Science of Aging and The Beauty

by Nilesh Gohel APURVAM Massage Training School

We are all going to age - that’s certain!

Being able to age is a lovely privilege.

My belief is not about rejecting the aging process or making my clients look fraudulent or unnatural. Preferably, I admire the beauty that is natural in aging gracefully and want to add detailed tweaks and enrichment to leave you looking refreshed: but eventually leave you looking like you.

So what is so bad about aging anyway?

That is such a great question, and I wholeheartedly agree with the feeling behind it. There’s nothing inherently wrong with aging.

I will quote and highlight this again: it is such a lovely privilege able to age.

In modern times, with the unbelievable development we have made in public health and nutrition, medicine, and hygiene - most of us are living higher. We are reaching ages that historically we have never been able to attain. And that does arrive with a value.

The modern world is full of pollutants and stressors, environmental poisons, and functional demands. It’s a misunderstanding that all cosmetic doctors want to reject the aging process but acknowledge the very masses that exist in the world to preserve beauty and youthfulness, primarily if you’re a woman.

And I believe this is what it comes down to - we live longer than ever before, and that is a double-sided coin. Our atmosphere and modern life places pressure on us and age us prematurely in a form our forefathers would likely never have encountered. Our cities are polluted, we have exhausted and fast-paced “modern” lives, we consume food our ancestors wouldn’t even realize - and that takes extensive damage on our physical and mental health. And in this modern world of social media, there is also heavy social pressure to adhere to certain physical ideals - sometimes in a very hurtful way. And in a lot of industries, if you’re career-driven and prosperous, there is also a stress to remain to look vital, youthful, and well-presented.

What is the science behind aging skin?

The aging process is very complex and charming, and it is impossible to cover it here. Instead, we will outline the basics to provide you with a good general impression of what is happening to our faces as the years go by.

We begin to age from the day that we're born. Age shows everywhere, but mainly on our skin. That is because our skin is the wall that separates our bodies from the outside atmosphere. Want to hear something terrifying and also utterly unbelievable? The top layer of the epidermis is only 10-15 micrometers thick - this tiny layer is all that endures between life and death via desiccation!

We all know the characteristics of aging skin - it is thinner, looser, and more wrinkled in appearance. It is often crepy, drier, and more delicate, prone to shearing and tears.

The Science: As time moves on, aging skin starts to wrinkle, generated by a loss of structure in the skin. A portion of this loss of structure is due to the lack of collagen and elastin, which are essential elements of the extracellular matrix. The loss of this precious collagen reveals itself as fine lines and wrinkles in the skin, as well as general skin laxity.

Another theory in aging skin is that of agedness. That explains the method of cells becoming less active and proliferative with time. Our sebaceous glands will generate less oil, driving a more dehydrated appearance to our skin. Melanocytes will reduce melanin production, so our skin becomes thinner, paler, and weaker. We also suffer oligosaccharides (a type of sugar) in the skin, which means the skin has a decreased capacity to retain bound water. Overall, this reduction in cell turnover - which leads to the renewing method where our top layer of skin cells is constantly being repaired - makes our skin look dry.

The most significant aging factor in the skin was exposed to UV radiation. That considers 80% of facial aging. UV radiation damages the differentiation and proliferation of skin cells and causes the collection of unusual elastic tissue in the dermis. Very important, UV radiation harms DNA and enhances the rate of mutations, which drives to aging and likely cancer.

Persistent inflammation from reactive oxygen species and free radicals happens as we expose our skin to all kinds of environmental pollutants now everywhere in many cities. These free radicals harm the extracellular matrix. As well as decrease the production of collagen.

What is external skin aging?

What we have explained above is the natural process that occurs as the years go by. It is natural aging: a natural decline in skin function and barrier. However, external aging is affected by external or environmental factors – things like environmental pollutants or UV radiation. They have the effect of stimulating the natural aging process and probably prematurely aging the skin.

What factors affect skin aging?

The following are risk factors that can stimulate skin aging:

Sun exposure/UV radiation

Several studies across various ethnic experiences have associated sun exposure with premature aging (this amazes none of you, I’m sure). As well as UV radiation, there is some indication that noticeable infrared light can enhance the production of proteins that degrade overall collagen in the skin.

2. Environment

Various studies have discovered an association between air pollution and skin aging. Tobacco smoke has also been associated with leading to facial wrinkling and hyperpigmentation.

3. Nutrition

Nutrition has an extensive impact on the skin. Many skin conditions have been linked with nutritional deficiencies, while consumption of vitamin C or higher fat and carbohydrate intakes have connected with a reduction in wrinkled appearance. Sugar is considered to enhance the appearance of wrinkles, possibly via the improvement of advanced glycation end products.

4. Skin Type

Fitzpatrick I-III was examined to be more likely to have some of the features of aging than IV-VI.

5. Hormones

There is some proof that the reduction in estrogen experienced in post-menopausal women can affect skin aging. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can improve elasticity, thickness, and epidermal hydration.

6. Diseases/Genetic Disorders

7. Medications

It’s not all about the Skin

There are other differences to your face beyond the skin that prompt your appearance to age. One main factor is a variation in the fat distribution around your face. You have natural fat pads that give you that fresh, complete appearance. However, as you age, gravity makes these fat pads sag and flow downwards, as well as contract. That can induce hollowing of the eyes and the cheeks. As well as emphasize and develop the lines around the nose and mouth. The movement of fat downwards can also give the look of jowls or loose fat around the chin and jawline, giving features an overall impression of being collapsed and sunken.

As well as this variation in the fat distribution of our faces, there is a reduction in muscle tone in several areas, which will induce the overlying skin to wrinkle and crease. And as we age, we lose bone! If you think about it. The bone is the underlying support that all the rest of our features are formed upon, when we lose bone around our eye sockets and jaw, those regions look more ill-defined.

What basics can you do to stop premature aging?

So it is all very well to define the aging process. But what can we do to stop unnecessary aging? Well, there are a few essential, easy, and beneficial measures you can practice, described below:

Avoid sun exposure/UV radiation and use Sunscreen.
Get a healthy amount of sleep.
Schedule Facial Therapy Massage routinely.
Consume healthful foods
Drink lots of water
Don't smoke
Hydrate and take care of your skin - knowing that the advancement of a good skincare routine can be a complex process at the beginning (but there is always support available!)
Consult with a dermatologist or aesthetic doctor

Yes, aging is natural and beautiful, and many essential factors contribute to it. But aging can also be stimulated by all of those external factors. That can be limiting with knowledge of the risk factors. As well a helping hand from facial therapy massage can help.

Our faces are the first parts of us that we expose the world. There is something so empowering about-face massage. It is rooted profoundly in science, biology, and the sensation of understanding how these bodies we find ourselves in actually operate.

Our faces reveal not only self-care and our health but also our beings and our tales. How we prefer to present ourselves is just another part of that tale.