SKIN CARE

Facial Aging Prevention

Facial aging is an inevitable and natural process. However, certain individuals tend to age more gracefully than others do and so the natural question presents itself: How can we age more gracefully than our associated siblings and peers?

Facial Aging

With time our facial skin as well as the skin of the rest of our body becomes thinner and less resilient. There are a number of significant factors that play a role in weathering and aging of the facial skin. Gravity is an important factor, as it tends to weigh down the skin and cause it to sag. There are significant environmental factors that tend to significantly weather our face. These include air pollution, smoke exposure, and, of course, the significant factor of exposure to sun.

Years and years of sun exposure collectively can ravage the appearance of the facial skin. “Photo aging” is a significant factor, causing deepening of our wrinkles, a rough and leathery appearance, discoloration, blotchiness, and a tendency to appear more like an alligator than a baby’s youthful and vibrant skin. Photo aging adds an increase to small, tiny blood vessels. These are called telangiectasias. Also hyperkeratoses and precancerous and cancerous growths will develop due to sun damaged and photo aged skin.

Genetics play a significant role in facial aging. We simply cannot choose our parents, however they provide for us the type of resilience to environmental, gravity, and sun exposure factors that accelerate aging.

Our chromosomes, essentially our genes, are important factors in our facial beauty. The chromosomes have protective tips, which are called telomeres. There is a specific life span of a telomere. Essentially each time the cell divides and cells in the skin continue to divide throughout our lifetime, the telomere will become slightly shorter. As the chromosomes continue to go through the process of cell division, the telomeres become shorter and shorter and subsequently the cell eventually degenerates and/or dies. Recently, biogenetic engineering has developed treatments that help to inhibit the loss of the telomere although this is many years in the future.

Prevention of Facial Skin Aging

Essentially we are not able to choose our parents and our genetic makeup, however there are significant factors that make a significant difference in our overall facial appearance that we are essentially in control of. Environmental modification protocol dictates that maintenance of facial beauty and facial skin youthfulness is significantly enhanced with particular modifications.

Avoidance of sun and sun protective modifications significantly improve one’s facial appearance. Sunlight essentially damages the skin and damages it quite readily. The time and intensity factors are important in the level and degree of damage that essentially occurs. Significant exposure to sunlight, particularly during the high noon hours, is particularly deleterious. It is of particular interest that populations and ethnic cultures that live close to the equator tend to have darker pigmented skin (increased melanin and protection from sunlight). It is also of interest that certain races of particularly non-pigmented skin reside in more northern hemispheres (e.g. Norwegian cultures). Melanin is a pigment in the skin, which acts to retard and prevent penetration of the harmful UV light rays.

It is not surprising that individuals that are African/American tend to have less acceleration of facial aging due to the inherent protective melanin concentration. It is also of significant importance to realize that individuals of pale skin and red hair tend to have a greater tendency for certain skin cancers; basal cell and malignant melanoma as examples.

The most important factor for preventing facial skin aging and maintaining one’s youthful and facial beauty appearance is to refrain from exposure to the sun. Of course, this is quite a difficult goal to achieve; indeed most individuals do not refrain from sun exposure completely during their lifetimes. Nonetheless, moderation is the order of the day and protective skin applications such as the higher lotions with SPF 15-30 of course, are strongly recommended.

Weathering of the face, increased risk for skin cancer, increased pigmentation changes, all are of a hallmark of photo aging and long-term exposure to the ravages of the sun.

Long-term tobacco use is a significantly important contributor to acceleration of facial degeneration and aging. Plain and simple, smoking accelerates facial aging. Oftentimes, one can simply look at an individual, see the hallmarks of facial weathering, noted with long-term smoking, and know beforehand that this individual is a long-term smoker.

Environmental factors such as toxins, dust, smoke, and chemicals, of course can irritate and harm the delicate balance of skin health. Avoidance of these, of course, is of paramount importance.

Glycolic Acid

Alpha Hydroxy acids (AHA) are naturally occurring fruity acids. For centuries, these substances have been utilized to enhance and improve the appearance of the facial skin. These fruity acids, for example, have been found in apples (citric acid), grapes (tartaric acid), and sour milk (lactic acid). Aesthetic use of Alpha Hydroxy acids dates back many thousands of years. For example, Cleopatra and other noble women of her day were known to bathe in sour milk (benefiting from lactic acid) and applied aged red wine to their faces (benefiting from the tartaric acid). The result was an appearance of fresher and smoother skin.

Of all of the Alpha Hydroxy acids, Glycolic acid has been noted to be significantly safe and beneficial. It is probably one of the most commonly employed Alpha Hydroxy acids in rejuvenation creams today. It is derived from sugar cane and has the greatest ability to penetrate skin due to its small molecular size. Additionally, Glycolic acid has the ability to act as a moisturizer for the skin. It tends to unplug and declog dead skin cells from their outer surface layer, leaving the skin more rejuvenated and smoother.

Studies have shown that Glycolic acid will break-up and loosen the outer thick keratinaceous horny layer of the skin (stratum corneum) where excessive build-up of dead skin cells has been associated with many common skin conditions (e.g. hyperkeratoses). This loosening and breaking up of the outer skin is called exfoliation. Alpha Hydroxy acids and Glycolic acids are exfoliants. Exfoliation is a process where sloughing of the dead skin cells occurs at a greater rate and prevents build-up of the keratin layer from occurring. Essentially, this is an acceleration of the natural process of skin regeneration and skin loss. The result is a dramatic smoothing of the skin with lessening of fine lines, finer skin texture, more healthful and youthful glow, and an increased tendency for hydration and softness.

Additionally, Glycolic acid penetrates the sebaceous follicle, where the build-up of dead cells is primarily responsible for the acne process. Glycolic acid is an anti-acne treatment regimen just as Retin-A has been helpful. Essentially, when substances and sebum block the hair follicle or pilosebaceous units, then comedones or acne can develop. Elimination of this blockage due to the cleansing action of Glycolic acid improves and controls acne.

Application

Glycolic acid is applied generally in a 10% lotion, however greater concentrations are available. The application is applied in the morning and it is suggested that eye make-up remover not be used at the same time as Glycolic acid. Also, Glycolic acid is not recommended at the time of pregnancy or while nursing. It is important to avoid sun exposure when using Glycolic acid. This is less of a problem then with Retin-A however nonetheless hypersensitivity to sun is apparent with Glycolic acid treatment. Sunscreen, of course, is recommended.

Nonetheless, if undue irritation, redness, or discomfort occur when using Glycolic acid it should be discontinued. There is a tendency for irritation and redness when exposed to the sun while undergoing Glycolic acid treatments. Oftentimes, simple adjustments of the frequency and concentration of the Glycolic acid applications will help control and eliminate associated irritation and redness problems. Shaving can sometimes be a problem when undergoing Glycolic acid therapy. Generally shaving should be performed prior to using Glycolic acid. Glycolic acid, of course, can be used in conjunction with other rejuvenation creams such as Retin-A and Vitamin-C.

Skin Care and Vitamins

There are a number of factors that are extremely important in maintaining healthy and youthful skin. One of the more important aspects attributed to good skin is that of nutrition and diet. For instance, there are a number of skin repair treatments that indeed utilize vitamins as part of the structure of the chemical. For instance, alpha-hydroxy acids are important rejuvenation products and they are relatives of Vitamin C. Another example is retinoic acid, which is an inactive form Vitamin A. In the past, and indeed over several decades, oral and topical treatments with Vitamins A, E, and D and (the mineral) zinc have been employed to treat skin diseases.

Oral supplementation of vitamins to improve the skin texture and youthfulness is important. However, one of the main drawbacks is that oral vitamin supplementation does not provide satisfactory vitamin concentrations in the skin. Generally, what happens is the vitamins are utilized by other organs of the body first and the skin is not effectively treated. Clearly, vitamin supplementation and vitamins in our diet are extremely important for healthy skin. Of course, this is of benefit only if supplied on an ongoing, consistent basis over the years. Optimum achievement is obtained when all cells of the body, including the skin, receive satisfactory nutrition and vitamins on an ongoing and consistent basis.

Researchers at John Hopkins University have determined that taking vitamins on a regular basis may prevent many skin cancers from forming. The most common cause of skin cancer is that of basal cell carcinoma. Regular vitamin supplementation tends to reduce the risk for basal cell carcinoma. The most important vitamins necessary are those of Vitamins A, C and E as these appear to be the most important and potent vitamins for preventing skin cancer.

Beta-Carotene, which is converted to Vitamin A, is a satisfactory way to obtain enough Vitamin A each day. Vitamin A is important. However, one must be careful not to take too much of this as high doses of Vitamin A can be toxic.

Topical vitamin preparations are helpful in skin repair. Vitamin E has been around for quite some time. However, there is some dissatisfaction as the Vitamin E oil tends to be comedogenic (clogs the pores). Retin A is mentioned above as a topical form of Vitamin A and has been shown to significantly improve skin youthfulness and healthy texture.

Topical Vitamin C treatments have some promising success. Two issues of importance are those of stabilizing Vitamin C as well as delivering Vitamin C through the protective layer of the skin. In the past, destabilization and impermeability have been significant factors. However, today stabilizing ingredients, as well as transporting elements, are available in topical forms of Vitamin C treatment such as Ccellex-C and Skinceuticals.