How Your Skin Changes as You Age
When we were younger we didn’t think about the future too much, at least not getting old. Gradually as the years go by it enters more into our thoughts and becomes more of a concern. We can even feel the impacts of age on our body and mind.
For a lot of us our main concern is with how age impacts our looks. The younger generation are used to having every angle presented through social media and other tools, and the idea of imperfection can be worrying. Unfortunately for all of us though we will continue to change whether we like it or not.
Getting older involves a lot of transition and change to how your body functions and therefore how you will look and feel. In order to fully prepare for this, you need to understand what might happen, what the implications are and ultimately the actions you can take in order to minimize any impacts.
Getting Older: Impacts on your body
Getting older isn’t the same for everyone so there’s no exact guide on what to expect, however the main impacts will generally be the same for everyone. At around 26 years old your body stops regenerating cells at the same rate and this is effectively where you stop renewing everything. Despite this it’s a number of years before you might notice any changes.
As we age our bodies will become less resilient. Active people may start to notice more aches and pains from exercise. Muscles may take longer to recover and this can have a direct impact on your strength levels.
Generally, people tend to start feeling more discomfort in their back, legs and hips as they get older. This is just because of the frequency of use of these areas and the impact they will sustain on a day to day basis. Unfortunately, as these are damaged they will cause direct implications on your mobility. This can make stairs, sports or even longer travels difficult and you may need to use specialist tools or walking sticks to assist you.
More worrying to a lot of people than muscle or joint pain is the impact that aging can have on your skin. Let’s have a look at how aging impacts your skin.
How your skin changes as you age
Your skin cells contain a lot of collagen and elastin. This elastic tissue is vital for keeping your skin in good condition and protecting your body. It’s also an essential part of keeping the shape and firmness of your skin.
As you age your body will start to produce less of this elastic tissue and as a result your skin can begin to overstretch. This means that it will become damaged more easily, that scarring can be seen more and stretch marks may start to appear. It can also lead to loose skin or wrinkles.
Another essential element of healthy skin is lubrication. Oils are produced by the body for this purpose but sebaceous glands begin to slow down production as we age. For men this will normally be after the age of 80 but for women it can start just after the menopause.
The result of less lubrication for your skin is that it is more vulnerable to the elements. It can cause skin to become dry and itchy, causing redness and soreness.
The impact of aging on your skin generally is that it is much less resilient. Outside factors and UV radiation will have much more impact and your skin will struggle to retain its firm shape. This means an increase in wrinkles and loose skin which is generally most prevalent around the neck and chin area.
Aging skin is one of the biggest fears for a lot of people, who would do anything to prevent this happening. There are far ranging solutions out there but be warned, some are not as effective as others.
What can you do?
We’ve painted quite a worrying picture but it really isn’t all doom and gloom we promise. There are a lot of preemptive actions you can take to slow down the aging process, specifically when it comes to your skin.
For skin care you will find there are lots of home remedies promising results, however you have to approach with caution. Skin can be fickle and is different for each of us. You can’t always be sure exactly how you will react to certain ingredients and you don’t want to break out in a rash or worse.
Instead the safer option is to look at existing specialist anti-aging ranges. Most clinical brands have a range of anti-wrinkle and anti-aging products. These vary massively in price depending on brand but whatever you go for make sure you look for a moisturizer that can soften your skin.
For the rest of your body it’s all about exercising but limiting impact. Swimming and cycling are great because they are low impact, but running can have a real impact on your joints that you want to avoid. Remember that doing nothing can be as damaging as doing nothing!
Support as you Age
For older people, it’s all about managing the expectations and lowering the risks associated with age by staying active in a sensible way. By lowering the pressure and stress on the body you can help preserve yourself and stay injury free for much longer.
For younger people who are responsible for older generations it’s all about helping make the best choice for these relatives. This can be a real challenge. For those who have elderly family or friends that they are unable to care for anymore, there are a number of options available to assist. This includes care homes.
Homestyle Aged Care have been helping support families and offer care for over 20 years. They currently operate over 36 different care homes with unique facilities and great staff.
