Skin Laxity

Skin laxity is something everyone will face at some point in their life due to the natural aging process. Besides aging, there are other factors that can play a part in skin laxity, such as intrinsic and extrinsic factors, genetics, diet, lifestyle, sun exposure, stress and smoking. Sometimes following a healthy diet and workout regimen isn’t enough to target laxity in the skin. There are two vital components to the skin’s structure that will affect laxity; collagen and elastin.

As we age we begin to lose these two key components and our skin begins to lose elasticity, resulting in loose or sagging skin.

Causes

Intrinsic factors occur internally in our bodies and these factors are sometimes out of our control. As we age our skin and body begins to decline over time – genetics play a huge role in this aspect. The production of collagen and elastin slows down, resulting in changes to the skin. At 20 years of age, your body begins to produce 1% less collagen per year and the skin becomes more fragile and thinner. Other internal factors, such as sweat and oil glands, begin to diminish in overall function over the years. Our sebaceous glands (oil glands) are responsible for keeping the skin naturally hydrated and supple. As the production of those glands lessens the skin becomes drier, resulting in fine lines/wrinkles.

Causes

An antioxidant is a substance that inhibits oxidation or reactions promoted by oxygen, peroxides or free radicals, thus preventing damage to the body. A few key antioxidants are vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin A (retinol) and green tea. Incorporating these antioxidants into your diet and skin care regimen is a great way to reduce the visible signs of aging. Along with diet and lifestyle, protecting your skin from UV rays is a must. Sun exposure accounts for about 85% of skin aging so wearing a sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher needs to become part of your daily routine.

Symptoms

Collagen is the main structural protein found in the skin and other connective tissues throughout the body. Think of collagen as the “building blocks” of the skin. Elastin is a protein that coils and recoils like a spring within the elastic fibers of connective tissue, accounting for the elasticity of the skin and other structures of the body. The skin depends on both collagen and elastin to remain tight to our face and body. Collagen and elastin are found in the deeper layer of the skin called the dermis, which is located right above the fatty layer which lies beneath the skin.

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