The Dermavita MediSpa Anti-Aging Program uses the newest
scientific research and laser technologies to deliver you the best corrective
and preventative care system for aging skin.
What Happens to Skin When We Age?
Both heredity and environment play a big role in how skin
ages. Environment, sun damage and pollution play the biggest role in the
way skin functions. Sun damage is the worst culprit since it is cumulative.
The damage begins when we are very young. As we age, skin cells divide
at a slower rate because they lose their capacity to renew themselves.
The average cell renewal rate for a baby is 14 days. For a teenager, the
rate is 3-4 weeks, a middle- aged adult 4-7 weeks, and a mature adult
(50+) 7-12 weeks or more. This progressively longer cell turnover is what
causes many skin problems. About 20% of the cells clump together and are
non-functional before they reach the skin's surface, having died on the
way to the top. The result? The first layer of skin (stratum corneum)
becomes thicker and denser, fine lines deepen, and skin loses its clarity.
Another factor that causes progressive development of wrinkles
and leads to sagging skin is the loss of collagen fibers, the building
blocks of firmness and elasticity. Collagen, Greek for "glue," is a connective
tissue that gives the face, and body, much of its shape. Fibers of collagen
are woven together throughout the body like threads of fabric to form
a framework for new cells and blood vessels to grow. The way your skin
looks is directly related to the way in which it is supported. As we age,
the loss of small blood vessels and a decrease in new capillaries begin
to cut off the blood supply that nourishes the skin. Our faces begin to
look less healthy when the rate at which irritants and toxins are removed
decreases. Skin becomes more prone to free radical damage (which is really
damage to the cells and DNA). These degenerative conditions of aging skin
progress with time. But some of them can be stopped or reversed with a
carefully applied anti-aging program.
|
