What Makes Skin Age?

Ageing cannot be prevented. All human beings are prone to ageing and no super natural force can prevent the wrinkles, which is a sign of ageing. Well, though ageing cannot be prevented, it can be minimised to a great extent by maintaining a healthy life style and also with anti-ageing products.

How does the skin age? There are two types of ageing - intrinsic and extrinsic or also called as chronological ageing and photogenic ageing. The intrinsic ageing or chronological ageing is a natural phenomenon. As we grow old, our skin ages.

Before looking into ageing, it is better to look at the components that really give the skin firmness and elasticity. Collagen provides firmness to skin, Elastin gives elasticity and glycosaminoglycans keep the skin hydrated.

A natural phenomenon, the skin ages over the years. The percentage of collagen, elastin and glycosaminoglycans tend to decrease with age, which makes the skin dry. The sweat and oil glands show diminished functioning, which makes the skin fragile.

Then there is the extrinsic ageing or the photo-ageing, which is caused by external forces like sun. If the skin is exposed to sunlight, the skin loses its elasticity and firmness. The photo-ageing depends on skin colour; dark skinned people are less prone to skin damage.

A person's life style also has great influence on his ageing. Smoking and alcohol consumption also affects ageing. Smoking brings in biological changes in the body that effect the skin. It is seen that smokers tend to ageing faster than non-smokers.

Well, though ageing cannot be prevented, as it is a natural phenomenon, at least skin ageing can be slowed down and maintained to bring back the normal glow and charm.