Characteristics Of Skin Ageing

Skin aging is the natural expression of an individual's age. Young individuals with soft, supple and smooth skin become aware, with the passage of time, of signs of aging; loosening of the skin, appearance of age spots, development and deepening of wrinkles.


Types of Changes That Occurs in The Skin
The changes that occurs in the skin are classified into two;

• Chronological Aging: These are the changes due to the natural aging process. People of identical chronological age seems to have younger or older looking skin. Genetic factors contributes in determining skin quality over time. It is the genes that determines the rate at which the skin ages by controlling some factors like, skin durability, skin thickness and hormonal mechanisms. 
• Photo Aging: This occur as a result of environmental factors, the leading factor here is the solar radiation. These changes appear in the parts of the body which are exposed to the sun. Exposure of the skin to the sun, wind, cold and environmental pollutants for a longer period of time can cause cumulative damage to the skin. Aging of the skin due to sun is referred to as Photo Aging. Characteristics of photo aging include;

1. Irregular Pigmentation.
2. Appearance of dilated blood vessels in the skin, medically termed "telangiectases".
3. Appearance of 'Age spots' which is medically termed "solar lentigenes".

Characteristics Of Skin Aging
As earlier discussed above, degeneration of elastic and collagen fibers occurs both in Chronological skin aging and in Photo Aging. These changes causes the appearance of;

1. Fine Wrinkles
2. Pronounced lines of Expression
3. Skin Sagging
4. Skin Dryness