These last couple of articles have coincidentally revolved around aging skin, so I thought to myself why not take this opportunity to educate you as much as possible on every aspect of aging; from skin condition, to the aging process, treatment options, ingredients, concerns, and prevention!  There is so much to learn about aging skin and so much to be taught.  It seems so much to take in, by the overwhelming rate at which knowledge and new research is presented to a professional these days, I can only imagine how overwhelming it must be for a consumer who is trying his or her best to take care of their largest organ.  My goal is to present the information and educate you at the simplest level possible so that you may be able to make good decisions on how to care for your largest organ.

There are a number of factors that play into aging the skin as well as make it appear aging; such as loss of collagen and elastin, loss of fatty tissue, weakened capillaries, loss of turgor, uneven texture, pigmentation, loss of moisture and hydration, glycation, and sun t name a few.  Having just come back from my sun-exposed trip I am fully aware of the damage that I have put into my 42 year old skin.  I gave myself 3 days where I sat outside of an umbrella without a hat but constantly re-applying sunscreen, which I do even when under an umbrella.  But the very fact that I have a tan…I put damage into my skin.

Why is the sun so bad for you, besides the fact that there is a big hole in the ozone layer which has made the sun’s rays more damaging to our skin than was the case 50 years ago.  When we are sun exposed we weaken our capillaries therefore contributing towards the red network of capillaries one sees on either side of the nose and cheek area.  The sun also brings out melasma if you are prone to it or pigmentation, commonly known as age spots or often mistaken for freckles.  Another problem with prolonged sun exposure is dehydration of the skin as well as loss of moisture or oil in the skin.  When you are sun exposed you lose your luster as well as damage your skin at a cellular level. So when you see me next you will notice the brown spots that have surfaced on my skin, inflammation has increased in my skin therefore triggering my rosacea flare up, I’ve lost the adequate supply of oil and water that my skin needs which has affected my texture and lines are more apparent now.  I will be getting on a strict regimen with my skin to not only repair the damage but also reverse some of the damage I have caused because those 3 days were totally worth it!!!