As the years go by and you get older, it’s normal to experience thinner, drier, saggier skin along with noticeable fine lines, wrinkles, under-eye bags, and other signs of aging.
Some skin aging is intrinsic, driven by genetics and gradual protein structure breakdown (i.e., collagen and elastin loss), and some of it is extrinsic, or premature skin aging brought on by lifestyle habits and environment. Protecting your skin as you get older means taking steps to counteract intrinsic aging, while doing what you can to minimize extrinsic aging.
Our expert team at Keehan Dermatology in Fort Worth, Texas, can help. In recognition of Healthy Aging Month this September, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Patrick Keehan is here to offer guidance on how to keep your skin strong, healthy, and radiant today — and for all the years to come.
Declining skin oil production and a weakening collagen-elastin matrix combine to make aging skin drier, rougher, thinner, and more delicate. It’s also easily irritated, and anything that irritates it — including a harsh daily care routine — can accelerate skin aging.
Keep aging skin calm and healthy with gentle daily care habits:
Don’t scrub your face clean, either; instead, lift away makeup with a gentle micellar water, and use your fingertips to massage a mild cleanser across your skin. Rinse with warm water, and pat (don’t rub) your skin dry.
Anytime you wash your face, apply a fragrance-free, facial moisturizer designed for your skin type — aging skin may be dry, normal, or combination — to promote hydration and keep your skin feeling youthfully soft and smooth.
Look for a facial moisturizer containing hyaluronic acid or glycerin to lock in moisture; one that also contains ceramides will work to help protect and repair the skin barrier, too. Don’t forget to moisturize your body with lotion after your daily shower, too.
Photoaging, or skin damage caused by harmful ultraviolet (UV) light rays, is responsible for 90% of the visible signs of skin aging. Besides causing dark spots and other pigmentation changes, long-term exposure to UV light accelerates the breakdown of collagen, setting the stage for early wrinkling and skin laxity.
You can minimize this kind of premature skin aging through consistent daily sun protection habits. We recommend:
Protecting your skin from the sun every day — even in wintertime, on cloudy days, or when you’re just heading out to run errands — supports youthful, healthy skin and reduces your risk of developing skin cancer.
Certain lifestyle choices — including inadequate hydration, chronic stress, lack of sleep, a “junk food” diet, lack of exercise, alcohol consumption, and smoking — are bad for your skin at every age. What’s worse, these choices tend to “show up” on your skin more readily as you age.
Skin-healthy lifestyle habits, on the other hand, support strong aging skin from the inside out. This means managing stress levels, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, eating well, and moving your body.
Healthy skin aging simply can’t happen if you smoke: The toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke greatly accelerate skin aging, leaving you with more lines and wrinkles and a dry, leathery complexion. Drinking can further dehydrate and damage your skin.
Collagen is the underlying scaffold of youthful, healthy skin. The average 20-year-old has a brimming “collagen reservoir” that’s completely full. With each passing year, however, skin loses 1.0-1.5% of its collagen structures, leading to noticeable lines and increased laxity.
By the time you’re 45, your skin has at least 25% less collagen than when you were 20. Luckily, there are treatments that can stimulate the collagen renewal process to help restore smoother, firmer skin — naturally. We can give your skin a major collagen boost with:
With the right daily care and a little extra TLC when you need it, you can maintain healthy, beautiful skin at every age. To find out how we can help, schedule a consultation with our skincare specialists at Keehan Dermatology in Fort Worth, Texas, today.
