5 Important Aging Skin Signs: Everything You Should Know

The golden years can be a time of freedom and exploration, but they can also involve physical changes like thinning hair, wrinkles, age spots, and other aging skin signs. 

Let the years not cause you to view yourself as a stranger, learn how to prevent health damage and take action in vitalizing your skin. 

Skin Changes in Aging Skin

Are you aware of the transformation your skin goes through after the years pass? Some elders have rougher wrinkles than others, while some might have saggier skin. Bodies are different all around, but it’s worth taking preventive measures to conserve your health and beauty. 

Dry Skin & Itching

Older skin types may have dry spots on elbows, lower legs, and arms. Such patchers might feel rough and scaly. 

Are you suffering from dry skin? Read 9 of the Best Ingredients for Dry Skin.

Possible reasons include:

• Insufficient liquid intake
• High sun exposure or suntanning 
• Consistent dry environment
• Smoking 
• Stress
• Decrease sweat and oil glands

Health conditions can cause dry & itchy skin

• Diabetes
• Kidney Disease

Things that make dry skin worse

• Too much soap
• Antiperspirant 
• Perfume
• Hot baths

Medication can influence the feel of the skin too. Older people’s thin skin can lead to injuries. Scratching may cause bleeding, when not treated, can lead to inflection.

How to fight dry & itchy skin?

• Moisturize daily with lotions, creams, or ointments.
• Take fewer baths or showers and use mild soap. Warm water is less drying than hot. 
• Try a humidifier to add moisture to the room.

Read Dry Hands: 8 Easy Ways to Soothe & Heal 

Bruises

Bruising occurs more in older people. As the skin becomes less protected, a purple-green patch of bruise lasts longer to heal. Medicine and illnesses can also factor in the sensitivity to bruising. 

Speak to your doctor about your bruises if they are recurrent and you are unsure about how you got them.

Wrinkles

The biggest concern with aging is wrinkles. Their development occurs due to environmental stressors, think UV light from the sun, which makes the skin less elastic. Gravity and bad habits also beat up the skin. 

Early prevention can decrease pronounced wrinkles on your face but know that making wrinkles disappear is almost impossible. 

Read about AETHEION® Redox Technology. 

Age spots and skin tags

Otherwise known as “liver spots,” flat brown dots are often caused by years in the sun. Not to be confused with freckles, they are bigger and common areas are the face, hands, arms, feet, and back. 

Wearing sunscreen can help protect your skin from the two types of sun rays; UVA and UVB light. 

Skin tags are small-raised flesh color growths common in elders, most in women. 

Often on the eyelids, neck, and body folds such as the armpit, chest, under the breast, genitals,  and groin. 

Both are harmless, but skin tags may result irritable. Seek your doctor if you are concerned and want their removal. 

Skin cancer

In the United States, Skin Cancer is common; one in five Americans will develop cancer in their lifetime. Sun lamps and tanning booths increase the chances of skin cancer. Everyone is at risk, regardless of the skin tone. Freckled-fair skin individuals are at higher risk of skin cancer. 

A cure is possible when treated before it spreads to the rest of the body. 

Types of Skin Cancer

• Basal cell carcinoma
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Melanoma

Check with your skin every month to observe any changes. Skin cancer tends not to be painful. New growths, sores that don’t heal, or bleeding more require medical attention. 

Follow along to search for the “ABCDEs” of moles, birthmarks, and other parts of the skin

A is for Asymmetry - the growth has two different halves

B is for Borders that appear irregular

C is for Color changes or more than one color 

D is for Diameter that is greater than a thumb tack

E is for Evolving - changes in size, shape, symptoms, surface, and shades of color

Why use sunscreen? 

The constant preaching on sun protection is because the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light damages elastin fibers in the skin. 

Harm to these causes the skin to sag, stretch, and lose elasticity. Therefore, years of tanning and unprotected exposure change the skin’s functionality leading to bruises and tears that take longer to heal. 

Consequences won’t show when you’re young but will in later years!

Sun damage is hard to undo, but the skin can sometimes repair itself. For this, it’s never too late to begin protecting your skin. Purchase sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to delay changes associated with aging by shielding from the sun. 

And even if it's a hassle, reapply every two hours or sooner, especially if you are in a wet environment. 

Factors Causing Your Skin to Change

1. Besides the sun not being a team player,  gravity is another culprit you have no control over.  When the sun has damaged the fibers responsible for elasticity, gravity pulls down eyebrows, eyelids, cheeks, jaw, and ear lobes. 

2. Obesity also harms the skin by stretching it and decreasing the strength and luster of hair and nails. Other signs are dark patches (acanthosis nigricans), skin tags (growths), stretch marks, and varicose veins. There are skin conditions associated with obesity, like psoriasis and cellulitis.

Moreover, skin folds that rub against each other can cause skin irritation, blisters, chafing, skin rashes, and infections. 

3. Repeated facial expressions can create more visible lines across the face once it starts losing elasticity, usually after reaching the 30s and 40s. These wrinkles or fine lines can be horizontal on the forehead and vertical between the eyebrows (Glabellar lines or 11 lines).

However, don’t let a few wrinkles take the joy of expressing yourself. Laughing is a good dose of happiness. 

4. What is your favorite sleeping position? How you sleep can create unfavorable creases. These are on the side of the forehead, above the eyebrows, near the hairline and the temples, or the middle of the cheeks. Constant pressure or pull on your skin can worsen with time. 

Try a sleeping position that doesn’t impact your facial skin. 

5. If you’re one to smoke to release stress, your skin is prone to more wrinkles than nonsmokers of the same age, complexion, and history of sun exposure. 

The carcinogenic chemicals in cigarette smoke can damage collagen, elastin, and other proteins in skin cells.

Smoking causes vasoconstriction – narrowing and tightening of the blood vessels – which limits the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the skin's cells. 

This damage can manifest in many ways, including loss of skin radiance, pigmentation, fine lines, and dull tone, producing a ‘smoker’s face.’

Lastly, smoking also increases the production of free radicals, unstable molecules that trigger inflammation and oxidative stress, further damaging the skin's cells.

Smoking is one of the most significant and avoidable causes of unhealthy skin.

Keep Your Skin Healthy 

Limit Sun Activities

No one suggests living like a vampire. A moderate amount of sun benefits your health, but be smart when spending time outside. 

Avoid peak hours to be safe from the sun’s harshest rays. Cloudy days aren’t a free pass to skip sunscreen. You can get sunburned underwater in the pool, lake, or ocean.

Use sunscreen

Protect your skin all year by applying sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before you head out. A broad-spectrum sunscreen will provide the most protection. UVA and UVB. UVA radiation is responsible for skin aging, while UVB radiation leads to sunburn and skin cancer. Both cause DNA damage to skin cells. 

Sunscreen works by absorbing or reflecting the UV rays, preventing them from penetrating the skin and causing damage. Sunscreen reduces the risk of skin cancer, sunburn, and premature aging, improving overall skin health.

Wear protective clothing

Proper attire will defend your skin from sun damage. A wide-brim hat shades your neck, ears, eyes, and head. Sunglasses should block 99 to 100 percent of the sun’s rays. Clothing should be lightweight, long, and loose, with long sleeves, skirts, and pants. 

Avoid tanning

The tanning beds emit UV radiation that damages the skin, increasing the risk of skin cancer development. Consider using sunless tanning products containing ingredients like dihydroxyacetone to give the skin a natural-looking tan. 

Conclusion

It is important to note that the cost of sunscreen shouldn’t be a barrier to use. Individuals should be encouraged to protect their skin in every way possible. 

It's always worth investing in high-quality sunscreen, as the benefits of maintaining good skin health and avoiding skin cancer in the long term outweigh the cost of any single sunscreen application.

Experience AETHEION®!

As we age, our skin undergoes changes that can be difficult to reverse. 

However, AETHEION® skincare technology offers a solution to combat the signs of aging. With its proprietary redox technology, AETHEION® products work to reduce the skin's oxidation by transferring electrons from a radical state to a stress-free normal condition. 

This cutting-edge technology simulates an ionic zinc-copper superoxide dismutase effect, resulting in smoother, rejuvenated skin. 

Do you want to improve the appearance of your skin? 

Browse our products to find one that fits your needs.