“We don’t grow older, we grow riper” – Pablo Picasso.
Holds true in a very intrinsic sense, but might not in the physiological way. Aging is almost synonymous with wrinkles, fine lines, dry, lifeless skin when we should be actually celebrating growing wiser, mature and the joy of experience.
It’s quite a trivial fact that skin is the largest organ in our body, constituting around 12% to 16% of the body weight. It mainly contains water, along with fats, lipids and other trace minerals. It has 2 main functions, first, to protect the body from external microbes; second, is to prevent the fluid inside the body to dry out, keeping the pores open for air and moisture at the same time. It is also an sensory organ to facilitate tactile memory and also helps regulating body temperature, by sweating.
Our skin has 3 layers,uppermost overskin is called epidermis, consisting mainly of dead, hardened cells. The second layer is dermis, largely consisting of connective tissue (collagen and elastin) and live cells. Also, housing here are hair follicles,sweat and sebaceous glands. It is the largest layer of the skin with around 90% of the entire skin thickness. Third layer, cutis is mainly made up of new cells, pushing their way up.
Ageing
Some say ageing starts, as soon as we are born, whereas the commercials insist ageing starts from 25-45 years depending upon the product. But ageing is more about the regenerative process of the skin and it’s results.
When we are young, the dead cells at the topmost layers are replaced promptly, that’s why we have a super skin in these years, but as we reach 25, the renewing process like our reflexes, starts to slow down. As we age more, the skin starts to thin down, making is more fragile and prone to abrasion. Also the sebaceous gland,which produces oils to keep our skin moist, works sluggishly, results in drier, itchy skin.
The sun also has fairly deep impact on aging skin. Without adequate protection from the sun’s rays, daily exposure can cause noticeable changes to the skin. Freckles, a blotchy complexion, age spots, spider veins on the face, rough and leathery skin, fine wrinkles that disappear when stretched, loose skin, actinic keratoses (thick wart-like, rough, reddish patches of skin), and skin cancer all have roots in exposure to the sun.
So to sum up, the effects of ageing on the skin include:
- Loss Of Elasticity
- Wrinkles
- Blemishes
- Pigmentation changes
- Oxidation
- Dead skin cells & slower regeneration
- Dryness
Can we really slow down our aging process?
We all desire to look 10 years younger, even more so, as we grow older. Many factors affect our ageing process, diet, exercise, wellness etc. No one can surely do away with ageing, but surely, delay the onset.
Adding more anti-ageing chemicals to your diet
Anti-oxidants counteract the ill-effect of free radicals that degenerate cells and cause harm to tissues. Two known antioxidants are Vitamin A and C. The best source of Vitamin C is citrus fruits.Rich source of Vitamin A are carrots, squash, spinach and collard greens.
Stop Smoking
Habitual smokers tend to have pronounced wrinkling and lines, gauntness or an off-color complexion. Experts also believe smoking makes you aged by reducing the flow of blood to the skin.
Following a fat-buster diet
Though fat is quite important for bodily functions, but excess of it, leads to many problems, like cellulite, clogging up arteries, high cholesterol. Some fat-reducing foods have been listed by experts, but they only help in reducing the fat-content down, but not doing it away entirely.
Polyunsaturated fats in Sunflower-seed oil :They tend to lower blood cholesterol levels.
Water-soluble fibre, which binds with water and cholesterol in the stomach, helps remove the cholesterol from the system. Best sources are beans and oat products and fruits with pectin such as oranges and apples.
Fish, particularly salmon and mackerel contain a component known as, which nullifies the high fat content in fish.
Manage your stress
Stress accelerates the aging process. When we feel stressed, we lose our bodies’ natural balance which causes damage to hormone secretion, cell repair, and collagen production.
Obviously, there is no eternal fountain of youth, but we can do small things to make that big effect, and welcome age with open arms.