How your skin changes over time

When it comes to cheese, wine, and whiskey, older is typically better. But when it comes to your skin, the opposite is true.

Understanding how your skin changes as you age is one of the best ways to combat the inevitable effects of time.

Dr. Laura Bilbruck and our team at Results Medical Aesthetics & Wellness understand how frustrating it can be to see your soft, supple skin get older. We want to equip you with the knowledge and tools necessary to delay Father Time, as well as provide comprehensive aesthetic treatments to rejuvenate your skin.

Take a closer look at how your skin changes over the years and what you can do about it.

Young skin under the microscope

When you’re younger, your skin is a well-oiled machine that’s strong on the inside and beautiful on the outside. The outermost part of your skin — the epidermis — consists of skin cells, pigment cells, and proteins.

The second layer of skin — the dermis — houses blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles, and oil glands, and provides nutrients to the epidermis. The deepest layer of skin is the subcutaneous layer. It’s made up mostly of fat, blood vessels, sweat glands, and a few hair follicles.

Each layer of your skin also contains high concentrations of tightly packed bunches of collagen and elastin fibers. Collagen is a supportive protein that gives your skin its supple structure and elastin provides your skin with youthful strength and elasticity.

All of these elements work together flawlessly to regulate sensation and body temperature, protect you from the environment, and give you a youthful appearance.

Older skin under the microscope

Just about everything under the sun eventually breaks down. Even things that are kept safe and cared for succumb to the effects of time. Your skin is no different. As you age, your skin loses most of the proteins, cells, and connective tissues it had when you were younger, resulting in both aesthetic and functional problems.

Your blood vessels become much more fragile and susceptible to bruising, your oil glands stop working (which results in chronically dry, rough skin), and your skin loses pigment cells, leaving you with pale skin.

Aging skin is vulnerable to skin tears and injury, loss of sensation, and slow wound healing. Your stores of collagen and elastin also decrease significantly, causing your skin to wrinkle, sag, and lose its volume.

All of these changes are virtually inevitable as repetitive facial movements, general wear-and-tear, and the effects of gravity gradually impact your skin. But there are a few factors that contribute to premature aging in your skin.

Causes of premature aging

Time is one of the main culprits behind skin changes, but you can see your skin start to sag, wrinkle, and lose its function prematurely if you identify with the following:

• Frequent use of tanning beds
• Overexposure to the sun
• Cigarette smoking

Each of these lifestyle factors attacks the structural elements of your skin, specifically your collagen and elastin fibers, and speeds up the aging process.

Preventing premature aging

With so many ways the world around you can damage your skin, it might seem like there’s no hope in saving your skin from the effects of premature aging. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to give your skin a fighting chance against the elements.

For example, protecting your skin from the sun by applying sunscreen and wearing protective clothing like long-sleeved shirts and wide-brimmed hats can significantly reduce the amount of UV radiation your skin absorbs. Talk to us about finding a moisturizer or lotion that has a built-in SPF.

Keeping up a healthy lifestyle, reducing stress, and quitting smoking are also great ways to support your skin from within.

Our anti-aging treatments

Though making certain lifestyle adjustments is essential to having youthful skin through the years, there’s no substitute for our menu of skin care and aesthetic treatments. A few of our most popular treatments include:

• Facials
• Skin tightening
• Microneedling and microneedling RF
• Bellafill collagen filler
• Peels

Our treatments address a wide variety of issues, from dry skin and loss of volume to fine lines and wrinkles. Whatever your cosmetic concern, we have the solution.

Don’t spend another day watching the years creep across your skin. If you’re ready to get your youth back with our expert advice and comprehensive treatments, request an appointment online or over the phone at our Tulsa, Oklahoma, office today.