Skin ageing: everything you need to know

What is skin ageing? Read the article to find out everything you need to know about its causes, and how to fight it effectively.

Skin ageing, also known as ‘senescence’, is a physiological process that affects everyone, men and women alike, sooner or later. It is a common and widespread aesthetic problem.

For some individuals, bearing the marks of a past life on their face is no cause for discomfort or frustration. But for others, it can affect their self-confidence and self-esteem.

It is no coincidence that when it comes to beauty, ageing is one of the most popular – overblown even – topics. Moreover, it is often surrounded by confusion and false myths, as well as pseudo-miraculous remedies.

The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive overview of this topic, by defining what skin ageing means, its causes and remedies for dealing with it.

In particular, we will see the following:

• What is skin ageing
• When skin ageing starts
  • How to stop skin ageing
• What skin types age first

What is skin ageing

Skin ageing is a biological and physiological phenomenon that involves a series of visible and structural changes in the skin. These changes are influenced by several factors, both internal and external to our organism.

Whatever the underlying causes, skin ageing manifests itself through a series of signs and symptoms. These include deep face wrinkles, fine lines, loss of elasticity, dark spots, and loss of tone and volume.

It is a complex phenomenon, reflecting the interaction of genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors.

In particular, over the years, the skin undergoes a series of alterations, due to:

• Loss of collagen and elastin (which make the skin elastic and firm).
• Lower hyaluronic acid content (which retains water, keeps the skin hydrated and elastic and stimulates collagen production).
• Prolonged and inadequately protected exposure to the sun.
• Genetic predisposition.
• Lifestyle: bad habits such as smoking, unbalanced diet, excessive alcohol consumption and lack of sleep.

Lastly, with physiological ageing, older cells no longer perform their functions optimally. This leads to a decrease in the skin’s ability to regenerate and repair itself.

When does skin ageing start?

The ageing process of the skin is gradual and varies from individual to individual. However, speaking in general terms, the first signs appear as early as 25-30 years of age.

There are different types of wrinkles and, in this age group, these are mostly ‘expression lines’. They appear on the forehead and around the eyes and lips, due to the numerous stresses to which these areas of the face are subjected.

It is clear that, at a young age, this is a minor aesthetic issue. After 40, however, wrinkles and fine lines start to become more evident and the skin begins to lose its original tone.

But it is from 50 onward that these signs become deeper, the skin loses even more elasticity and firmness, and imperfections become difficult to hide.

How to stop skin ageing

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to stop skin ageing completely. This process is part of the natural cycle of life.

However, it is possible to intervene at a preventive level, by adopting good lifestyle habits, and at a corrective level, through appropriate aesthetic medicine treatments.

Let’s start with the strategies that significantly slow down the skin ageing process, to help you maintain a healthy, youthful skin for as long as possible.

We have already mentioned how bad lifestyle habits can negatively impact your skin. So, the first step to preserve the beauty of your skin is to follow some important recommendations:

• Follow a balanced diet;
• Work out regularly;
• Avoid smoking and limit alcohol consumption;
• Use adequate sun protection;
• Adopt the right daily skin care;
• Sleep at least 7-8 hours per night.

On the other hand, to address signs of ageing that are already evident, you can resort to aesthetic medicine treatments.
Among the various options available – which should always be evaluated by an experienced aesthetic physician – hyaluronic acid fillers are worth mentioning. Injections of this molecule are among the most effective treatments for reducing the signs of skin ageing. In fact, they are able to fill in wrinkles and furrows, restore the original volumes of the face and give back the hydration and radiance of young skin.

What skin types age first?

We have repeatedly pointed out that skin ageing is not the same for everyone. In addition to the causes already examined, specific skin features can make all the difference.

Of the different skin types, the most susceptible to ageing is dry skin.

Sebum deficiency and lack of natural moisture can cause a loss of elasticity. This causes the skin to become less capable of returning to its original shape after being stretched or folded, and this can lead to early wrinkles.

Dry skin also has a compromised skin barrier, which makes it more susceptible to damage caused by UV rays, pollution and other environmental aggressions.

As we have seen, one of the properties of hyaluronic acid is precisely nourishing and moisturising tissues. Therefore, using these fillers allows wrinkles to be filled up immediately and lastingly and helps to restore the optimal level of hydration of the dermis.

We would like to reiterate that, although this is a minimally invasive and safe outpatient procedure, it is essential to only consult a qualified aesthetic medicine doctor. This is the only way to ensure that a quality hyaluronic acid is used and that it is applied in an optimal way.