The Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors That Cause Aging Skin

Many changes occur in the skin as it ages. While aging is a natural process, a lifetime of bad skincare habits or health issues can speed up the process or lead to undesired changes.  There are both intrinsic and extrinsic factors that cause our skin to age including:

Intrinsic

• Genetics: If your mother looked older than she actually was, chances are that you will too.
• Sunlight: The powerful rays of the sun can cause wrinkles and a leathery appearance and texture.
• Lifestyle: Unhealthy habits such as smoking, poor diet, stress, and substance abuse can all contribute to aging skin.
• Facial expressions: Repeated facial movements can lead to permanent lines and wrinkles that are etched permanently into the skin over time.

Extrinsic

• Loss of fat, muscle, and bone: Loss of facial volume and shape can occur as a result of the natural loss of these factors during the aging process.
• Decreased production of collagen and hyaluronic acid: These two compounds give structure and volume to the skin and decrease in production over time.
• Changes in hormones: This can lead to unwanted body hair growing in places where it shouldn’t.
• Blood vessels dilating: Weakened, dilated vessels can lead to facial redness, which can be sensitive and difficult to treat.

The distressing news is that we can never stop the aging process of our skin, it starts in our 20s and is ongoing, but the good news is that we sure can slow it down.