Science of Wrinkles

Know Your Skin

Our skin consists of three basic layers, including the epidermis, dermis and adipose (fatty) tissue. New skin cells are created in the epidermis - the upper layer of the skin - and rise to the surface where they are sloughed off. This is a continual process all over your body. Melanocytes, the pigment cells that determine skin color and provide some protection against the sun's ultraviolet rays, reside in the epidermis as well.

The dermis, or middle layer, sustains the epidermis. This layer contains three protein-related substances: collagen, responsible for skin firmness and durability; elastin, providing elasticity and resilience; and, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs or chains of sugars and amino acids) that help skin retain its moisture.

The bottom layer, adipose or fatty tissue, provides a supportive cushion for the dermis and keeps it from sagging and wrinkling.

Your skin protects the vital organs, provides a barrier against microorganisms, excretes waste products, regulates body temperature, transforms sunlight into vitamin D and produces melanin in specialized skin cells to reduce exposure to the sun's damaging ultraviolet rays.

The My-Mother Syndrome

Many of us laugh it off, but the truth is that by 30 years old, inherited patterns of aging generally begin to appear. Initial signs can include horizontal lines observed crossing the forehead and some drooping of the eyelids. Loss of fat in the cheeks causes the formation of puffy jowls on either side of the chin, a pattern commonly referred to as “fleur-de-lys.” Lips may thin and fissure.

By 50, the force of gravity may produce downward-turned corners at the edge of the mouth, long ear lobes and a hooked nose, plus a change in the neck skin from firm to loose can cause saggy “turkey neck”. Ouch!

In addition, after menopause the epidermis takes longer to regenerate itself. Collagen and elastin fibers start to deteriorate, resulting in easy bruising, as well as sags, wrinkles and furrows. The skin becomes more fragile and transparent and blood vessels become more prominent.

Age spots, also called liver spots or senile macules, may appear due to malfunctioning melanocytes, causing irregular spheres of hyper-pigmented skin or white spots where pigmentation is lacking. Changes continue to accelerate into the 60s and beyond with thinning skin and the further breakdown of collagen and elastin fibers in the dermis, resulting in more numerous and prominent wrinkles.

Factors that Increase the Formation of Wrinkles:

• Exposure of the skin to sunlight accelerates the aging process via two mechanisms: a) the UV-A and UV-B components of sunlight stimulate the destruction of collagen by the collagenase enzyme; b) the UV-B component of sunlight initiates damage to the mitochondrial DNA. Chronic insults to the skin such as those caused by ultra-violet radiation from sunlight lead to cumulative damage that can lead to photo-aging (i.e. aging caused by the sun)
• The number of wrinkles increases in tandem with the progression of the aging process.
• Frequent dehydration increases the formation of wrinkles. The skin has more wrinkles and roughness when the body is dehydrated.
• Recreational drug use, i.e., excessive consumption of alcohol and tobacco smoking prematurely causes wrinkles, especially vertical wrinkles above the lip, by increasing the activity of collagenase, the enzyme that destroys collagen.
• Hyaluronic acid depletion in the dermis is one of the underlying causes of the loss of viscoelasticity of the skin, which is a major contributory factor for the formation of wrinkles.
• Premature Wrinkles can occur as a result of silicon deficiency, because silicon is an essential component of collagen. Stretch Marks can occur after pregnancy as a result of silicon deficiency.