What are the signs of aging & how to stop it?

Who doesn’t want to stay and look young forever?? But it’s not possible, right? Aging is an irreversible process but you can certainly slow down this process to a certain extent. For that, you must know when your skin has started showing signs of aging. You must be vigilant enough to notice the same. So, let’s have a quick look at the early signs of aging your skin gets so that you can take proper steps to rejuvenate your skin.

What are the reasons and signs of aging that your skin and face start showing?

The skin shows various signs of aging, reasons of which may be direct or below-the-skin. Have you ever thought that skin aging occurs for reasons other than natural aging also? Here are a few visible as well as invisible changes that may occur in your skin when you ‘age’.

Reasons of skin aging other than age factor-

A. Fat loss in and around the cheeks, chin, temples, eye, and nose makes the skin loose and eyes go deeper.

B. The loss of cartilage in the nose makes the nasal tip bend and nasal bones more visible.

C. Gravity is yet another factor of skin loosening. Due to gravity, eyebrows and eyelids hang when skin loses its elasticity and the fullness around the areas of the jaw and cheeks gets reduced.

D. Obesity makes the skin stretch that reduces the strength and shine of skin, hair, and nails too.

E. Smoking is a major factor in skin aging. Smoke interrupts the normal blood flow in the skin that may cause the skin to go wrinkled.

F. Sleeping position also plays a vital role in facial wrinkles. Sleep creases become visible on the forehead and the cheeks when the skin starts losing elasticity.

G. Lack of exercise and sleep, cold weather, stress, alcohol, and over-exposure to the sun rays are also responsible for skin aging.

Signs of aging-

Our body starts showing various signs of aging on different parts of the body. It’s up to you to identify the same so that you can treat them well in advance.

A. More visible laugh lines

As people age, skin tends to lose elasticity. Hence, their laugh lines become more visible as they attain they enter their 30s or 40s. There are often 11 lines on the face, including nose, temple, upper cheeks, forehead, around the mouth, etc.

B. Age spots

Age spots, also known as sunspots and liver spots, are the spots that occur on the skin due to its constant exposure to the sun. Such spots may occur on the face, arms, or hands. Generally, people start facing such an issue after they reach their 40s but those with fairer skin may face this even before.

C. Haggard hands

The structuring proteins, like collage, in the skin get reduced gradually as people age. These proteins are responsible for giving shape to the skin and hence, their reduced quantity makes the skin bony and its top layers thinner. As a result, the skin becomes wrinkled and veiny. This happens generally in the late 30s or early 40s.

D. Wrinkled Skin

This is the most common sign of aging that people notice. The production of collagen reduces as people enter their 30s and this makes the skin saggy. Collagen makes the skin bouncy and hence, its reduced quantity leads to more visible wrinkles, especially on the face.

E. More hair loss

The stem cells in the head that lead to new hair growth die as time passes. Well, aging is not the only reason for the same; hormonal changes, genes, diet, and environmental factors also contribute to it though. Generally, women experience this over the age of 70 whereas men face this quite early, say in the 50s.

F. Dull and uneven skin tone

The skin tends to become less hydrated as we age. As a result, skin at young age refreshes itself faster as compared to the older skin. It loses its glow. Moreover, some parts of the skin start producing more melanin which leads to uneven skin tone. This makes the skin look older than its real age.

G. Rough skin

Gradually skin loses its elasticity, so once used-to-be silky smooth skin starts becoming rough due to the accumulation of dead skin cells. The size of skin pores also enlarges making it highly visible even from distance. This gives an older look than the actual age.

Some more signs of aging can be observed like,

A. Your skin loses its texture and hence, becomes itchy, dry, and rough.

B. Elastic tissues, i.e., collagen and elastin, get reduced gradually and lead the skin to slack.

C. The area between the epidermis and dermis gets reduced and increases skin fragility.

D. The epidermis and dermis layers get thinned that making the skin a little transparent.

E. The walls of blood vessels become thinner and hence, get easily damaged.

F. Skin lesions are developed more likely.

What are the treatments to prevent skin aging?

We, at Sakhiya Skin Clinic, offer various treatments to stop skin aging. You can use any as per your convenience and skin type. Some of our popular treatments are as follows-

1. HIFU Facial

The high-intensity focused ultrasound facial is one of the trending and latest anti-aging treatments available these days. It works best for mild aging, i.e., when early signs of aging are visible. This treatment uses heat to damage the skin cells that need repair. This process produces collagen that helps the tightening of the skin on the face, chest, neck, and forehead. In this process, gentle cleaning of the required portion is done and then, a gel is applied. Afterward, a handheld device is used to do the facial the duration of which remains between 30-90 minutes.

2. Dermal Fillers

Dermal filler is yet another anti-aging treatment that treats early signs of aging. It not only reduces fine lines and smile lines but also adds volume to the face and makes it fuller. It also fills thin lips, reduces facial wrinkles, repairs any contour irregularity, lightens scars, etc. The efficacy of dermal fillers differs; some may last for one year while others may last for two to five years. Its major ingredient is hyaluronic acid which produces elastin and collagen and helps in providing elasticity to the skin.

3. Botox

Botox injections contain a toxin that is used to treat numerous problems like cervical dystonia (neck spasms), hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), lazy eye, overactive bladder, migraine, the appearance of wrinkles, etc. These injections basically stop the movement of muscles temporarily by blocking some chemical signals that come from nerves and order the muscles to move. Hence, it temporarily relaxes those facial muscles that cause wrinkles normally on the forehead and around the eyes. It may not last longer for the first-timers but it turns out to be more effective when it’s repeated. It doesn’t even pain much.

4. Threadlifts

A threadlift is a treatment where temporary stitches are done in the skin to give it a lift despite removing the loose skin. These stitches pull back the skin thereby lifting and tightening the face. It also provokes the production of collagen and its transmission to the required areas. This technique uses specially designed Polydioxanone threads which are bio-absorb-able, safe, and effective. So, gaining young skin at a nominal pain with a technique the results of which last for more than a year, is not a bad deal.

5. Radio Frequency

This technology also uses heat to treat the aging issue. While heating the deeper layers of skin, it provokes the production of collagen that leaves you with lesser wrinkles, lighter acne scars, and softer skin. Its results last for years, the actual time depends on the individual’s skin condition. Those who are not satisfied with a facelift can go for this treatment. Its major benefit is that it is a one-time treatment and doesn’t demand much care or provide any discomfort while getting treated or even later on.

6. PRP for Face

PRP is a special type of treatment that uses the body’s own natural healing power. It is also known as vampire facial because blood is drawn in this treatment for treating skin problems. Platelets in the blood plasma are concentrated and separated by WBC and RBC and then again inserted into the plasma (without RBC and WBC). This platelet-rich blood, injected into the skin, directly fastens the recovery time. This one is also helpful in increasing collagen production, reducing wrinkles and fine lines, retaining moisture, providing firmer skin, and improving skin texture with no downtime.

7. Hydration Injection

It’s the hyaluronic acid that is injected in this treatment that helps in retaining moisture in the skin and makes the skin glowing, elastic, hydrated, and younger-looking. This hydrating facial rejuvenates skin cells deeply. It makes the skin radiant and prevents premature skin aging. Topical anesthesia is given, injections are inserted on the selected areas, hyaluronic acid starts flowing throughout the skin.

Tips to avoid aging-

• Use sunscreen with SPF 30 or more even if you stay indoors.
• Moisturize not just your face but the whole body.
• If you want to experiment with a product, give it some time to work.
• Don’t go to bed before washing your face, whether or not the makeup is put on.
• Sleep is the key to healthy skin. So take beauty sleep to avoid premature aging.
• Take a balanced diet and hydrate yourself.
• Stay away from smoking, drinking, and stress.
• Indulge yourself in some activity. Exercises keep the skin healthy.

If you want to know more about your skin and Hair concerns, we are here for you. Get in touch with our experienced dermatologists on the toll-free number 1800 1200 70000.