Getting to know your skin.
What Causes Wrinkles, Skin Sagging, crows feet, pigmentation, and how to minimize them as you age?
Whether we like it or not, Wrinkles and pigmentation are part of the humanlife cycle.
Although, we all arrive at some point in our lives where we have no choice but to deal with these wrinkles and discoloration as they start appearing in different areas of our body, we are so lucky because there are several ways available that will help us slow down the appearance of these wrinkles, and pigmentation as early as our teen-age years. But these come with extra efforts? patience, and determination in order to work.
Skin wrinkles are caused by different factors, some of which you can avoid? and some you can not, such as Sun exposure.
You can not avoid being exposed to sunlight, but you always have a choice to protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun.
Most of us are well aware of how destructive the Ultraviolet radiations are, the moment they penetrate our skin. That is why, we walk, an extra mile to find ways to protect our skin from the damaging effects of the Ultraviolet radiation. We know the effects because we all experience the struggle, when wrinkles and dark spots start appearing, when our skin becomes dry, dull, and old.
All of these are happening, because we allow them to happen before its due time. We allow the UV radiation to enter the epidermis, the top layer of our skin, where the stem cells are found. The UV radiation interacts by damaging the stem cells, which are the ones making baby skin cells called Keratinocytes, Melanosites, and the Merkel Cells.
These three baby skin cells have different functions to perform.
The Keratinocytes are the ones making billions of new skin cells every day. The new, and baby skin cells, travel toward the surface of the skin, in about 27 days to replace the old and dead skin cells on the surface of our skin. The creation of new skin cells is non-stop, because the death of old skin cells on the surface of the skin, is also non-stop.
Unprotected exposure to sunlight, allows the ultraviolet radiation to enter the epidermis , and down to the dermis, and the excessive heat triggers the Melanocytes to produce melanin pigment to block the UV radiation from entering the cells. When the melanocytes produce melanin pigment, the dark pigment stains the newly produced baby skin cells while they travel to the outer skin. By the time the discolored baby skin cells arrive at the top layer and pile up in the epidermis, they are already dark in color. These piled-up dark-colored skin, form into dark pigments we call dark spots and melasma. The activation of the melanocytes to produce the dark pigment melanin, is triggered in various ways, and sun exposure, is one of them.
Keratinocytes also produce Hyaluronic acid, which aids in skin cell production, but the abundant amount of Hyaluronic acid production, happens in the dermis, by the Fibroblast cells. The other baby skin cell produced by the mother stem cells are the Melanosites. They are the ones producing the melanin, the dark pigment that gives color to our hair, skin, and eyeballs. Melanin also serves to protect the DNA found inside each cell. The Melanosites are heat and light-sensitive. It detects the presence of severe heat from the sun, from the blue light produced by electronic devices, and heat from the fire, as they enter the epidermis.
Studies revealed by the United States National Library of Medicine, show, that melanin production speeds up at 37 degrees Centigrade, or 98.7 degrees Fahrenheit. At 37 degrees, the Melanosites are rapidly releasing melanin pigment to prevent the UV radiation from entering the Nucleus of the skin cells where the DNA is found and hidden for safety.
DNA cannot be destroyed and damaged because it is the life of the human body. The DNA acts like a vault. It stores the Genetic Information of each individual such as the hereditary information that is passed down from parents to children. It contains the instructions that determine a person’s physical traits, such as eye color, height, genetic diseases, etc.
DNA carries the blueprint for the development and functioning of an organism including skin cells, muscle cells, nerve cells, blood cells, and cells in all other organs and tissues. While different cells perform specific functions and express different genes, they all derive from the same DNA blueprint.
Watch Detailed information about DNA specifics in our other videos. It can also be found on our website. Thank you.
The production of melanin pigment is influenced by the severity of the UV radiation or heat detected. The hotter it becomes, the more melanin pigment is released to give full coverage to the DNA. Therefore, when more melanin pigment sticks to the new baby’s skin cells, the darker the new cells become. These darker new skin cells travel toward the surface of the skin, and sit on top, in darker color. Continuous excessive sun and heat exposure without proper sun protection, causes the darker skin cells to pile up on top of the skin. If left unattended, these dark-pigmented skin cells become deeper, and accumulate over the years.
This is what we call, sun or heat exposure now, wrinkles and pigmentation later. The radiation exposure effect is cumulative. It is not an instant effect. You may see some immediate results in a matter of days, but that is just an intro to a bigger damage that will become visible in 10 to 20 years. The pigmentation and damage to the skin, increase over the years.
As you age, it gets darker and becomes prominently visible after a decade or two. By the time you realized how dark the pigmentation has become, and you already decided to get rid of the dark spots, the stain has gone too deep already.
Luckily, there are ways available in the market to help fix the pigmentation, and other early aging problems, but it would take time, and a truck-load of patience is needed, because the pile-up of dark and dead skin cells are excessively high and deep. Therefore, it is very important that we must apply sun protection products, at an early age as possible, to prevent the skin damage to Accumulate, pile up, and go deeper over the years. The quality of the product ingredients matter too. It must also be taken into consideration when choosing the right skincare products for a safer skincare routine.
For the younger generation, it is very important to be aware, that it is not advisable to wait until you see those wrinkles and discoloration on your skin when you get older before you take action. Taking care of your skin at an early age is the key to healthier and younger-looking skin as you age.
Parents must take part in giving the proper guidance on the overall skin health of their children, so that they will grow up with healthy skin, most especially when dealing with pigmentation and acne scarring.
Acne scars do not last forever, but they can be long-lasting if left untreated. With time, most acne scars tend to fade and become less noticeable. However, the extent to which they improve can vary depending on various factors, including the severity of the scars, the individual’s skin type, and their overall skin health. Watch our detailed videos about acne and pimples. Thanks. [sPause sec=2 ePause]
In another instance, If the melanin production is not enough to cover the tremendous amount of UV radiation that enters the epidermis, the radiation will be able to enter the Nucleus and attack the DNA and destroy the DNA components, which may lead to cell death, photo aging? and may eventually result in skin cancer. The same happens to the eyes. Too much heat, UV radiation, and artificial blue light from electronic devices can cause serious eye problems including cataracts, and eye cancer.
The third baby skin cells produced by the mother stem cell are called the Merkel Cells, which are located close to the nerve endings. They are responsible for detecting the sense of touch. When you pinch your skin, the Merkel cells are the ones that send the signal to the sensory neurons, which will relay the electrical signal to the brain. The brain processes the signal that makes us feel the pain.
Chronic sun, and artificial blue light exposure, can also lead to Merkel cell skin cancer.
Excessive and prolonged sun and artificial blue light exposure, allows the radiation to penetrate down to the deeper layer which is the dermis if not protected. It is the second layer of the skin, where the fibroblast cells are found, and where the connective tissues are being produced. The fibroblast cells are responsible for wound healing, and producing the connective tissues that support the epidermis. These connective tissues are the collagen proteins, which give volume to our skin. When collagen supply is abundant, the top skin stretches and becomes firm, plump, and supple. Like a balloon, you can see how stretched it is when it is full of air.
Another connective tissue produced by the fibroblast cells are the elastin proteins. Like a rubber band, elastin gives the skin tissues the ability to bounce back to its original position when stretched, or contracted. It helps the skin tissues become strong and resilient. Elastin proteins are also found in other parts of the body. Elastin in the arteries helps the blood vessels become stretchy, making it easier for the heart to pump blood.
Fibroblast cells also produce an abundant amount of Hyaluronic Acid, a type of carbohydrate molecule that binds with collagen and elastin, to form a matrix called extracellular matrix. This web-like matrix serves as a framework to support the skin from loosing, sagging, and wrinkling. Hyaluronic acid maintains the hydration of the skin. It is responsible for lubricating the skin tissues and joints. It also serves as cushion in-between joints, allowing our elbows and knees, to grind without pain. Hyaluronic acid is very good at keeping the moisture to stay in place, to continue keeping our skin hydrated. It contributes to skin repair and regeneration. It helps wounds heal faster, and reduces scarring.
When UV radiation reaches the dermis, it destroys the normal functions of the fibroblast cells, leading to Oxidative Stress, where cells and tissues are damaged. This results in early skin aging, skin diseases, and even skin cancer, most especially when the skin lacks its vital nutrients and antioxidants.
The excessive heat of the UV radiation, melts the collagen proteins and hyaluronic acid, and destroys the elastin fibers, leading to the breakdown of the extracellular matrix that supports the epidermal skin. Following this scenario, is the appearance of premature aging of the skin. Due to its lack of dermal matrix support, loss of volume? loss of moisture, and loss of elasticity, the top skin loses its strength and balance, therefore, the skin collapses, shrinks, sags, and becomes dry, dull, and wrinkly.
This is how sun exposure influences the look and feel of our skin, and our overall appearance. We maybe younger at age, but when we are excessively exposed to UV radiation without proper sun protection, we may look older than our age with those dry and dull skin, fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin.
Not taking care of our skin everyday, is like not brushing our teeth everyday. Our skin needs daily care too, because we are exposed to the sun, artificial heat from electronic gadgets, and environmental toxins everyday that harm and damage our skin.
Understanding our skin, allows us to take care of it properly. Knowledge in skin health, is a very powerful tool, in aging gracefully.
You may not understand it today while you are still young, but when you reach your 30’s, especially 40’s, you will understand what I mean.
Sun exposure is just one of the many causes of skin discoloration, fine lines, wrinkles, skin sagging, or skin aging for short. Other causes will be discussed in our next videos, so stay tuned for more Skincare Tips and helpful information on how to achieve a healthy skin, and how to age gracefully. A happy skin, is a happy you! See you in our next videos. Bye for now!
