As skin ages, it changes:
- The collagen and elastin responsible for the plumpness of youthful skin deplete skin starts to lose volume and sag and it develops fine lines and wrinkles.
- Skin is less able to attract and retain the moisture it needs and skin’s own production of Natural Moisturizing Factors depletes. It becomes drier.
- It can develop uneven pigmentation such as dark spots known hyperpigmentation, a form of which is solar lentigines (more commonly known as age spots or sun spots ).
You can find out more in How does skin change over the years?
There are two types of skin aging − intrinsic and extrinsic:
Intrinsic aging
As we age, so does our skin. This type of aging is entirely natural and there’s nothing we can do about it. It is known as intrinsic (or chronological) aging. Intrinsic aging is brought about by internal factors such as our genetics and the hormonal changes that happen at the different stages of life.
Extrinsic aging
Extrinsic aging, on the other hand, is controllable. Extrinsic aging is brought about by external factors such as the environment (weather conditions and sun exposure), lifestyle choices (such as smoking and drinking alcohol) and medication. These factors can cause skin to age prematurely.