Individuals form first impressions by looking at other people’s faces. The appearance of the face and neck will show the first signs of aging in a person.
Unlike the skin of older people, youthful skin will be beautiful with no signs of lines and wrinkles.
Aging is inevitable, and it can present itself in various ways. With continued age, your skin’s support structure begins to weaken, causing a loss of elasticity.
Some people may have a drooping appearance due to the changes in their facial contour and loss of muscle tone.
In addition, as you age, the fatty muscles under your skin deplete, and the pull of gravity partially pushes the tissues towards the bottom of your face.
Your facial muscles will also contribute to the look of your neck and face.
The blog seeks to explain the changes and first signs on your face that indicate aging, causes of aging and individualized care for aging skin.
Causes of Skin Aging
Human skin ages with time due to several factors, including the natural ageing process, lifestyle, and environmental conditions.
One of the main contributors to skin ageing is ultraviolet rays.
Other factors that make the skin age faster include:
- Lack of sleep
- Alcohol
- Smoking
- Failure to exercise
- Stress
Face Changes Indicating Aging
When you become older, the underlying fat shrinks, and skin dries out more, making your face lack a plump, smooth surface.
It is hard to avoid wrinkles, but frequent exposure to the sun and smoking can make them appear quickly.
Moreover, you will develop more large-sized dark spots on the face, primarily due to the sun.
You may also lose some teeth and have receding gums, making your lips seem shrunken and changing your mouth’s appearance.
Due to reduced jaw bone mass, your face will be thinner; thus, you will have a more pronounced mouth, forehead and nose.
Additionally, some individuals may have cartilage growth which may lengthen their ears. Some men may also grow hair in the ears, and as they age, the hairs become longer and noticeable.
They will also have drier ear wax because their ears will have less wax glands, hence will produce less oil.
The hardened wax can affect some people’s hearing ability as it will block the ear canal.
Like other parts of your face, the skin surrounding the eyes will get wrinkles and form crow’s feet at the corner of the eyes.
Plus, the eyelashes and eyebrows will turn gray. Your eyes may also appear sunken due to fat settling into your eye sockets.
Besides, your vision may also become limited when your eyelids droop due to weaker upper eyelid muscles.
When your lower eyelids slacken, you can develop bags under your eyes.
The eyes of most elderly adults appear to be light blue or gray because their iris loses pigment, and the cornea forms a gray-white ring.
Signs of Aging
When the skin ages, it changes pretty quickly. There are different signs of aging that impact the facial skin.
Wrinkles
The first visible signs of an aging face are wrinkles and fine lines.
Wrinkles develop due to the weakening of collagen and elastin, which are fibers that maintain the skin’s structure and enable the skin to snap back. If these vital fibers are weakened, the skin sags and develops wrinkles.
Wrinkles also form due to the regular use of specific facial muscles. For instance, repetitive facial expressions can cause frown lines to develop.
These may start forming at age 30; however, we are different, and the aging process depends on one’s lifestyle and genetics.
A combination of crow’s feet and frown lines with a loss of elasticity will make the wrinkles more visible.
Loss of Facial Volume
Many people notice changes in their faces as they grow old. Age-related signs can manifest in different ways, including facial structure changes.
When you lose your facial volume, you will have sagging skin, hollow cheeks and a turtle neck appearance.
Another effect of the aging process is jowls. Some people keep wondering what jowls are since they have never heard of the word.
Jowls refer to the sagging skin below the jawline or chin that occurs when the skin around the jaws loses elasticity and becomes thinner as you age.
Skin Dryness and Dullness
A healthy young skin has sufficient moisture and a vibrant appearance. Over the aging process, the skin will no longer be able to retain moisture.
Consequently, the skin’s top layer will have depleted moisture levels making the skin have a dull complexion.
Additionally, youthful skin renews itself easily, unlike older skin which makes it brighter.
Visible Pores
Due to loss of skin elasticity and gravity pull that draws the skin, the pores on the face enlarge and become more noticeable.
Unbalanced Skin Tone
Aging leads to uneven complexion in certain areas. Some parts of your skin may harbor more melanin than other areas causing this unevenness.
Rough Skin Texture
Skin that was once soft and supple becomes uneven with large bumps on the surface as you age. The rough texture results from the accumulation of dead cells and a slow rate of cell turnover.
Remedies to Aging Skin
You need to understand how the skin ages if you want to know the best way of caring for it. First, you should lead a holistic lifestyle to prevent premature aging.
With proper skin care, you will also minimize visible aging signs, wrinkles and dryness. Have a consistent routine that involves cleansing, care and sun protection to maintain healthy skin.
Cleansing involves the removal of dirt, chemicals and make-up from the skin. Moreover, you need to care for your skin by using products that address aging issues.
Some products are designed to help reduce fine lines and loose skin, while others improve the skin’s elasticity.
Conclusion
The skin ages due to various reasons mentioned in this article. You cannot alter the natural ageing process, but you can control other factors that cause skin aging. Understanding how different factors affect the skin structure will help you develop an individualized plan to maintain radiant, youthful skin.
