Effects Of Aging On The Skin
What is non-surgical cosmetic dermatology?
The field of cosmetic dermatology is a very rapidly expanding field. It's never been safer, easier or more affordable to look better, and more and more people are taking advantage of that. Statistics certainly support that statement: If you look at the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery statistics from 2006, you'll see that Americans spent over $12 billion on cosmetic procedures last year, and over 80% of these were non-surgical total facial rejuvenation procedures.
How do ultra-violet rays affect my skin?
The rays from the sun are radiation, and there are two rays in particular that you're concerned with; UVB, which causes the sunburn and leads to the development of skin cancers, and UVA, which is not atmosphere filtered, which means that it's just as strong at 6 in the morning as it is at six at night. UVA is a longer wavelength, so it comes straight through window glass. Most people say, "Oh but doctor I'm never in the sun," and you are in the sun all day everyday whether you realise it or not; driving around in your car, or sitting in front of a window. In addition to that, a lot of women think that they have protection with sunscreen through their makeup. However, most of the sunscreens in make up protect you against UVB and not UVA, and UVA is the culprit in aging. The way that UVA ages your skin, the mechanism of action that it uses to do so, is a process called oxidation. Oxidation is what makes metal rust, tires crack, paint peel, and us age. So, anything that you can do to reduce your expose to those oxidising rays or reduce those oxidising rays' ability to oxidise your skin will go a great, great way towards slowing the ageing process. So, a sunscreen with a very good UVA agent is recommended. The currently available ethicacious UVA agents are Zinc oxide, Mexoryl, and Helioplex. All of these are available over the counter. In addition to that, an anti-oxidant can be applied topically that won't let the UVA oxidise your skin as it otherwise would.
What can I do to stop or slow the aging of my skin?
All is not lost because to the degree that you slow down the aging process and then sun damage now, it will enable your immune system to work on not what you are getting this afternoon, but what you got yesterday, and then last week, and then last month and then last year. So, slowing that process down now can actually empower your immune system to clean up a lot of old damage. In addition to that, there are lasers and other topical treatments available that can do that even a little faster than your immune system would be able to.
