[source] https://ellephilo.com/index.php/how-to-reduce-premature-skin-aging/
Let’s define the conclusion first. There are three essential parts of anti-aging: living habits, skincare and maintenance, and medical cosmetology (home use and medical beauty instruments). Check them out now!
Aging Skin Texture
To begin with, we need to understand how our skin is structured. The skin is made up of the epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous tissue, fascia, and a little further deep is our muscles and bones.
The dermis is composed of collagen fibers, elastic fibers, matrix, cellular components, as well as blood vessels, nerves, sebaceous glands, sweat glands, hair follicles, etc. Dermis affects the skin greatly. It’s like a reservoir, a spring, a transporter, and a receptor of the skin, which continuously maintains its health as well as prevents and reduces dryness and wrinkles. To ensure skin nutrition, we must work hard on the dermis layer.
Skin’s elasticity and tension are maintained by a “mesh spring”, which is formed by the intersection of collagen fibers (composed of various types of collagens) and elastic fibers (composed of various types of elastin).
Collagen fibers – Composed mainly of collagen, these fibers are tough and soft and help maintain skin tension.
Elastic fiber – The main component is elastin. It is very elastic.
Like the springs in a spring bed, these fibers cross to form an elastic web, which maintains the skin’s elasticity and tension. Healthy fibers result in firm and elastic skin.
Fibers themselves have a life cycle of apoptosis, while fibroblasts are production machines that continually create collagen fibers and elastic fibers as a way to maintain the dermal metabolism.
The most important factor in reducing the effects of aging is to stimulate the production of fibroblasts (maintaining the dermal collagen content).
Daily Anti-Aging
Three keys to daily anti-aging are lifestyle, skincare and maintenance, and medical cosmetology (e.g., using beauty products at home and using medical beauty products).
I. Healthy Living Habits
‘Horizon, 2012-2013, The Truth About Looking Young’ from the BBC explores the factors of aging, reveals the causes of aging, and proposes solutions from the perspective of living habits.
- Always wear sunscreen when hanging out.
80% of skin aging is caused by photoaging. The ultraviolet rays UVA and UVB are the ones that cause damage to our skin, and UVA is the main culprit behind wrinkles and aging, as well as skin cancer in severe cases.
UVB can burn the surface of our skin, but it cannot penetrate the dermis layer because of its short wavelength. While UVA has a longer wavelength that penetrates deep into the dermis of the skin, weakening the collagen.
Today.com once reported on an interesting study of how identical twins looked at different lifestyles (including sun protection, smoking, stress, etc.).
Susan (right), who is more likely to spend time at the beach enjoying the sunbath and likes to smoke, looks 10 years older than Jeanne (left), who is less likely to spend time at the beach and does not smoke.
So, it doesn’t matter if it is cloudy or not, you should apply sunscreen regardless of the weather. And when buying sunscreen, don’t just look at the SPF (sun protection index, such as 50+), but also the UVA rating (PA value, such as PA+++, or UVA⭐⭐⭐)
2. Sleep as early as possible.
Staying up late will cause skin problems such as enlarged pores, excessive oil production, and dark circles under the eyes, as well as reducing the body’s ability to repair itself and damage mitochondria. Severe cases may lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, such as hypertension and coronary heart disease. Drop the phone and sleep early!
3. Dietary intake of specific nutrients (lycopene, canola, omega-3 fatty acids).
LYCOPENE in tomatoes can absorb oxygen and prevent oxidative stress; mustard glycerin in broccoli and carrots can help cells protect themselves from aging and prevent wrinkles. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish reduce inflammation in skin cells.
4. Eat fewer refined carbohydrates.
Taking in fewer refined, processed, and sugary food that strips away the beneficial fiber can help us minimize the health risks associated with bad carbs (e.g., rice and pasta). Eat low-sugar, low-fat, and less processed foods.
5. Cut out sugar as much as possible to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
People with higher blood sugar levels tend to look older. Due to sugar’s attachment to collagen, collagen becomes more fragile and brittle, thereby making it harder for the skin to repair itself and prone to wrinkles and dents. Getting rid of eating less fructose and glucose added to food is best, and controlling the total amount while ingesting it from ingredients rather than from external sources as much as possible.
6. Do some sports and exercises.
Maintaining muscle is another key to anti-aging. Fat and lean muscle are the two main components of your body (in addition to bone, water, etc.). As we age, the body starts to lose strength and muscle mass. This causes the body’s fat percentage to increase, leading to weight gain. Aka, it makes your body and skin get old. By exercising, you can delay and prevent the effects of aging and improve your health and wellbeing.
7. Avoid smoking.
Quitting smoking has so many benefits that we cannot emphasize them enough. Being smoke-free lifestyle is also good for keeping your facial skin healthy. It has become clear that smoking causes the body to produce free radicals, which cause damage to the skin in ways that we cannot imagine.
II. Skincare & Maintenance
The skin naturally loses moisture as it ages, and dehydration on its own can also accelerate the process of aging. You can choose skincare products with different moisturizing effects depending on your skin type. For example, if you have dry skin or combination dry and oily skin, choose products with more oil-soluble ingredients; and if you have oily skin or combination-oily skin, choose products with more water-soluble ingredients. Moisturizing is the very first step.
Moreover, there are many brands of anti-aging essences, creams, etc. to combat aging. A typical formulation for anti-aging includes vitamin A (retinol), polyphenols, EGF growth factor, vitamin C, vitamin B3, astaxanthin, salicylic acid, peptides, and yeast. It is important to pay attention to the irritation of the product as well as your own skin’s sensitivity when choosing anti-aging skin care products. In general, if the skin isn’t sensitive, there won’t be any irritation or allergy. If you have sensitive skin, pay attention to whether the product contains irritating ingredients, such as retinol or niacinamide, which may cause intolerance.
And most importantly – Protect Your Skin from The Sun! Wear sunscreen 365 days a year.
When you gradually feel that the improvement effect of skincare products is limited, medical beauty and home beauty equipment are needed.
III. Medical Cosmetology (using beauty products at home and medical beauty treatment)
As we mentioned before, the epidermis, the dermis, the fascia, and the muscles are parts of the skin. Many skin care products and masks only work on the epidermis. However, aging is an all-around process from the outside in. To combat aging holistically, medical beauty treatments are almost the most effective option available to you.
Medical beauty and anti-aging treatments include photo rejuvenation/laser-blasting pigment, sealing blood vessels, cautery peeling, reconstructing the skin after damage (post-traumatic recovery process), as well as injection filling to improve lines and folds.
You may have heard of photonic skin rejuvenation, intense pulsed light (IPL, DPL, OPT, AOPT), radiofrequency treatment like Thermage, filling with hyaluronic acid, etc.
The concept of anti-aging distinguishes as the following:
1.Microneedling: By using certain physical means or stimuli, the intercellular space increases, and the skin barrier opens. This helps the anti-aging substances directly penetrate the deeper layers of the skin.
But micro-needling devices may cause skin damage. Bleeding, bruising, redness, tightness, itching, and peeling are among the common symptoms, and these typically resolve on their own after a few days or weeks without treatment. Microneedling isn’t right for everyone, so it is important to discuss micro needling with a healthcare provider before you undergo the procedure.
2. Self-Repair: Radiofrequency technology is most used. By using radiofrequency, collagen fibers are heated and destroyed that causing the skin to contract and tightened, while at the same time stimulating the body’s healing mechanisms and encouraging the body to produce more collagen.
You can do radiofrequency treatment both in a beauty clinic or use a home beauty machine at home.
Beauty Clinic – Thermage
Thermage is the only FDA-approved non-invasive treatment for the eyes and face. The procedure is non-invasive and requires little recovery time. It is one of the most efficient and safe beauty procedures in medical beauty. Of course, the treatment cost is quite expensive. For a single treatment, the cost ranges between $1000 and $5000 depending on the size of the treated area.
Home RF Beauty Machine
For the majority of people, it’s too expensive to do Thermage, which costs thousands of dollars at a time. Thus, a home RF beauty instrument would be the best choice to afford. Based on the same basic technology as Thermage, the energy and power of the home RF beauty machine are lower, which takes a longer time to be effective. However, it’s easy to use and 100% safe.
Thermage has a high level of energy and provides quick results, while home radiofrequency devices require long-term use based on their low energy and power. With over ten years of development, the technology of home radio frequency instruments has been proven greatly, and many products are assured to be effective. Recommended products: YAMAN Ace, Amiro, Tripollar Stop, ELLEPHILO Maria 63, etc.
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For more info about Radio Frequency, you can read the article An Ultimate Guide Of Radio Frequency Beauty Instrument
3. Photon Rejuvenation: We know that photons were first used in dermatology in the 1990s, and the first generation of photonic equipment produced by ESC-Sharplan, which was first tried in clinical trials in 1994 and then officially approved by the US FDA to treat leg vascular lesions in 1995.
After 20 years of development and evolution, it has become one of the top beauty projects. It can satisfy the beauty seeker by reducing or eliminating skin pigmentation, improving, or eliminating capillary dilation, keeping skin smooth and clean, erasing fine wrinkles, tightening the skin, and a series of other related effects.
Photonic machines have undergone 5 generations of development, you might get confused about IPL, OPT, AOPT & DPL, etc.
📌IPL – Intense Pulsed Light.
IPL is a continuous multi-wavelength incoherent light, with a wavelength range between 500-1200 nm. As it emits light of various wavelengths simultaneously, it can whiten, fade, rejuvenate, treat photoaging, etc. It was first tested in a clinic in 1994. Dr. Patrick H. Bitter, an American dermatologist, later discovered that intense pulsed light can treat skin telangiectasia and have a beneficial impact on photoaging skin. At the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery’s annual meeting, he presented his treatment concept for improving the elasticity and fineness of the skin, which he called FotoFacialTM.
There are a lot of photo rejuvenation devices, but what we call OPT, BBL, APT, and DPL are actually IPL equipment in different names.
OPT/ AOPT – Optimal Pulse Technology. AOPT means Advanced OPT, which is upgraded from OPT. It is more effective in treating vascular lesions (removing redness) and acne.
DPL – Dye Pulsed Light. Through the specially designed dye crystal, the yellow-green spectrum is stimulated, and the narrow spectrum precision light with a spectral width range of 100 nm is accurately output. This treatment has more benefits related to redness, darkening, and skin rejuvenation. Yet, the improvement of skin texture such as fine lines and enlarged pores is limited.
However, IPL treatments are largely a matter of the doctor’s skill and experience.
📌Home LED Therapy
In essence, LED therapy is an application of LED light projected onto our skin, which can cause a series of chemical reactions into our cells to generate the beauty effect by using different wavelengths. Low-energy LED light is absorbed by light receptor mitochondria in the skin to speed up metabolism & reduce inflammation. It’s a 100% pain-free, comfortable, non-invasive skincare treatment with multiple benefits like promoting the growth of collagen, killing pimples caused by bacteria, accelerating cell metabolism rate, lightening red bloodshot, and so on.
A home LED beauty instrument has a spectral range exceeding 500nm visible light and near-infrared light, it mainly includes green LED, blue LED, yellow LED, red LED.
Red LED (Anti-Aging): It can enhance skin whitening and collagen production; increase cellular metabolism, accelerate inflammatory reaction speed, and even promote hair growth.
Blue LED (Anti-Acne): It can treat acne, be anti-inflammatory, and reduce stimulation sensitivity. The treatment of blue LED irradiation is very effective if the pores are caused by bacillus Propionibacterium acne.
Green LED (Skin Balance): It helps reduce pigmentation and relieve redness.
Yellow LED (Reduce Redness): It can accelerate lymphatic circulation, anti-sensitivity, eliminate redness caused by inflammation; also has a converging effect on blood vessel dilation.
Infrared Red (Boost Effects): It’s an invisible LED. It can deliver energy to the cells to promote skin tissue repair, stimulate healing and relieve pains.
For more info about LED Therapy, you can read the article Do Home LED Light Therapy Beauty Machines Really Work?
Never Too Late
Having yet to develop a skin care routine may seem like you missed the boat, but the truth is that it is never too late to reap the benefits. Starting from now on, do something and make a change! Despite signs of aging, you can definitely make a difference by establishing a routine now and addressing specific concerns.
