There was a lot of discussion before about Who ages first , men or women? Today we know that we both age by the same mechanisms and we are both affected by two types of aging: that due to the passing of the years or biological aging, and that caused by all the other factors. The latter is known as environmental aging or premature aging , referring to the fact that could be avoided , at least in theory.
If we look at the appearance of the skin, without paying attention to DNA damage, men are more likely to show sagging when premature aging begins, while in women the first signs are usually wrinkles in areas of thin skin such as around the eyes and lips. However, how the skin shows that it no longer regenerates at the same speed, whether with wrinkles or loss of firmness, depends on the type of skin, whether it is dry or oily, rather than on the chromosomes.
Back to what it is aging and its causes , we must talk about the exposome.
Exposome: definition and why this word appears
Premature aging depends on environmental factors
This term was coined in 2005 to study the incidence of diseases associated with advanced age with something other than biological age. In fact, dermatologists often use it because it not only allows them to estimate the risk of cancerous lesions, but also the level of premature ageing.
In the case of diseases that have a higher incidence in the elderly population, about 25% of the risk of suffering from them is genetic and the other 75% is environmental, if we rule out autosomal dominant diseases (you are born with them and you inherit them from one of your parents). Regarding skin aging, these values are used and it is accepted that about 75%, or even more, of the deterioration of poorly cared for skin is caused by things other than genes.
The exposome is therefore defined as the sum of external factors that act on the genome throughout life. The external and, in principle, modifiable exposome factors that affect skin aging: solar radiation, pollution, tobacco, temperature, nutrition, stress, lack of sleep and use of cosmetics.
What can I do to prevent premature skin aging without becoming obsessed?
Reducing premature aging is as simple as eliminating as many of the exposome factors as you can and trying to minimize the incidence of those you can't.
Let's take the example of the sun and someone who was born and lives in a country like Spain with a light phototype. That person will be at a disadvantage when it comes to keeping their skin young and healthy compared to someone with a darker phototype who also lives here and compared to someone with similar genetics and the same phenotype who lives in the Nordic countries. However, if the person with a light phenotype takes care of their exposure to the sun from a young age, it is very likely that their skin will look much better than that of someone with a better starting point but less careful.
Before going to see which cosmetics help prevent premature aging , we cannot ignore that the use of cosmetics can be, depending on the definition, another cause. This is the case when we use very aggressive products, especially for cleaning, and when we insist on the use of cosmetics that cause irritation to our skin. Repeated inflammation of the skin also ends up promoting premature skin aging .
Now, let's see which cosmetics are allies in the fight against wrinkles and skin aging in general.
Sun protection
Almost everything has been said, although we would like to add that your skin may need different formulations in sun filters at different times and that not everything is about the protection factor. There are sun filters formulated for particularly dry skin and others for oily skin, there are those with soothing active ingredients and with cosmetic ingredients that combat hyperpigmentation.
Most people don't need to be so picky, but it's good to know how wide the market is.
Hydration and nutrition to repair environmental damage
Just as we recommended with sunscreens, creams should be adapted to the age and condition of the skin . And now it is more than just advice, because if we alter the balance of the lipid layer or fall short in hydration of the skin, sooner rather than later problems such as eczema, itching, spots, etc. will appear. If you persist using unsuitable products, more or less chronic inflammation will be the perfect gateway to prematurely aged skin and, to top it off, possibly hypersensitive.
Anti-aging serums to the rescue
Anti-aging serums provide you with active ingredients capable of stimulating cell regeneration when it begins to slow down, either due to age or premature aging, and treating incipient wrinkles and light pigmentation spots that are already established.
Their results are usually better if they are used before having the skin problem, for example from the age of 30, although it is never too late.
If you are going to use some very powerful serums designed for extremely damaged skin, remember the basic principle: If it irritates your skin, it does more harm than good .
The mask as an ally for your skin
If your skin is frequently red because it is reactive or if you have been a little careless on the beach or in the mountains one day, don't hesitate and offer it the same extras that can immediately calm it down. For this purpose, masks are usually better than serums, although there are also natural cosmetic products such as aloe vera and organic creams enriched with calendula that you can use daily to achieve less irritated skin.
He premature aging of the skin It is the one that is not due to the passing of time and, therefore, can be avoided, at least in theory. To understand how the environment and lifestyle habits influence skin health, a concept coined in 2005, called exposome, is often used. The exposome teaches us new keys to prevent premature aging.