a solar scar. If this process of imperfect skin rebuilding occurs over and over, wrinkles will result.
Cigarette Smoke and Pollution
Environmental factors such as cigarette smoke and pollution can accelerate skin aging by producing oxygen free radicals. These molecules are normally present in the body, but in excessive amounts they can damage cells and interact with our DNA, leading to wrinkles and possibly cancer.
Compared to non-smokers, cigarette smokers are significantly more prone to both wrinkles (because of the facial motions involved in smoking and because smoking contributes to skin thinning) and skin cancer (because cigarettes contain cancer-causing substances).
Genes
We inherit some of our tendency to age well or badly from our parents. However, environmental factors often have more effect on skin aging than does heredity.
Loss of Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid plays an important role in the way our skin looks, feels, and functions. A natural complex sugar found in all mammals, hyaluronic acid is a major component of the connective tissue matrix in the dermis — the dense, inner layer of skin beneath the epidermis. This matrix is made up of hyaluronic acid as well as two connective fibers — collagen and elastin.
Hyaluronic acid retains water like a sponge, absorbing more than 1,000 times its weight. This helps to attract and maintain water, hydrating our skin, increasing its volume and density and helping to contribute to the skin's overall appearance.
As we age and our skin is exposed to environmental pollutants and the sun's ultraviolet rays, our cells gradually lose the ability to produce hyaluronic acid. Studies have shown that older skin typically has lower levels of hyaluronic acid than younger skin. As we age, our skin tissue becomes dehydrated and the collagen and elastin fibers lose their structure, resulting in a loss of skin volume and the formation of the facial wrinkles and folds that are common characteristics of aged skin.
Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers like Juvéderm™ soft replenishing gel filler can help to temporarily replace the lost hyaluronic acid and restore our skin's volume and smooth, natural appearance.