HWN Suggests

How old are you, really? The answer is written on your face.

A picture is worth a thousand words. But when that picture is a high-precision 3D image of the face, it might be worth a thousand blood tests as well. That’s because those full cheeks and under-eye bags are not just unsightly harbingers of age, but also a reflection of our health. Scientists have known for decades that chronological age—a number that can be gleaned from our driver’s license-–doesn’t tell the whole story. Our so-called biological age, influenced by everything from our environment to diet and exercise habits, reflects the health of our cells and organs and can differ from chronological age by years. But unlike tracking the time we’ve been alive, biological age is more slippery…

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Featured

 The curious ways your skin shapes your health

Weathered or unhealthy skin is emerging as a major risk factor for almost every single age-related disease, from Parkinson's to type 2 diabetes.

Articles of Interest

A 70-Year-Old Man’s Search for Younger-Looking Skin

Could ‘antiaging’ products aimed at women reverse some of the damage years of sun and surgery had done to my face?

As Our Skin Sags With Age, So Do Our Bones

By middle age, the texture of that bone is rougher - eye sockets starting to sink, jaw receding, and you know the rest. You can get all the exercise and drink all the milk you want, he says, and you're still going to get some bone loss in your face just from aging.

Defining skin aging and its risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Notably, the most important skin aging phenotype was wrinkling, which was frequently used as an indicator of skin aging and a constituent of both validated and non-validated scales in the literature. Of the intrinsic risk factors for skin aging, the primary influence was age, which was highly associated with wrinkling. Conspicuous extrinsic aging factors were smoking and sun exposure, both of which were significantly associated with multiple skin aging signs and exhibited dose-responses relationships with wrinkling.

Don’t fear the wrinkle

Wrinkles have been the bane of aging women's skin since forever. A fear of growing older and physical signs of aging is at the core of a $200 billion dollar anti-aging skin care industry, but there’s hope that this may start to change. Vox senior correspondent, Anna North, explains what’s behind a growing movement to love the skin we’re in, no matter what age.

Got Body Wrinkles? These New Procedures Might Help

Doctors have devised ‘lunchtime’ procedures like those used on the face to combat crinkly skin below the neck.

Navigating Skin Aging in Your 20s, 30s, 40s & Beyond

The three main layers of your skin (the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis) are linked by connective tissues. As you age, these tissues slowly lose firmness and elasticity, which makes the skin thinner and more flaccid. Your skin also loses some of its natural ability to renew and regenerate itself. Throughout the years, your skin is also subject to oxidation — a process caused by internal and external factors, such as sleep, diet, and stress, that can accelerate signs of skin aging. But overall, 80% of premature skin aging is due to solar radiation.

Skin ageing

There are two types of ageing processes: intrinsic and extrinsic ageing. Intrinsic or chronological ageing affects the skin of the entire body, including sun-protected sites. Extrinsic ageing is induced by chronic ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure, smoking, and other pollutants, and is superimposed on the intrinsic ageing process.

Skin aging from mechanisms to interventions: focusing on dermal aging

Skin aging is a multifaceted process that involves intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms that lead to various structural and physiological changes in the skin. Intrinsic aging is associated with programmed aging and cellular senescence, which are caused by endogenous oxidative stress and cellular damage. Extrinsic aging is the result of environmental factors, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation and pollution, and leads to the production of reactive oxygen species, ultimately causing DNA damage and cellular dysfunction.

Skin Care and Aging

Your skin changes with age. It becomes thinner, loses fat, and no longer looks as plump and smooth as it once did. Your veins and bones can be seen more easily. Scratches, cuts, or bumps can take longer to heal. Years of suntanning or being out in the sunlight for a long time may lead to wrinkles, dryness, age spots, and even cancer.

Skin care in the aging female: myths and truths

Final lessons: use sunscreen, Vaseline, and retinoids; don’t bother with facials; don’t rub poison ivy and citrus juices on your skin; and don’t be seduced by fancy packaging and high prices. Easy enough!

What causes skin aging and how can it be slowed

Aging skin is an inevitable part of growing older - we will all begin to experience it at one point or another. However, the extent of skin ageing depends on a variety of factors, both biological and environmental - some within our control and some beyond.

Why your face ages and what you can do

Along with the wisdom, experience, and accomplishments that come with getting older, there are changes that occur in our outward appearance. Age affects every nook and cranny of the body. But changes in our faces are at the forefront.

Resources

12 Things that Are Aging Your Skin

Aging is a top skin concern among many adults, both male and female. Time marches on no matter what we do, but there are steps we can all take to slow our skin’s aging process or improve its appearance.