Aging Skin

Your skin does many things. It protects you from the environment, helps regulate your body temperature, helps with fluid and electrolyte balance, and provides receptors for sensations such as touch, pain, and pressure. Skin changes are among the most visible signs of aging. Evidence of increasing age include wrinkles and sagging skin. Whitening or graying of the hair is another obvious sign of aging.

Skin changes are related to environmental factors, genetic makeup, nutrition, and other factors. The greatest single factor, though, is sun exposure. This can be seen by comparing areas of your body that have regular sun exposure with areas that are protected from sunlight. Sunlight is a major cause of the skin changes we think of as aging changes such as wrinkles, dryness, and age spots. As your skin ages, it becomes thinner and loses fat, so it looks less plump and smooth. Underlying structures veins and bones in particular become more prominent. Your skin can take longer to heal when injured. You can delay these changes by staying out of the sun. Although nothing can completely undo sun damage, the skin sometimes can repair itself.

Skin Aging Factors

The following factors can accelerate skin aging:

• sun exposure
• environmental toxins
• poor diet
• excess alcohol consumption
• first- or secondhand cigarette smoke
• harsh soaps or detergent-based moisturizers
• stress
• sleep deprivation

Dryness, loss of tone and fullness, diminished immune responses, and reduced ability to repair damage are all factors that contribute to the aging process.

Aging Changes:

• With aging, the outer skin layer (epidermis) thins even though the number of cell layers remains unchanged.
• The number of pigment-containing cells (melanocytes) decreases, but the remaining melanocytes increase in size. Large pigmented spots (called age spots, liver spots, or lentigos) may appear in sun-exposed areas.
• Changes in the connective tissue reduce the skin's strength and elasticity. This is known as elastosis and is especially pronounced in sun-exposed areas (solar elastosis).
• The blood vessels of the dermis become more fragile, which in turn leads to bruising, bleeding under the skin, cherry angiomas, and similar conditions.
• Sebaceous glands produce less oil as you age. Men experience a minimal decrease, usually after the age of 80. Women gradually produce less oil beginning after menopause. This can make it harder to keep the skin moist, resulting in dryness and itchiness.
• The subcutaneous fat layer, which provides insulation and padding, thins. This increases your risk of skin injury and reduces your ability to maintain body temperature.
• The sweat glands produce less sweat. This makes it harder to keep cool, and you become at increased risk for becoming overheated or developing heat stroke.
• Aging skin repairs itself more slowly than younger skin. Wound healing may be up to 4 times slower. This contributes to pressure ulcers and infections.

Because most skin changes are related to sun exposure, prevention is a lifelong process. Prevent sunburn if at all possible. Use a good quality sunscreen when outdoors, even in the winter. Wear protective clothing and hats as necessary.

Good nutrition and adequate fluids are also helpful. Eat plenty of foods containing fiber-cooked vegetables, raw vegetables, fruit and whole grains, like real oatmeal, every day. These foods keep digestion and elimination consistent, which is crucial to the health and beauty of your skin, as well as to your overall health. Eat dark green and orange vegetables in particular-these are known to possess antioxidant and cancer-fighting properties.

Dehydration increases the risk of skin injury. Sometimes minor nutritional deficiencies can cause rashes, skin lesions, and other skin changes. Keep skin moist with lotions and do not use soaps that are heavily perfumed. Moist skin is more comfortable and may heal better.

Wrinkles

Wrinkles are visible creases in the skin. Most wrinkles are associated with aging changes in skin. Aging of the skin and related structures (hair and nails) is a natural process.

Wrinkles can develop because of:

• Sun exposure
• Normal aging changes in the skin
• Smoking

Over time, the sun's ultraviolet (UV) light damages the fibers in the skin called elastin. The breakdown of these fibers causes the skin to lose its ability to snap back after stretching. As a result, wrinkles form. Gravity also is at work, pulling at the skin and causing it to sag, most noticeably on the face, neck, and upper arms.

Cigarette smoking also contributes to wrinkles. People who smoke tend to have more wrinkles than nonsmokers of the same age, complexion, and history of sun exposure. Facial wrinkling increases with the amount of cigarettes and number of years a person has smoked.

Treatment:

• A dermatologist or plastic surgeon may provide choices from wrinkle creams to plastic surgery for dealing with aging problems.
• Tretinoin (Retin-A) or other creams may be recommended, but these aren't guaranteed to help.
• Chemical peels or laser resurfacing are very effective options for early wrinkles.
• Botulinum toxin (Botox) may be used to correct some of the wrinkles associated with overactive facial muscles.
• Plastic surgery (for a facelift, browlift, or other procedure) is available as an elective procedure that is generally paid for entirely by the patient, not by insurance.

Dry Skin and Itching

Many older people suffer from dry skin, particularly on their lower legs, elbows, and forearms. The skin feels rough and scaly and often is accompanied by a distressing, intense itchiness. Low humidity caused by overheating during the winter and air conditioning during the summer contributes to dryness and itching. The loss of sweat and oil glands as you age also may worsen dry skin. Dehydration, sun exposure, smoking, and stress also may cause dry skin.

Dry skin itches because it is irritated easily. If your skin is very dry and itchy, consult a doctor.

The most common treatment for dry skin is the use of moisturizers to reduce water loss and soothe the skin. Moisturizers come in several forms: ointments, creams, and lotions. Ointments are mixtures of water in oil, usually either lanolin or petrolatum. Creams are preparations of oil in water, which is the main ingredient. Creams must be applied more often than ointments to be most effective. Lotions contain powder crystals dissolved in water, again the main ingredient. Because of their high water content, they feel cool on the skin and don't leave the skin feeling greasy. Although they are easy to apply and may be more pleasing than ointments and creams, lotions don't have the same protective qualities. You may need to apply them frequently to relieve the signs and symptoms of dryness. Moisturizers should be used indefinitely to prevent recurrence of dry skin.

Age Spots

Age spots ("liver spots") have nothing to do with the liver. Rather, these flat, brown spots are caused by years of sun exposure. They are bigger than freckles and appear in fair-skinned people on sun-exposed areas such as the face, hands, arms, back, and feet. The medical name for them is solar lentigo. They may be accompanied by wrinkling, dryness, thinning of the skin, and rough spots.

A number of treatments are available, including skin-lightening creams; cryotherapy (freezing); and laser therapy. Tretinoin cream is approved for reducing the appearance of darkened spots. A sunscreen or sun block should be used to prevent further damage.

Anti aging creams

Anti aging creams contain all the anti aging ingredients (including DHEA and melatonin) to help the skin to repair, renew, and revitalize itself are available. These creams must contain the precise DHEA amounts and melatonin, together with associated factors, that work specifically in the epidermis of the skin, not transdermally. These creams may be used at night or during the day with a sunscreen.

Price-RX.com offers following anti-aging skin products:

Jevene Anti-Wrinkle Cream

Prescription Agents:
Renova
Retin-A