Did you know there are different types of skin aging?
They include normal aging or physiologic aging and photoaging. After the age of 40, the normal process of aging begins. Dermal collagen starts to decrease with the loss of up to 75 per cent over the years. The small amount of collagen left is fragmented and disorganized. The elastin network degenerates in addition to other changes in the dermis that leads to loss of hydration and decreased skin resilience. All these changes lead to atrophy of the skin, decreased elasticity, dry skin and increased fragility. Finally, the decreased subdermal fat contributes to skin wrinkling and sagging.
Photoaging, on the other hand, is a result of chronic sun exposure and recurrent damage by the sun’s UV light. It is premature skin aging. Clinical features include fine and coarse wrinkles, pigmentations as freckling and sun spots (solar lentigines), and loss of elasticity. Risk of photoaging is higher as we age, in men, skin type I-III and with excessive and or unprotected sun exposure.
The lighter the skin colour, the higher the risk of skin damage and skin cancer. The UV light from the sun causes damage to the complex meshwork in the dermis. It damages mainly the collagen protein. The damaged collagen deposits in the skin, causing an inflammatory process that leads to atypical melanocytes and epidermal cells. The elastic fibres disintegrate, causing laxity in the skin and decreased elasticity, with coarse and fine wrinkles forming and excessive dryness.
Photoaging can be prevented and improved through a number of modalities. First and most important is to wear sun screen throughout the year, avoid sun exposure, wear protective clothes and seek shade at peak sun hours.
It is possible to reduce the effects of aging and sun exposure. The first-line treatment is a topical retinoid, the most extensively studied compound that helps with wrinkles and aging skin. Several months of treatment are typically required before clinical improvement is appreciated.
Non-ablative lasers are therapeutic options for skin rejuvenation that demonstrate a low risk for serious adverse effects with a short recovery time. The non-ablative skin resurfacing modalities utilize the light or energy to selectively heat or alter components of the dermis without damaging the epidermis. That allows for less damage and a quicker recovery. IPL therapy is a very effective treatment for pigments, tenlangecasia (dilated or broken vessels), rosacea (redness) and cherry spots. Radio-frequency devices and fractional non-ablative lasers are typically used to target skin laxity and wrinkles.
All of these services are available at BonitaWomen’s Health andWellness in Caledon. Contact the clinic to arrange a free consultation that will help you decide on what is best for you. Call 905-857-3473 today. Find details at bonitawhw.ca.
