There are physical signs that show that a person is aging. A man for instance may lose hair or slowly change to grey. Our skin shows signs as well and to understand it, we have to know what wrinkles are.
The skin is made up of three layers namely the epidermis, the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The outer layer namely the epidermis becomes thinner and less sticky as we age. This in turn causes dryness and as this decreases by 10% per decade, it takes more time for the skin to repair itself.
This also affects the dermis because less collagen is produced and the elastic fibers which provide us with elasticity also wears out which is why our skin also sags. We don't sweat that much as before as there is a decrease as well in the number of sweat glands.
Now that we know where it can happen, we can describe what wrinkles are simply as ridges or creases on a surface.
But is aging the only cause of wrinkles? The answer is no. Studies have shown that exposure to ultraviolet light, UVA or UVB accounts for 90% of skin aging. This varies depending on race because of the person's pigment protection.
A few other studies have shown that wrinkles can also be caused by environmental factors. Examples of these include cigarette smoking and pollution as this may hasten aging by producing oxygen free radicals. These are particles produced by many of the body's chemical processes and when it is produced in excessive amounts, it can damage cell membranes causing not only wrinkle but other skin disorders as well.
Rapid weight loss may also cause wrinkles since you reduce the volume of fat cells that cushion around the face that will make the skin sag.
Now that we know what causes wrinkles, can it be treated? The answer is yes. Some dermatologists recommend retinoic acid which is applied to the skin to fill in the crevices. There are also things people can take such as topical creams and ointments to peel off the top layers of the skin, dermabrasion which is a procedure to sand the top layer of the skin, injecting collagen or botulinum under the skin and laser surgery.
The purpose of this book is to help you know what you can do to have a smooth and spotless skin