Seven Signs of Skin Ageing

Seven Habits That Age Skin Faster

1. Smoking

2. Over exposure to sun

3. Stress

4. Lack of sleep

5. Cold weather

6. Alcohol

7. Lack of exercise

As we move ahead in life, our body starts losing the youthfulness that it possessed earlier. All our organs begin to show the signs of ageing and skin, being the largest of them, is the first one to go down.

Ageing of skin is not solely about the chronological ageing. Several other factors contribute to it in a major way. We can categorise them as intrinsic and extrinsic factors.

Skin changes which come along with the age are “intrinsic factors”. These are obviously natural and inevitable ones.

The damage to the skin caused by the environment and our lifestyle are known as “extrinsic factors”. These could happen from excessive exposure to UV rays, medication, smoking, stress, and several others.

Here we are discussing the seven signs of ageing that become most evident on our skin.

1. Appearance of Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Fine lines, crow’s feet, wrinkles, all start to appear and refuse to go back even when you put a straight face. This becomes the most concerning and evident sign of ageing, hated to the core by all women.

As we age, the elastin and collagen fibers, which keeps the skin firm and taut, weaken and the skin appears loose and lax, resulting in fine lines and wrinkles.

2. Dullness of Skin
The once glowing dewy skin is replaced by a dull and lifeless one. The top layer of the skin loses moisture due to the aging process. While young skin used to renew every three to four weeks, older skin renews itself every four to six weeks.

3. Uneven Skin Tone
With ageing, the skin tone becomes uneven at places. This could be because some parts of the skin may contain more melanin than others, or with age there is a marked fluctuation in the hormonal levels in a female.

Both the factors result in an uneven complexion making the skin look several years older than its actual age.

4. Dry Skin
When we are young, healthy skin is radiant and fresh looking because of the natural moisture content in it. But as we grow old, it gradually loses the ability to retain moisture and becomes dry and looks lifeless. The older skin has a dry and dehydrated appearance.

5. Blotchiness and Age Spots
As the skin thins with age, tiny blood vessels appear and become visible. This makes the complexion uneven and gives a blotchy look.

Age spots are usually brown or reddish in color. They are caused mostly by over exposure to UV rays and become more evident in the ageing skin. They are also called “liver spots”, although there is no relation of these with the functioning of liver.

6. Rough Texture of Skin
As the skin matures with age, the changes in the texture of skin become noticeable. The skin that was once baby soft and smooth becomes uneven and bumpy on surface due to layers of dead cells over it.

7. Visible Pores
Otherwise unnoticeable pores can become visible with age. This is due to the loss of skin elasticity and sagging. As skin is drawn down by gravity, pores become more obvious.

Though we cannot stop the clock from ticking but can surely make our skin look much younger by practicing a healthier lifestyle and limiting exposure to UV rays.