SIGN OF AGING

Beautiful skin is a greater signifier of youth than being free of lines and wrinkles. However, the skin is quick to show the visible signs of aging, commonly known as the Seven Signs of Aging.

While some of the skin-related factors can be reined in with healthy lifestyle choices and a good skincare regime, many of the characteristics of aging are a matter of genetics.

What are the visible signs of aging skin?

• Rough, dry and itchy.
• Slack. The loss of the elastic tissue (elastin and collagen) in the skin with age causes your skin to become slack and hang loosely.
• Transparent. This is caused by thinning of the epidermis (surface layer of the skin) and dermis (deeper layer of the skin).
• Fragile. Increased skin fragility is caused by flattening of the area where the epidermis and dermis (layer of skin under the epidermis) come together.
• More easily bruised. This is caused by thinner blood vessel walls.
• More prone to developing skin lesions, such as non-cancerous (benign) tumors.

What causes our skin to age?

There are a range of different factors that cause our skin to age both as a result of the natural aging process, environmental and lifestyle factors. Ultra violet rays are a major contributor to skin aging in Malaysia, although smoking, stress, medication, climate, alcohol and several others are ways in.

The seven main factors that age skin faster comes down to:

• Smoking
• Over-exposure to the sun
• Stress
• Lack of sleep
• Cold weather
• Alcohol
• Lack of exercise