Two different aging: one is inevitable, the other is not
The skin ages according to two independent scenarios that overlap each other. The first is called chronoaging: with age, collagen synthesis decreases, cell renewal slows down, subcutaneous fat tissue becomes thinner, facial fat packets are redistributed and the shape of the skull bones changes. It is believed that after twenty-five years, the production of one’s own collagen drops by approximately one percent per year, and this process is approximately the same for everyone. The second scenario is photoaging, skin damage from ultraviolet radiation. It destroys collagen fibers, triggers chronic inflammation and leads to the accumulation of altered elastin, causing the skin to become rough, yellowish and wrinkled. It is photoaging that is responsible for most of what a person sees in the mirror and calls age.
You can check this without any instruments. Compare the skin on the back of the hand and on the inner surface of the shoulder of the same person forty to fifty years old: the biological age of these areas is the same, but they look fundamentally different. Skin covered with clothes remains even and smooth for decades, while open skin becomes covered with pigment spots, a network of wrinkles and loses density. Only the sun makes the difference, and that is why photoaging is considered that part of the process that a person can really influence.
- Chronoaging is manifested by a fine network of superficial wrinkles, dryness and loss of volume, but the skin remains relatively smooth
- Photoaging gives rise to rough deep folds, age spots, spider veins, uneven relief and a yellowish tint.
- Ultraviolet type A penetrates deep into the dermis and works all year round, including in cloudy weather
- Ultraviolet type B is responsible for tanning and burns, it is more abundant in summer and in the middle of the day
- External factors also include smoking, polluted air, infrared radiation and sudden changes in weight
- The shape of the face changes not only because of the skin: fat packets drop, the volume of bone support decreases, and ligaments weaken
What are wrinkles and why is it important?
The word “wrinkles” combines several different changes in mechanism, and the correction method is selected precisely by type, and not by depth or age. The same crease on two people may require completely different approaches, and trying to remove everything in one way is the most common cause of disappointment in procedures.
- Mimic, or dynamic, appear when moving: “crow’s feet” at the outer corner of the eye, transverse lines of the forehead, vertical folds between the eyebrows. Botulinum toxin works with them
- Static - visible at rest, when the face is relaxed. This is an already formed crease in the dermis, and relaxing the muscle does not completely remove it.
- Gravity - a consequence of sagging tissues: drooping corners of the mouth, jowls, nasolabial folds. Volumetric and tightening techniques help here, rather than muscle relaxation.
- Fine-wrinkle type of aging - a thin, dense network, characteristic of light, dry skin and an active sun history
- Deformation type - thick skin, swelling, sagging oval, pronounced folds, often with excess weight
- Sleep wrinkles are vertical creases on the cheek and décolleté in those who sleep on their sides or stomach; they are not related to facial expressions
A key point that explains why it makes sense to start earlier: dynamic wrinkles turn into static wrinkles over time. While the fold appears only when moving, the skin in this place is still able to fully straighten out. But many years of repetition of the same fold gradually forms a stable crease in the dermis, and then the line remains visible even on a completely relaxed face. Removing such a hall is already more difficult and more expensive than preventing it from forming. This is the rational explanation of the preventive approach - not “rejuvenation at twenty years”, but preventing the transition of a mobile wrinkle to a permanent one.
What accelerates skin aging
The rate of visible changes is determined by two-thirds not by genetics, but by lifestyle and habits. This is good news: most accelerating factors can be removed, and the result will not be noticeable immediately, but cumulatively.
- The sun and solarium are the main external factor; tanning in a solarium does not prepare the skin for summer, but simply adds a dose of damaging radiation
- Smoking - constricts skin blood vessels, impairs tissue nutrition and directly destroys collagen and elastin; characteristic vertical wrinkles around the mouth and a grayish-earthy tint appear
- Sharp weight fluctuations - with rapid weight loss, the skin does not have time to shrink, and sagging becomes more noticeable than it was before the diet
- Chronic lack of sleep - night is the main time for skin repair, and sleep deprivation maintains high levels of stress hormones
- Excess sugar in the diet triggers glycation, in which collagen fibers “stick together” and lose elasticity
- Alcohol dehydrates, dilates blood vessels and increases morning swelling, eventually forming persistent redness
- Aggressive care - frequent scrubs, alcohol lotions, daily washing with hot water and harsh products damage the protective barrier
- Polluted air and dust increase oxidative stress, especially in large cities during the hot season
What Really Works Every Day
- Ежедневная защита от солнца. Средство с фактором SPF 30-50 и защитой широкого спектра, круглый год, в том числе в пасмурные дни и в помещении у окна. На лицо и шею требуется примерно четверть чайной ложки, при длительном пребывании на улице нанесение повторяют каждые два часа.
- Отказ от курения — по влиянию на кожу сопоставим с полноценным курсом процедур, только бесплатно и надолго.
- Ретиноиды — единственная группа наружных средств с доказанным влиянием на синтез коллагена. Начинают с низкой концентрации, наносят вечером, эффект оценивают не раньше чем через три-шесть месяцев. Обязательно сочетают с защитой от солнца; при беременности и планировании беременности они противопоказаны.
- Антиоксиданты утром — витамин C и его производные усиливают защиту от ультрафиолета и немного выравнивают тон.
- Восстановление барьера — мягкое очищение и увлажняющее средство. Увлажнённая кожа выглядит заметно лучше, и тонкие поверхностные морщины действительно становятся менее заметны.
- Сон, питание с достаточным количеством белка и овощей, стабильный вес, физическая активность.
- Регулярность важнее стоимости: недорогое средство, которое используется ежедневно годами, даёт больше, чем дорогой курс раз в сезон.
Procedures: what is intended for what
Each technique solves its own problem, and understanding this eliminates false expectations. There is no procedure that simultaneously relaxes a muscle, adds volume, tightens tissue and evens out the relief. That is why the plan is usually combined, and the first step is always home care and sun protection.
- Botulinum toxin - relaxes facial muscles, works with wrinkles of the forehead, between the eyebrows and the outer corner of the eye. The effect develops in 3-14 days and lasts approximately 3-6 months
- Fillers based on hyaluronic acid - replenish volume and fill static folds, most often in the area of nasolabial folds, cheekbones and lips; if necessary, they can be dissolved with a special enzyme
- Chemical peels - renew the surface layers, even out tone and texture, work on fine wrinkles; are carried out in a course, usually during the season of low solar activity
- Fractional laser resurfacing is the most effective method for deep wrinkles and scars, but requires a recovery period and strict sun protection after the procedure
- Radiofrequency and ultrasonic lifting - moderate tightening due to heating of deep layers and stimulation of collagen; the result is gradual over several months
- Biorevitalization and mesotherapy improve skin hydration and quality, but do not eliminate formed folds and do not tighten the oval
- Threads - provide moderate temporary lifting with slight sagging and do not replace surgical lifting with severe excess skin
- Surgical options - blepharoplasty and facelift are discussed when excess tissue can no longer be removed non-surgically
A reasonable sequence looks like this: first, basic care and sun protection, then work on skin quality, and only then – volumizing and tightening techniques for specific indications. The reverse order does not work well: filler in unprotected, dehydrated and photodamaged skin looks worse and lasts less. And one more practical detail: any aggressive procedures on pigmented skin without subsequent sun protection do not produce rejuvenation, but persistent dark spots.
The main myth: “wrinkle cream”
Advertising has taught us the idea that it is enough to find the right jar. In fact, the external agent acts mainly in the upper layers of the skin, and a deep static fold is formed in the dermis, subcutaneous tissue and muscle. The cream does not physically reach where the problem is. This does not mean that care is useless - it just has a different range of tasks, and knowing it, it is easier not to waste money.
- The cream can: moisturize and temporarily smooth out fine superficial wrinkles, restore the barrier, even out tone, protect from the sun, and in the presence of retinoids, slowly improve skin density
- The cream cannot: remove a deep nasolabial fold, lift a sagging oval, eliminate excess eyelid skin, replace volume, relax the facial muscle
- The formulations “injection-like effect” and “lifting in seven days” describe a temporary film and moisturizing effect that disappears after washing
- The collagen in the cream is not integrated into the skin: its molecule is too large to pass through the epidermis
- Collagen in the form of a powder or drink is broken down in the digestive tract into amino acids, and the body distributes them anywhere, and not directly to the face
- Gymnastics for the face does not remove expression wrinkles, but when actively working on the upper third of the face, it can make them more noticeable
A separate topic is “before and after” photographs. Different light, angles, turning the head, makeup and even facial expression change the appearance of the skin more than most products do in a month of use. External care can be honestly assessed only under the same shooting conditions and not earlier than three months of regular use, because the skin renewal cycle and collagen synthesis are slow processes. Anything that promises visible skin restructuring in a week promises a moisturizing effect.
