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We usually define skin by what we see: our pigmentation, age spots, moles - and wrinkles. Yet there's much more to skin than meets the eye. The skin is divided into two main layers: the exterior epidermis, including the stratum corneum ("horny" outer layer), and the dermis below, which contains capillaries, hair follicles, sebaceous glands and the fibers (collagen and elastin) that give the skin its strength and elasticity.
As you age, the dermis thins. Ultrasound and X-rays reveal that dermal thickness increases until age 20, then declines progressively, losing approximately 20% of its peak thickness, says Sheldon Pinnell, MD, who teaches dermatology at Duke University. "Wrinkles are a surface reflection of changes in dermal structure," he says. "With aging, collagen is lost and the dermis thins, resulting in wrinkling." In fact, wrinkle lines are present not just on the surface, but below in the dermis as well, where they manifest as dermal grooves.
Treatment & Prevention
In the realm of anti-aging skin care, the name of the game is preserving and regenerating the underlying structure of your skin - collagen, which weakens with age, and elastin, whose fibers become less flexible. Although the hormones estrogen and testosterone slow skin collagen loss, a number of beauty treatments, including vitamin C and ceramide creams, can do the job without the side-effects.
If you care for your skin throughout your life, your face will reap the rewards of that TLC. Even if you've got a few lines, it's never too late to minimize them and to prevent more. Keep a positive attitude, eat plenty of antioxidant-containing fruits and veggies, don't smoke, and rely on the revitalizing effects of natural beauty products as you grow older gracefully.
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Conditions that suggest Concern Over Wrinkled Skin:
Risk factors for Concern Over Wrinkled Skin: | | | | | Addictions |  Cigarette Smoke Damage | As with skin that is overexposed to sunlight, smoking causes thickening and fragmentation of elastin, the elastic fibers that are long and smooth in healthy skin. Smoking also depletes the skin's oxygen supply by reducing circulation. It decreases the formation of collagen, the skin's main structural component, and may reduce the water content of the skin, all of which increase wrinkling. Sometimes it is easy to spot someone with 'smoker's face'. |
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Environment / Toxicity |
Sun Damage/Overexposure| | Of all factors that contribute to wrinkle formation, none surpasses the destructive force of excessive sun exposure. Shunning the two distinct yet equally harmful UV rays - A and B - is the first step to maintaining youthful skin. UVB rays are responsible for visible sunburn, yet UVA rays are just as damaging, even though they cause little skin redness. This type of radiation penetrates the skin, causing cellular damage that accumulates slowly over a period of time. UVA rays induce the formation of free radicals, which attack the skin's lipids. The resulting damage gives rise to visible signs of aging such as wrinkles and leathery skin. |
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Skin-Hair-Nails |
 Psoriasis |
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Recommendations and treatments for Concern Over Wrinkled Skin: | | | | | Botanical |  Glycolic Acid |
Diet |
 Increased Fruit/Vegetable Consumption| | Eat plenty of antioxidant-containing fruits and vegetables. |
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Vitamins |
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)| | Ascorbic acid reserves are often depleted in older people, who tend to need more vitamin C in their diet. Ascorbic acid increases the synthesis of collagen more than five-fold in cultures of human skin. By replenishing ascorbic acid in the skin, collagen synthesis may be stimulated, and the loss of dermal substance associated with aging might be delayed or even reversed.
The skin's natural defenses against the free radicals produced by UV light are vitamin C and vitamin E. These two antioxidants intercept free radicals before they can damage your skin. Vitamin C protects significantly better against UVA phototoxicity than vitamin E; vitamin E, on the other hand, is more efficient against UVB. |
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Preventive measures against Concern Over Wrinkled Skin: | | | | | Environmental |  Sun Exposure Reduction / Sunscreen| | You can do much to avoid looking older before your time by protecting your face and neck with a sunscreen that has at least an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 on a daily basis.
A new ingredient in some skin care products, beta-glucan, increases the skin's resistance to oxidative stress induced by UVA rays. Beta-glucan which, like ceramides, is isolated from yeast cell walls, appears to stimulate the skin's immune defense mechanisms, promoting healing of sunburned skin and reducing cellular inflammation. Used in facial creams or foundation makeup, beta-glucan protects your skin from day-to-day exposure to the sun. |
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Habits |
Tobacco Avoidance| | Put simply, tobacco ages you. Female and male smokers age 40 and older are two to three times more likely to have moderate to severe wrinkling compared to nonsmokers. |
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Vitamins |
Vitamin E| | The skin's natural defenses against the free radicals produced by UV light are vitamin C and vitamin E. These two antioxidants intercept free radicals before they can damage your skin. Vitamin C protects significantly better against UVA phototoxicity than vitamin E; vitamin E, on the other hand, is more efficient against UVB. |
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KEY | | Weak or unproven link | | | Strong or generally accepted link |  | | Proven definite or direct link | | | May do some good | | | Likely to help | | | Highly recommended |
GLOSSARY
Age Spots (Liver Spots)
Flat, brown areas usually found on the face, hands, back and feet. They vary in size from 1/8 of an inch to several inches (0.3cm to several cm) and are associated with aging, but long-term sun exposure is also a major cause.
Antioxidant (Antioxidants)
A chemical compound that slows or prevents oxygen from reacting with other compounds. Some antioxidants have been shown to have cancer-protecting potential because they neutralize free radicals. Examples include vitamins C and E, beta carotene, the minerals selenium and germanium, superoxide dismutase (SOD), coenzyme Q10, catalase, and some amino acids.
Collagen
The primary protein within white fibers of connective tissue and the organic substance found in tendons, ligaments, cartilage, skin, teeth and bone.
Elastin
A protein that is similar to collagen and is the chief constituent of elastic fibers.
Epidermis
The outer layers of the skin, made up of an outer, dead portion and a deeper, living portion. Epidermal cells gradually move outward to the skin surface, changing as they go, until they become flakes.
Estrogen (Oestrogen)
One of the female sex hormones produced by the ovaries.
Free Radical (Free Radicals)
A free radical is an atom or group of atoms that has at least one unpaired electron. Because another element can easily pick up this free electron and cause a chemical reaction, these free radicals can effect dramatic and destructive changes in the body. Free radicals are activated in heated and rancid oils and by radiation in the atmosphere, among other things.
Gland (Glands)
The glandular system is one of the most important and complicated systems of the body. Gland tissue can be either an organ or general tissue that secretes chemicals and there are two types of gland: exocrine and endocrine. Those glands which secrete chemicals through tubules or ducts are called exocrine and include sweat, tear and salivary glands. Ductless glands - part of the endocrine system - secrete special chemicals (hormones) directly into the blood.
Hormones (Hormone)
Chemical substances secreted by a variety of body organs that are carried by the bloodstream and usually influence cells some distance from the source of production. Hormones signal certain enzymes to perform their functions and, in this way, regulate such body functions as blood sugar levels, insulin levels, the menstrual cycle, and growth. These can be prescription, over-the-counter, synthetic or natural agents. Examples include adrenal hormones such as corticosteroids and aldosterone; glucagon, growth hormone, insulin, testosterone, estrogens, progestins, progesterone, DHEA, melatonin, and thyroid hormones such as thyroxine and calcitonin.
Lipid (Lipids)
Fat-soluble substances derived from animal or vegetable cells by nonpolar solvents (e.g. ether); the term can include the following types of materials: fatty acids, glycerides, phospholipids, alcohols and waxes.
Mole (Moles, Nevi, Nevus)
Known more accurately as a "nevus", a mole is a lesion of the skin that may be present from birth, but which most often appears later in life. By three years of age, 40% of children will have at least one nevus. Some varieties are hereditary and most have color. A common nevus in light-skinned people is typically small, round, tan or brown, with a smooth border, and exactly the same throughout. Other types may be very large, or have irregular borders. There are dozens of different types, with many shapes, colors and sizes. While most are benign, malignant changes can occur to turn the benign nevus into a melanoma.
Psoriasis
An inherited skin disorder in which there are red patches with thick, dry silvery scales. It is caused by the body making too-many skin cells. Sores may be anywhere on the body but are more common on the arms, scalp, ears, and the pubic area. A swelling of small joints may go along with the skin disease.
Sebaceous (Sebaceous Cyst)
Sebaceous Gland: Oil secreting glands, mostly clustered around hair follicles. The oil (sebum) is released into the oil glands from the disintegrated cytoplasm of shedding holocrine cells that line the alveolar surfaces. The nature of the secretion is often a direct reflection of the state of the body's lipid metabolism.
Testosterone
The principal male sex hormone that induces and maintains the changes that take place in males at puberty. In men, the testicles continue to produce testosterone throughout life, though there is some decline with age. A naturally occurring androgenic hormone.
Ultrasound
Ultrasound testing uses sound waves projected into the body to produce an image of internal organs, structures, tumors, etc. In this procedure, a gel is applied to the patient's skin, and a small device that emits ultrasonic pulses is slowly passed over the area. The sonic image produced is viewed on a monitor.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
A water-soluble antioxidant vitamin essential to the body's health. When bound to other nutrients, for example calcium, it would be referred to as "calcium ascorbate". As an antioxidant, it inhibits the formation of nitrosamines (a suspected carcinogen). Vitamin C is important for maintenance of bones, teeth, collagen and blood vessels (capillaries), enhances iron absorption and red blood cell formation, helps in the utilization of carbohydrates and synthesis of fats and proteins, aids in fighting bacterial infections, and interacts with other nutrients. It is present in citrus fruits, tomatoes, berries, potatoes and fresh, green leafy vegetables.
Vitamin E
An essential fat-soluble vitamin. As an antioxidant, helps protect cell membranes, lipoproteins, fats and vitamin A from destructive oxidation. It helps protect red blood cells and is important for the proper function of nerves and muscles. For Vitamin E only, 1mg translates to 1 IU.
X-rays (X-ray)
High-energy radiation used to take pictures of areas inside the body.
Yeast
A single-cell organism that may cause infection in the mouth, vagina, gastrointestinal tract, and any or all bodily parts. Common yeast infections include candidiasis and thrush.
Last updated: Jun 22, 2008
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