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Aging
is a dynamic process; as we age several changes occur in our skin.
These changes are induced by either intrinsic or extrinsic factors.
Intrinsic aging is a natural process of everyone’s skin and the severity
of some elements of intrinsic aging have genetic basis allowing some
people’s skin age more than others.
Fairer skin is more susceptible to
damage from sunlight...
However the most dramatic
changes seen are due to extrinsic causes, the most important being
sunlight (particularly the invisible UV light), smoking and pollution.
UV rays in sunlight are responsible for
sun burns, premature wrinkles, dark spots (lentigines and freckles), unsightly growths,
rough skin texture with yellow hue and even skin cancer. The fairer the skin, the most
susceptible it is. The harmful effects of UV rays are cumulative and
generally not visible until middle age, even though the damage would
have occurred in teenage years. Hence avoidance of sun-exposure should
begin in early life.
Protect your skin from UV Rays right from
childhood...
Sun Protection: This can be achieved by use of protective clothing
and sun-screens. Most clothing absorb or reflect UV rays, but white
fabric like loose knit cotton and wet clothes (due to sweating) do not
offer much protection. The tighter the weave, greater the protection.
Sun-screens should be used regularly and every day, whether the person
is indoors or outdoors. Sun-screens are of two types – physical blocks
and chemical sun-screens.
Physical sun-screens (zinc oxide and titanium
dioxide) create a physical barrier for the penetration of UV light (UV-A
and UV-B). These are quite effective, but cosmetically unacceptable. Now
micronised titanium dioxide is available for better acceptance.
Chemical
sun-screens (PABA and its derivatives,
parsol etc.) absorb UV rays; some absorb only UV-A (parsol) and some
only UV-B (PABA and its derivatives).
SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of a sunscreen indicates protection against burning that
is caused by UVB. UVA penetrates deeper and plays a significant role in
wrinkling, loss of elasticity and pigment changes. Our skin rarely
burns. What we need is a protection against UV-A in addition to UV-B. Therefore daily use of
broad spectrum sun-screen is a must.
Treatment of aging: Choice of treatment depends on
severity and type of wrinkles along with the aesthetic needs of the
patient.
Cosmetic camouflage is an effective, temporary means of
concealing aging skin problems like wrinkles, mottled pigmentation and
xerosis.
Treatment of aging skin includes surgical and non-surgical
methods. Non-surgical treatment include use of retinoic
acid (RA) and
alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). AHAs are derived from fruits and
referred as fruit acids – glycolic acid from sugarcane, citric acid
from citrus fruits and mallic acid from apple. But glycolic acid
available in the market is synthesized in the lab and not extracted from
fruits. These acids reverse the changes caused by photo-damage by
increasing the epidermal thickness, dermal collagen and ground
substance. AHAs take minimum of 6-8
weeks to show improvement. Results will be better if RA and AHA are used
together.
Surgical methods
include
-
Chemical peeling
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Liquid nitrogen peel
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Dermabrasion
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Laser resurfacing
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Injection of fats,
collagen
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Injection of
botulinus toxin (for wrinkles caused by muscle contraction)
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Face lifts and
blepharoplasty
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Sunscreens
are the best agents anyone can use to maintain a youthful skin
Points to
remember while using a sun screen:
- Use a broad
spectrum sun screen (that protects against both UVA and UVB)
- Should be used
at the right time (between 8am and 5pm)
- Should be used
in sufficient quantities (2mg/cm2 area)
- Should be used
regularly,
whether indoors or outdoors
- In countries
like India, it should be used through out the year
Sun screens used
in right time prevents/improves:
- Sunlight
induced skin disease
- Pigmentation
changes on the face
- Growths on the
face
- Wrinkling of
face
- Acne
scars and comedones
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